Enhanced hepatotoxicity after furan and cadmium co-exposure in rats: Involvement of oxidative stress and apoptotic cascades

Abstract

Furan (FU) and Cadmium (Cd) are toxic agents, and persistent exposure may harm both human and animal health. Therefore, we explored the effects of FU and Cd on liver of the male rat. Male Wister rat groups are distributed randomly: control group (Cr-water): rats were given DI water; control oil group (Cr-oil): rats received corn oil; Furan group: rats received Furan (FU, 16 mg/kg) orally; Cd group: rats obtain cadmium (Cd, 2 mg/kg) orally; and FU+Cd group: rats given both FU +Cd. For 30 days, each therapy was administered once daily. Blood samples and hepatic tissues were obtained after all rats were euthanized. The outcomes showed that treatment with FU or Cd alone considerably caused liver damage, evidenced by serum increase of AST, ALT, ALP, triglycerides, and cholesterol as well as histological changes. Following FU or Cd exposure, there were significant reductions in CAT, GSH, and SOD contents, as well as increases in malondialdehyde along with upregulated expression of PCNA and TNF-α. In contrast, when FU and Cd were administered together potentiated each other and caused more cellular damage in liver tissue. This study found that the primary modulator for enhancing FU and Cd toxicity when administered together was thought to be oxidative stress pathways.