Aflatoxin B1-induced hepatorenal impairment in rats via oxidative/inflammatory damage is accompanied by altered purinergic and kynurenine pathways: protective effect of rutin

This study investigated the protective effects of rutin against the hepatorenal toxicity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure in rats.

Forty male Wistar rats were sorted into five experimental groups of 8 rats per group: control (corn oil), AFB1 (0.75 mg/kg bwt), AFB1 (1.5 mg/kg bwt), rutin (50 mg/kg bwt), and AFB1 (1.5 mg/kg bwt) + rutin (50 mg/kg bet) per oral for 30 days. Twenty-four hours (24 h) after the last treatment, antioxidant/oxidative stress parameters were assayed. Proinflammatory markers, as well as liver and kidney function tests, were assayed. Others include histology, purinergic, and indoleaminergic pathways.

AFB1 co-treatment significantly (p < 0.05) abated AFB1-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory response when compared with the control group. Impaired hepatorenal function parameters and histological damage in the AFB1 group relative to the control were also attenuated following rutin co-treatment. Moreover, alterations in the purinergic molecules and xanthine oxidase activity following AFB1 exposure relative to the control which was accompanied by an increase in the tryptophan catabolism enzymes in the hepatorenal axis were also modulated by rutin co-treatment.

The outcome of this study revealed that rutin attenuated AFB1-induced hepatorenal toxicity in rats. This outcome is likely due to the inhibition of oxidative stress and proinflammatory response-mediated modulation of purinergic molecules and indoleaminergic activities.