Korean J Nutr.  2005 Nov;38(9):689-697.

Preventive Effects of Chitosan on the Disorders of Hepatic Functions and Lipid Metabolism in Rats Treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

• Lee JH
• Hwang SY
• Lee YS

Abstract

This study was conducted to fine out the preventive effects of chitosan and chitosan oligomer on the disorders of hepatic functions and lipid metabolism induced by 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), using adult male rats (SD) for four weeks. Rats were fed chitosan (4%) or chitosan oligomer (4%) diets respectively before 3weeks of TCDD treatment (50 ug/kg BW) by intraperitoneal injection and then continually supplied these diets for one week until being sacrificed. The elevation of serum total and LDL cholesterol levels induced by TCDD treatment was significantly reduced in the rats fed chitosan diets. The increment of liver triglyceride levels caused by TCDD treatment was tended to suppress in all rats fed chitosan and chitosan oligomer diets. Fecal total lipid and cholesterol excretion were high levels in the rats fed chitosan diets. The hepatic cytosolic catalase activities significantly decreased by TCDD treatment appeared recovering trend by chitosan diets. In hepatic microsomal cytochrome p-450, NADPH cytochrome p-450 reductase, ethoxycoumarin-o-deethylase (ECOD) and benzphetamin N-demethylase (BPND), chitosan than chitosan oligomer diets apparently decreased the increasing levels by TCDD treatment. In histochemical observation, the fat droplets and apoptosis of hepatocytes by TCDD treatment were markedly alleviated by chitosan and chitosan oligomer diets. These results indicate that chitosan, more than chitosan oligomer can exert preventive effects on some disorders of hepatic functions and lipids accumulation by TCDD.

Keyword

TCDD; chitosan; chitosan oligomer; lipid; catalase; ECOD; BPND

MeSH Terms

Adult
Animals
Apoptosis
Catalase
Chitosan*
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, LDL
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
Cytosol
Diet
Hepatocytes
Humans
Injections, Intraperitoneal
Lipid Metabolism*
Liver
Male
NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase
Rats*
Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin*
Triglycerides
Catalase
Chitosan
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, LDL
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase
Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin