article · Scientific Reports
Long-term use of high-dose statins can lead to hepatitis, an early yet severe sign of liver damage. This research assessed the potential of thymoquinone, bee pollen, and their combination to treat fluvastatin-induced hepatitis in rats. While individual administration of either thymoquinone or bee pollen alleviated liver damage, the combined treatment produced the most effective response. The interventions significantly lowered serum markers of liver injury, reduced malondialdehyde, and boosted antioxidant enzymes including catalase and glutathione peroxidase. Histological evaluations showed improved liver structure with mild collagen deposition. At the molecular level, treatments modulated inflammatory pathways by decreasing tumour necrosis factor alpha, boosting interleukin 10 protein, and altering the expression of related genes. Overall, combining thymoquinone and bee pollen provides superior therapeutic protection against fluvastatin-induced liver injury compared to either compound administered alone.
Statins are widely used medications, but prolonged high doses can cause liver toxicity. Demonstrating that natural substances like thymoquinone and bee pollen can counteract drug-induced hepatitis highlights potential complementary therapies to mitigate adverse drug effects. Understanding these protective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms helps inform safer therapeutic strategies for patients requiring intensive statin treatments.
This work points to potential therapeutic formulations using thymoquinone and bee pollen to protect against drug-induced liver injury. Potential users include pharmaceutical developers and clinical researchers seeking protective adjunct therapies for patients taking high-dose statins. Because the findings are currently limited to an animal model, the research is at an early preclinical stage and requires extensive clinical trials before any real-world healthcare or pharmaceutical application can be realised.
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Hepatitis is one of earlier, but serious, signs of liver damage. High doses of statins for a long time can induce hepatitis. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the therapeutic potential of thymoquinone (TQ) and bee pollen (BP) on fluvastatin (F)-induced hepatitis in rats. Rats were randomly divided into: group 1 (G1, control), G2 (F, hepatitis), G3 (F + TQ), G4 (F + BP), and G5 (F + TQ + BP). Single treatment with TQ or BP relieved fluvastatin-induced hepatitis, with best effect for the combined therapy. TQ and/or BP treatment significantly (1) reduced serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, and total bilirubin, (2) decreased malondialdehyde levels and increased level of reduced glutathione, and activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase in the liver, (3) improved liver histology with mild deposition of type I collagen, (4) increased mRNA levels of transforming growth factor beta 1, nuclear factor Kappa B, and cyclooxygenase 1 and 2, and (5) decreased tumor necrosis factor alpha and upregulated interleukin 10 protein in the liver. These data clearly highlight the ability of TQ and BP combined therapy to cause better ameliorative effects on fluvastatin-induced hepatitis than individual treatment by each alone.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95342-7
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