Dexpanthenol exhibits antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects against nicotine-induced liver damage by modulating Bax/Bcl-xL, Caspase-3/9, and Akt/NF-κB pathways.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to investigate the protective effects of dexpanthenol (DEX) against nicotine-induced liver injury by examining its impact on oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis pathways.
Results Summary
DEX significantly mitigated nicotine-induced liver damage by reducing oxidative stress markers, proinflammatory cytokines, and apoptosis-related proteins while restoring antiapoptotic protein levels and improving liver function.
Population
Male rats
Effective Dosage
500 mg/kg/day
Duration
8 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
nicotine administration | increase | IL-6, IL-1β, MDA, TOS, and oxidative stress index | Male rats | - | led to elevated levels | #1 |
nicotine administration | decrease | TAS levels | Male rats | - | accompanied by decreased | #2 |
nicotine exposure | decrease | p-Akt/Akt ratio | Male rats | - | reduced | #3 |
nicotine exposure | increase | NF-κB, Bax, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9 protein levels | Male rats | - | increased | #4 |
nicotine exposure | decrease | antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL levels | Male rats | - | decreased | #5 |
DEX treatment | decrease | parameters (IL-6, IL-1β, MDA, TOS, oxidative stress index, TAS, p-Akt/Akt ratio, NF-κB, Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bcl-xL) | Male rats | - | significantly mitigated these effects | #6 |
DEX treatment | no change | parameters (IL-6, IL-1β, MDA, TOS, oxidative stress index, TAS, p-Akt/Akt ratio, NF-κB, Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bcl-xL) | Male rats | - | restoring the parameters to levels comparable to those of the control group | #7 |
Nicotine-induced liver injury | increase | oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis | Male rats | - | resulted in | #8 |
DEX | decrease | nicotine-induced liver injury | Male rats | - | effectively attenuated | #9 |
Chronic tobacco use can lead to liver damage and inflammation due to the accumulation of various toxins in the body. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the molecular mechanisms of nicotine-induced liver injury, the caspase cascade, and the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway, as well as the protective effects of dexpanthenol (DEX). Male rats were subjected to intraperitoneal injections of nicotine at a concentration of 0.5 mg/kg/day and/or DEX at a concentration of 500 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks. After the treatment period, liver function tests were conducted on serum samples, and tissue samples were analyzed for protein levels of Akt, NF-κB, Bax, Bcl-xL, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9, along with histopathological changes. Additionally, assessments of oxidative stress markers and proinflammatory cytokines were carried out. Nicotine administration led to elevated levels of IL-6, IL-1β, MDA, TOS, and oxidative stress index, accompanied by decreased TAS levels. Moreover, nicotine exposure reduced the p-Akt/Akt ratio, increased NF-κB, Bax, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9 protein levels, and decreased the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL levels. DEX treatment significantly mitigated these effects, restoring the parameters to levels comparable to those of the control group. Nicotine-induced liver injury resulted in oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, mediated by Bax/Bcl-xL, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, and Akt/NF-κB pathways. Conversely, DEX effectively attenuated nicotine-induced liver injury by modulating apoptosis through NF-κB, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bax inhibition, and Bcl-xL activation.