Effects of ceftriaxone, black seed oil (Nigella sativa), and their combination on interleukin-10 expression in a Wistar rat peritonitis model

BACKGROUND: Peritonitis is an inflammatory disorder of the peritoneum, characterized by the predominance of pro-inflammatory over anti-inflammatory cytokines and associated with significant mortality. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine with anti-inflammatory effect that could be induced by several factors, such as antibiotics and herbs. Black seed oil (BSO; Nigella sativa) has long been used in traditional medicine. It may halt the production of inflammatory mediators while upregulating anti-inflammatory mediators. This study compared IL-10 expression between the administration of ceftriaxone, BSO, and their combination.METHODS: This experimental study using Wistar rats. The study samples were divided into three groups: group 1 (intramuscular [IM] ceftriaxone), group 2 (BSO orally), and group 3 (IM ceftriaxone + BSO orally). IL-10 expression was analyzed from tail venous samples on days 3, 5, 7, and 14 after the intervention using enzyme-linked immunoassay. A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS: A significant increase in IL-10 expression occurred among all groups at all timepoints. The greatest increase was recorded in the combination group (124.56±3.25 pg/mL). The subgroup analysis on days 3 and 5 showed that IL-10 expression was insignificantly greater in the ceftriaxone group than the BSO group (P=0.064 and 0.386) and significantly greater with BSO + ceftriaxone than ceftriaxone alone (P=0.003 and 0.026) and BSO alone (P=0.000 and 0.021). On days 7 and 14, IL-10 expression was significantly higher in the ceftriaxone-only group than the BSO-only group (P=0.032 and 0.028), the combination group than the ceftriaxone-only group (P=0.024 and 0.036), and the combination group than the BSO-only group (P=0.007 and 0.042).CONCLUSIONS: Either regimen could significantly increase IL-10 expression, but the greatest expression was seen in samples receiving both ceftriaxone and BSO.