Gene expression and histopathological analysis of the effect of Allium cepa on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced Anti-Hepatic steatosis in Wister rats

Document Type : Scientific Research

Authors

1 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria.

2 National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency, Abuja, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most prevalent chronic liver condition in developed countries, posing a significant public health challenge. Its increasing incidence is attributed mainly to rising rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome, and this highlights the need for effective preventive and management strategies.
Aim: This study investigated onion (Allium cepa) as a treatment for carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced fatty liver disease.
Materials and Methods: Thirty-five male Wistar rats (150-200g) were divided into seven groups. Group 1 received only water and standard feed; Group 2 received onion extract for 8 weeks; Group 3 received CCl4 (0.5 ml/kg bw, i.p.) twice weekly for 8 weeks; Groups 4 and 5 received CCl4 for 5 weeks followed by 100 mg/kg bw/day and 200 mg/kg bw/day of onion extract, respectively, for 3 weeks; Groups 6 and 7 received CCl4 for 5 weeks followed by raw onion mixed with feed in different ratios for 3 weeks. Liver gene expressions and histology were analyzed.
Results: Exposure to carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) significantly (P < 0.05) increased levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and HMG-CoA reductase, indicating liver damage. Histological analysis confirmed structural alterations in all groups except the control. Treatment with onion extract, particularly at 200 mg/kg, reduced AFP, TNF-α, and HMG-CoA reductase levels and improved liver histology.
Conclusion: This study suggests Allium cepa may alleviate liver damage in CCl4-induced fatty liver disease, advocating further research on its long-term safety, efficacy, and molecular mechanisms.

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Footnotes. Ahmed Fathy (Professor of internal medicine, gastroenterology, and hepatology unit), Hayam Rashed (Professor of pathology), Samia Hussien (Professor of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), and Amany Mohamed (Professor of family medicine, biostatistician) were the peer reviewers. E- Editor: Salem Youssef Mohamed, Osama Ahmed Khalil, Amany Mohammed. Copyright ©. This open-access article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). It may be used, distributed, or reproduced in other forums, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited. The original publication in this journal must be cited according to accepted academic practice. Disclaimer: The authors' claims in this article are solely their own and do not necessarily represent their affiliated organizations or those of the publisher, the editors, and the reviewers. Any product evaluated in this article or its manufacturer's claim is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. Ethics approval The experimental protocol used in this study was carried out according to the guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals approved by Adekunle Ajasin University's Animal Ethics Committee and the European regulations. All procedures that can give welfare and minimize pain or discomfort to the animals were done. The animals were acclimatized to laboratory conditions and had ad libitum access to food and water before experimentation. All animals were euthanized for tissue collection as indicated in the AVMA guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals, edition 2013. Study protocol: Data and materials availability: The datasets used or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Funding: This study had no funding from any source. This work was done according to the guidelines. Authors' contributions: OYA designed the research and drafted the manuscript. BPF prepared the extract and participated in animal care, conducted statistical data analysis and gene expression analysis, and drafted the manuscript. DSM designed the research and carried out histopathological analysis. AOA prepared the extract and participated in animal care. OOA prepared the extract and participated in animal care. ABR made some contributions and edited and proofread the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgments: We thank the Department of Biochemistry, Adekunle Ajasin University, and the Laboratory staff for their time and support.

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