Hepatoprotective role of unacylated ghrelin in different doses: an experimental study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hepatoprotective effects of Unacylated Ghrelin (UAG) at varying doses in the management of acute liver injury in Wistar albino rats. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at Department of Physiology, Isra University, Hyderabad, Pakistan from March to August 2023. Thirty Wistar albino rats (200-250 grams) were randomly divided into five groups (n=6). Group A served as the control, while liver injury was induced in Groups B, C, D, and E via intraperitoneal injection of 0.1% CCl₄. Groups C, D, and E were subsequently treated with low, medium, and high doses of UAG, respectively. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), malondialdehyde, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were assessed, along with liver histopathology. RESULTS: Pre-experimental body weights (Mean±SD) for groups A, B, C, D, and E were 227.33±7.75 g, 229.80±2.08 g, 228.70±5.34 g, 231.33±8.69 g, and 236.38±10.63 g, respectively. The liver index was 4.36±0.28, 6.65±0.37, 5.80±0.17, 5.70±0.08, and 5.06±0.23, respectively, across the groups. A statistically significant (p<0.05) decline was observed in group B compared to group C, D and E. Moreover, statistically significant (p<0.05) rise in ALT, AST, Serum IL-6, TNFα, SOD, and MDA levels in group B compared with the remaining groups. CONCLUSION: UAG effectively protects the liver from CCl₄-induced injury in rats. Higher doses of UAG reduced liver enzyme levels and improved oxidative stress and inflammation markers, indicating its potential as a therapeutic agent for liver damage. Further research is warranted to explore UAG's therapeutic use for liver disorders.