Expression of the Sod1 gene under conditions of experimental ethanol intoxication and administration of hepatoprotective drugs

The aim of the study was to study the effect of hepatoprotective drugs on the expression of the Sod1 gene in rats with ethanol liver damage.

Materials and methods. Male outbred white rats were used in the experiment. Five groups of animals were formed, 14 individuals each. Distilled water was administered to rats of the 1st group (control); Group 2 — ethanol at a dose of 5 g/kg of body weight; Group 3 — ethanol and heptor at a dose of 72 mg/kg; Group 4 — ethanol and mexidol at a dose of 50 mg/kg; Group 5 — ethanol and OMU at a dose of 50 mg/kg. The drugs were administered 1 hour before the introduction of ethanol. 24 and 72 hours after the introduction of ethanol (7 individuals), the animals were decapitated and the liver was removed. The expression level of the Sod1 gene was assessed using real-time reverse transcription PCR.

Results. The fold change in Sod1 expression in rat liver after 24 h practically did not change in response to the introduction of ethanol to the animals. A tendency to a slight decrease was observed in relation to changes in the expression of Sod1 with the use of heptor and mexidol, while under the influence of OMU, the expression level increased moderately. After 72 h, the exposure to ethanol was accompanied by a slight decrease in the frequency of expression of the Sod1 gene. A similar trend was observed with respect to changes in Sod1 expression with the use of heptor, mexidol, and OMU.

Conclusion. The results obtained indicate that the introduction of both ethanol and the prophylactic use of hepatoprotective drugs did not lead to significant changes in the level of Sod1 gene expression in rat liver. Additional studies are needed to identify the mechanisms of regulation of the antioxidant system, as well as the search for drugs that affect the transcriptional activity of genes.

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