Roles of Lipoxin A4 in Preventing Paracetamol-Induced Acute Hepatic Injury in a Rabbit Model

The objective of this research is to investigate the potential role of lipoxin A4 in preventing paracetamol (PCM)-induced hepatic injury. One hundred male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into control group, PCM group, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) group, lipoxin A4 (LXA4) group, and LXA4?+?NAC group. The rabbits were assigned to receive 300 mg/kg weight PCM in 0.9 % saline or equivalent volume of saline via gastric lavage. LXA4 (1.5 μg/kg) and equivalent volume of 2 % ethanol were separately given to the rabbits in LXA4-treated and PCM groups 24 h after PCM administration. Meanwhile, the rabbits in the NAC-treated groups received a loading dose of 140 mg/kg of N-acetylcysteine. The blood samples and liver tissue were collected for biochemical and histological evaluation 36 h after paracetamol administration. The administration of LXA4 24 h after paracetamol poisoning resulted in significant improvement in hepatic injury as represented by decrease of hepatocellular enzyme release and attenuation of hepatocyte apoptosis and necrosis. In LXA4-treated groups, the expression of TNF-α was significantly lower than those in PCM and NAC groups (p?p?p?p?