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Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the most important causes of hepatic steatosis, which involves oxidative stress. In particular, increased oxidative stress has been strongly linked to stimulation of the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). This study aimed to investigate whether HO-1 could alleviates alcoholic steatosis in rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: 1) the control group, 2) the EtOH group, 3) the EtOH + ZnPP-IX group and 4) the EtOH + Hemin group. Liver histopathology was investigated in weeks 1 and 4 after the start of the treatment period. Alcohol treatment significantly increased the hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, an oxidative stress marker. In addition, it increased the triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in both weeks. Gross examination demonstrated a yellowish and slightly enlarged liver in the alcohol-treated rats. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Oil Red O staining indicated hepatic steatosis, which was characterized by diffuse, extensive fatty accumulation and discrete lipid droplets of variable size in hepatocytes of the alcohol-treated rats. Administration of the HO-1 inducer hemin resulted in upregulation of hepatic HO-1 gene expression, reduced the MDA, triglyceride, ALT and AST levels and alleviated alcoholic hepatic steatosis, whereas administration of the HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP-IX) resulted in downregulation of hepatic HO-1 gene expression and could not alleviate alcoholic hepatic steatosis either week. In conclusion, HO-1 could alleviate alcoholic hepatic steatosis in male Wistar rats and may be useful in development of a new therapeutic approach.

Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent widely used in treatment of several cancers. It is documented as a major cause of clinical nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of cisplatin-induced liver and kidney injury. Wistar rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 (control) was intraperitoneally (IP) injected with a single dose of 0.85% normal saline. Groups 2, 3 and 4 were IP injected with single doses of cisplatin at 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight (BW), respectively. At 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h after injection, BW, levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, malondialdehyde (MDA), and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and histology of the liver and kidney were evaluated. Cisplatin caused a reduction in BW of rats in groups 2, 3 and 4 at all post injection intervals. The levels of serum ALT, AST, BUN and creatinine and MDA of the kidney and liver were markedly increased especially at 48 and 72 h, whereas the activity of SOD was decreased after cisplatin injection. Liver sections revealed moderate to severe congestion with dilation of the hepatic artery, portal vein and bile duct and disorganization of hepatic cords at 50 mg/kg of cisplatin. Kidney sections illustrated mild to moderate tubular necrosis at 25 and 50 mg/kg of cisplatin. Therefore, oxidative stress was implicated in the pathogenesis of liver and kidney injury causing biochemical and histological alterations.