The effect of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) on the caspase-3, caspase-9, erk, akt protein expression and DNA damage in rats with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced lung damage

Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) is one of the plants that are effective on the lung, are used for treatment for centuries. The aim of this study was to examine whether Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) plays a protective role against the damage in the lung by administering carbontetrachloride (CCl4) to rats. 28 male Wistar albino (n=28, 8 weeks old) rats have been used in the study. Groups were divided into four, and 7 rats involved in each group. The groups were: (i) Negative Control (NC): Normal water consuming group to which no CCl4 and Black cumin (BC) is administered; (ii) Positive Control (PC): Normal water consuming group to which no CCl4 is administered but BC is administered; (iii) CCl4 Group: Normal water consuming and group to which CCl4 is administered (1.5 ml/kg live weight, ip); (iv) CCl4 + BC group: CCl4 and BC administered group (1.5 ml/kg live weight, ip). Caspase -3, caspase -9, erk, akt protein syntheses were examined via western blotting. Tissue apoptotic index was examined via TUNEL method. The DNA fragmentation was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. MDA (malondialdehyde) determination in plasma and lung tissue was made using spectrophotometer. As Results; MDA amount has decreased, caspase-3, caspase-9 has increased and erk, akt has decreased in the CCl4 + BC group in comparison to CCl4 group whereas it was observed in the CCl4+BC group that the apoptotic index (TUNEL results) decreases in comparison with the CCl4 group thus approaching normal values. These results show that BC plant protects the rat lung against damage and these findings, may be guiding in researchers which conducted on humans.