Hepatoprotective effect of germanium-containing Spirulina in rats with (D)-galactosamine- and lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatitis.

In the present study, the protective effects of dietary Spirulina (SP) and germanium-containing Spirulina (GeSP) were compared in rats with liver injury induced by an intraperitoneal injection of d -galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide (GalN/LPS). Wistar rats were fed one of the following diets: the basal diet (GalN/LPS-CON group; n 6), the basal diet supplemented with 5 % SP or GeSP (GalN/LPS-SP and GalN/LPS-GeSP group, respectively; n 7 each). After administering these diets for 7 d, each rat was intraperitoneally injected with GalN/LPS. Increases in plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were suppressed in the GalN/LPS-GeSP group (GalN/LPS-CON v . GalN/LPS-GeSP: ALT 1052 ( sem 187) v . 509 ( sem 88) IU/l and AST 2183 ( sem 368) v . 1170 ( sem 196) IU/l) following the injection of GalN/LPS. Plasma levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and TNF-α in GeSP-fed rats were significantly lower when compared with those in the GalN/LPS-CON group (GalN/LPS-CON v . GalN/LPS-GeSP: IFN-γ 142·8 ( sem 17·5) v . 66·8 ( sem 9·7) pg/ml and TNF-α 72·3 ( sem 15·4) v . 31·2 ( sem 6·8) pg/ml). However, the decrease in these levels observed in the GalN/LPS-SP group was not as prominent as those observed in the GalN/LPS-GeSP group. Furthermore, the increase in liver catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, as well as the level of oxidised glutathione (GSSG), was more suppressed in GeSP-fed rats (GalN/LPS-CON v . GalN/LPS-GeSP: CAT 457 ( sem 47) v . 262 ( sem 54) U/mg liver protein; GPx 1·30 ( sem 0·11) v . 0·53 ( sem 0·09) U/mg liver protein; GSSG 2·18 ( sem 0·33) v . 1·31 ( sem 0·24) mmol/kg liver) after the injection of GalN/LPS. These changes were more pronounced in the GalN/LPS-GeSP group than in the GalN/LPS-SP group. These results suggest that GeSP could afford a significant protective effect in the alleviation of GalN/LPS-induced hepatic damage. In addition, the results indicate that GeSP is more effective than SP.