Abstract

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the antioxidant and cytoprotective effects of Paracetamol, using different in vitro models of toxicity on sub-cellular (isolated rat liver microsomes) and cellular (isolated rat hepatocytes) levels.

On isolated rat liver microsomes, in conditions of non-enzyme lipid peroxidation, paracetamol revealed good statistically significant time- and concentration-dependent antioxidant activity (decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) production – marker for lipid peroxidation).

On isolated rat hepatocytes, we determined the main parameters of the hepatocytes’ functional and metabolic status: cell viability (measured by trypan blue exclusion), levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), reduced glutathione (GSH) and MDA.

In carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity, paracetamol showed statistically significant concentration-dependent cytoprotective and antioxidant activities.Paracetamol prevented the loss of cell viability and GSH depletion, decreased LDH leakage and MDA production.

These cytoprotective and antioxidant activities on different toxicity models might be due to a possible metabolic interaction between paracetamol and toxic agents.