Investigation of protective effects of glycyrrhizin against cyclophosphamide-induced liver injury in rats

Cyclophosphamide is a cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent that is widely used in the treatment of various neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. Although the therapeutic use of cyclophosphamide is widely, it has toxicity and side effects. The liver is one of the organs the most affected by these CP related side effects. In this experimental study, the effect of glycyrrhizin (GLY) had been examined against the side effects caused by CP. In this study, a total of 28 male Sprague Dawley rats had been used including 7 rats in each group. The rats in the control group were applied only physiological saline by gastric gavage (g.g.). The rats in the CP group were applied 150 mg/kg CP by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. In the CP+GLY100 and CP+GLY200 groups, three doses of GLY were applied by i.p. injection to 150 mg/kg CP and 20 minutes before CP and 100 mg/kg to the first group and 200 mg/kg to the second group at the 4th and 8th hours, had been applied. Tissues were examined histopathologically by hematoxylin-osin staining method, and immunohistochemically with caspase-3, TRPM2 and Bcl-2 markers. It was observed that hepatotoxicity findings occurring in the CP group decreased in the GLY groups. In this study, it was observed that histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations of the liver were better preserved in the groups treated with GLY compared to the CP group. This preservation is better in the CP+GLY200 group. Accordingly, it is thought that glycyrrhizin can be supportive against CP-related liver damage.