Protective and therapeutic effects of fucoidan, brown algae extract, against methotrexate hepatic toxicosis in albino rats

Fucoidan has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and promoted the immune function. Additionally, fucoidan also has been reported to reduce liver fibrogenesis by protecting from hepatic cell death and inducing hepatic stellate cells (HSC) death. The present study used fifty Swiss male albino rats (150-175 g) to assess the protective and therapeutic effects of fucoidan, brown algae extract, against oxidative stress on the hepatic damage in liver of the experimental rats treated with methotrexate (MTX). The rats were equally divided randomly into five groups. Elevated serum enzyme, hepatic necrosis, fibrosis, were noticed in rats intramuscularly (IM) injected with MTX (3 mg/ kg B wt). Fucoidan administration (200 mg/kg B wt) prior (protective group) and simultaneously with MTX ameliorated the induced hepatic damage. It lowered the serum enzymes and malondialdehyde (MDA) formation besides restoring the normal histological structure. Fucoidan (therapeutic trials) slightly ameliorated the effects previously induced by MTX when compared with the protective trial. Suppressive effect of fucoidan on activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) was evaluated using immunohistochemical staining. In conclusion, our finding proved that fucoidan administration prior and simultaneous or after MTX induced protective and therapeutic effects. Moreover, it reduced the hepatic lesions through scavenging oxidative stressors and down regulating the pro-inflammatory cytokines.