PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF N-ACETYLCYSTEINE ON LIVER TISSUE IN RATS TREATED WITH CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE

Cyclophosphamide is an anticancer drug that, despite its many clinical
applications, has toxic effects through production of free radicals on body. The aim of this study was to
evaluate the protective effects of N-acetylcysteine in the liver tissue of rats treated with
cyclophosphamide
Materials & Methods: Twenty-one adult female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. The
control group received normal saline for 15 days intraperitoneally. Experimental groups1 and 2 received
a single dose of cyclophosphamide (150 mg / kg intraperitoneally). 7 days before and 7 days after
administration of cyclophosphamide, the mice in these two groups received normal saline and nacetylcysteine (150 mg / kg). At the end of the study, serum levels of aminotransferase and alanine
aminotransferase aspartate were measured and liver tissue was obtained for histopathologic evaluation.
Results: In the treatment group, n-acetylcysteine significantly decreased the amount of elevated
aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase catabolism induced by cyclophosphamide (P <0.05).
Administration of cyclophosphamide caused pathological changes in the liver structure, including
dilatation of portal veins, infiltration of leukocytes and bulking hepatocytes with fatty vacuoles, and the
supplementation of n-acetylcysteine greatly prevented these structural changes in the liver.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the use of n-acetylcysteine can reduce the harmful
effects of cyclophosphamide on liver tissue