The hepatoprotective effect of Aloe vera on ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Aloe vera is known for its antioxidant properties. In this experimental study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of Aloe vera in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) liver injury in rats.METHODS: Male Wistar Albino rats were divided into three groups, where the sham group (n=7) underwent no medicationor surgical procedures, the I/R group (n=7) was the control group that received 45 minutes of applied abdominal aorta ischemia and rats were sacrificed 24 hours after reperfusion, and the I/R+AV group (n=7) was the treatment group that wasgiven Aloe vera (30 mg/kg) every day followed by gastric lavage for a month before applying ischemia and performing sacrifice as in the previous group. Before sacrifice, all the liver tissues were removed. Tissues were examined for histopathologicalinvestigation, iNOS immunoreactivity and tissue biochemistry, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities.RESULTS: The SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px levels of the I/R+AV group were not significantly different from the sham group (p>0.05)but were significantly higher when compared to the I/R group. MDA levels of liver tissues were significantly lower (p