Chrysin, a flavonoid attenuates histological changes of hyperammonemic rats: A dose dependent study

Chrysin (5,7-dihydroxyflavone) is a major component of some traditional medicinal herbs present in honey, propolis and many plant extracts. The study was aimed to illuminate the effect of chrysin in the pathogenesis of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) induced hyperammonemic rat model in a dose dependent manner. Rats were injected with NH4Cl (100mg/kg b.w.) by intraperitonially (i.p) thrice a week for 8 consecutive weeks for the induction of experimental hyperammonemia. Hyperammonemic rats were treated with chrysin by orally at a dose of 25, 50 & 100mg/kg b.w. respectively. Protective effect of chrysin against hyperammonemia was evaluated by performing biochemical estimations and morphopathological investigations of hematoxylin and eosin stained sections of liver, brain and kidney tissues. Supplementation of chrysin reinstated the levels of blood ammonia, plasma urea, uric acid, total bilirubin, creatinine, brain glutamate, glutamine, nitric oxide (NO) and the activities of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, and liver marker enzymes. On the other hand increased level of plasma urea was observed in chrysin treated rats as compared with hyperammonemic rats. Chrysin administration caused distortion of hepatic, brain and kidney architecture as shown by histological examination. Chrysin at a dose (100mg/kg b.w.) showed an utmost decline in the level of all biochemical estimations. Both biochemical and morphological studies clearly revealed that chrysin protects against cell injury induced by ammonia intoxication in a dose-response manner with respect to endogenous antioxidants and hypoammonemic effects.