The effect of pentoxifylline on ultrastructure and antioxidant potential during cyclophosphamide-induced liver injury

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pentoxifylline (PTXF) (30 mg/kg b.w. for 10 days) on the antioxidant potential in the rat liver after single intraperitoneal (i.p.) cyclophosphamide (CP) administration (150 mg/kg b.w.) and to draw a correlation between the morphological changes and biochemical findings. Morphological examinations were based on ultrastructural analysis in the transmission electron microscope. It was found that single i.p. CP administration caused destructive changes, particularly within mitochondria and in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocytes. The changes were accompanied by an increase in the MDA (malondialdehyde) level in liver tissue homogenates. The animals receiving PTXF + CP showed no normalization of MDA level, the same damage of the liver as those given CP, and marked statistically significant decrease in the activity of GSH/Px (glutathione peroxidase) compared to CP-receiving animals. No statistically significant differences were revealed in the activity of Cu,Zn-SOD and GSSR (superoxidase dismutase, glutathione reductase) both between control animals and CP- or CP + PTXF-receiving groups, or between CP and CP + PTXF groups.