Protective effect of arabic gum against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice

Overdose of acetaminophen, a widely used analgesic drug, can result in severe hepatotoxicity and is often fatal. This study was under-taken to examine the effects of arabic gum (AG), which is commonly used in processed foods, on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity inmice. Mice were given arabic gum orally (100 g l−1) 5 days before a hepatotoxic dose of acetaminophen (500 mg kg−1) intraperitoneally.Arabic gum administration dramatically reduced acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity as evidenced by reduced serum alanine (ALT) andaspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities. Acetaminophen-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation was reduced significantly by arabic gumpretreatment. The protection offered by arabic gum does not appear to be caused by a decrease in the formation of toxic acetaminophenmetabolites, which consumes glutathione, because arabic gum did not alter acetaminophen-induced hepatic glutathione depletion. Ac-etaminophen increased nitric oxide synthesis as measured by serum nitrate plus nitrite at 4 and 6 h after administration and arabic gumpretreatment significantly reduced their formation. In conclusion, arabic gum is effective in protecting mice against acetaminophen-inducedhepatotoxicity. This protection may involve the reduction of oxidative stress.Corresponding Author: Prof. Mahmoud N. Nagi, Professor, Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh-11451, Saudi Arabia. Email: mnagi@ksu.edu.s