Micromeria congesta Alleviates LPS-Induced Inflammation, Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in Rat Heart and...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Toxicology
• Pathology

Background:

• Sepsis is a life-threatening condition causing significant organ damage, particularly to the kidneys and heart.
• Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a key endotoxin used to model sepsis-induced organ injury.
• Acute kidney injury and myocardial dysfunction are major complications of sepsis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the protective effects of Micromeria congesta (MC) against LPS-induced kidney and heart damage in a rat sepsis model.
• To evaluate MC's impact on inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and DNA damage in sepsis.
• To determine the dose-dependent efficacy of MC in mitigating sepsis-related organ injury.

Main Methods:

• Rats were divided into control, LPS, and LPS + MC (25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg) groups.
• Kidney and heart tissues were analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin staining for histopathology.
• Immunohistochemical staining assessed markers for inflammation (IL-2), apoptosis (CASP-3), oxidative stress (HSP-27), and DNA damage (8-OHdG).

Main Results:

• Histopathological examination revealed reduced lesions in kidney and heart tissues with increasing doses of MC.
• Immunohistochemistry showed decreased expression of IL-2, CASP-3, HSP-27, and 8-OHdG in MC-treated groups compared to the LPS group.
• MC significantly attenuated LPS-induced inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and DNA damage in cardiac and renal tissues.

Conclusions:

• Micromeria congesta (MC) demonstrates significant protective effects against LPS-induced kidney and heart damage.
• MC mitigates sepsis-related organ injury by reducing key pathological markers including inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and DNA damage.
• MC shows promise as a potential therapeutic strategy for sepsis, warranting further in vivo investigation.