Spirulina ameliorates the trimethoprim-insecticide-induced hepatotoxicity in rats: histopathological and immunohistochemical insights

Background: The cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis exhibits a strong antioxidant capacity, which helps mitigate oxidative stress.Methods: The paper aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective properties of Spirulina in male rats with liver injury induced by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMX). Animals were categorized into 4 groups: group 1, which was a control; group 2, which was fed Spirulina extract of 800 mg/kg BW; group 3, which was fed TMX 156 mg/kg BW; and group 4, which was fed TMX and Spirulina extract using an assay like ELISA. The animals were given the respective Oral doses every three weeks.Results: TMX management considerably increased the levels of oxidative stress, such as malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide, and contemporarily decreased the activity of key antioxidant enzymes. Also, TMX impaired liver function tests in serum with histopathological and immunohistochemical alterations. Co-treatment with Spirulina ameliorates the trimethoprim-insecticide TMX, significantly reducing oxidative stress and hepatic impairment caused by TMX, and restores histological and immunohistochemical outcomes.Conclusion: To sum up, the present findings support Spirulina platensis as a promising natural antioxidant that has hepatoprotective properties, with limited studies that should be elaborated to understand the mechanisms of action associated with the compound, such as its effect on signaling pathways.