Anti-malarial chloroquine stimulate p53-apoptotic pathway in rat hepatocytes

The study investigated rat liver injury produced by anti-malarial dose of chloroquine (CQ) and to elucidate if CQ could induce DNA damage and subsequently p53-dependent apoptosis in rat hepatocytes or not. The effect of anti-malarial CQ on p53-apoptotic pathway of rat liver cells after different time intervals (1, 2 & 3 days) was studied. Apoptosis was assessed in whole liver tissue using ELISA technique and at single cell level using TUNEL technique. The level of expression of p53 was measureed quantitatively by ELISA. Results found that CQ induced DNA damage and rat hepatocytes apoptosis in a time dependent manner. Secondly, p53 expression was associated with CQ administration in time dependent manner. Thus, anti-malarial dose of CQ induces DNA damage and apoptosis of rat liver cells and the expression of p53 could be considered as a normal response of hepatocytes suffering from CQ genotoxic stress.