Acta Vet. Brno 2020, 89: 383-389

https://doi.org/10.2754/avb202089040383

The effect of capsaicin and diethylnitrosamine on mouse nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and hepatocarcinogenesis

Vendula Kuchařová Kumžáková1, Ivana Veselá1, Miša Škorič2, Ondřej Daněk1, Kristína Řeháková3, Jaroslava Tomenendálová1

1University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Physiology, Brno, Czech Republic
2University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathological Morphology and Parasitology, Brno, Czech Republic
3University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Clinic Laboratory for Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Brno, Czech Republic

Received January 16, 2020
Accepted December 21, 2020

Diethylnitrosamine is well known for its toxic and carcinogenic properties affecting mainly liver and kidneys. Capsaicin has been proven in previous years as a promising protective agent against many health problems affecting modern people. In this study we used diethylnitrosamine induced mouse experimental model of liver and kidney damage to assess the potential chemopreventive effect of capsaicin in vivo. Fifty female ICR mice were randomly divided into five groups intraperitoneally administered 1% ethanol solution in controls, capsaicin to assess its toxicity, diethylnitrosamine alone, and diethylnitrosamine and capsaicin in combination in different manners in two groups. After 14 weeks all mice were sacrificed, complete necropsy was performed and liver and kidneys were used for further examination. Slides of both organs stained with haematoxylin and eosin were histologically evaluated and immunohistochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and glutamine synthetase in the liver tissue was performed. Histological evaluation of the liver and kidneys revealed toxic damage of diethylnitrosamine treated animals, whereas mice that received the combination of the substances showed milder lesions. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression was lower in diethylnitrosamine treated animals compared to the control and capsaicin groups, pointing to a disruption of the proliferative activity of hepatocytes in the juvenile liver. Glutamine synthetase expression did not differ between the groups, indicating that no tumours were induced by any of the substances used in our study. In conclusion, our experiment demonstrated the toxic properties of diethylnitrosamine in mice liver and kidneys, with the promising beneficial effect of capsaicin.

Funding

This work was supported by the Internal Grant Agency of the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Grant No. 114/2016/FVL.

References

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