Abstract

IMPACT OF L-CARNÄ°TÄ°NE ON ATORVASTATÄ°N Ä°NDUCED LÄ°VER, TESTES AND GASTRÄ°C Ä°NJURY Ä°N RATS

Sahar Youssef*

Abstract

Statins are one of the most effective drugs for treating hyperlipidemia. High dose of statins has been reported to be more effective in cardiovascular diseases, but their side effects have been reported that essentially limited their prescription. L-carnitine is an antioxidant; its role in protection is still not clear. The current study is concerned to investigate atorvastatin on the liver, testes, stomach and the possible protective role of L-carnitine. Thirty adult male albino rats were used in this study and were divided into three groups. Group 1, control group received distilled water, group 2 received 80 mg/kg/day of atorvastatin, and group 3, received both L-carnitine at 100 mg/kg/day and atorvastatin at 80 mg/kg/day for four weeks. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain, morphometric and statistical investigation were performed. Liver sections of atorvastatin group showed dilated congested blood sinusoids and focal cellular infiltrations. Testes sections of atorvastatin group showed disorganization of the majority of the seminiferous tubules with thick capsule contain congested dilated blood vessels with widening of interstitium. Sloughed spermatogenic and multinucleated giant germ cells in the lumen of some of affected tubules, necrosis, degeneration and few spermatozoa were seen in few of seminiferous tubules. Gastric sections of atorvastatin group showed disruption of fundic mucosal glands with widening of irregular gastric pits, focal cellular infiltrations and dilated congested blood vessels in the submucosa. Co-administration of L-carnitine with atorvastatin induced an apparent protection against these histological changes. L- carnitine prevent atorvastatin induced damage of the liver, testes and gastric.

Keywords: Atorvastatin; L-carnitine; liver; testes; stomach.