The effect of caffeine on oxidative stress in liver and heart tissues of rats

Aim: To investigate the effect of caffeine on the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) in the liver and heart tissues of rats. Materials and methods: The current study included 30 rats, which were divided into 3 groups: a control group and 2 caffeine-treated groups. Group 1 was given caffeine at 30 mg/kg and Group 2 was given caffeine at 100 mg/kg (a high nontoxic dose) for 14 days. Results: MDA and AOPP levels in the liver tissue of the caffeine-treated groups decreased significantly as a result of the dose. MDA and AOPP levels in the heart tissue also decreased, but this effect was not significantly affected by the dose. NO levels in the liver tissue of the caffeine-treated groups were higher than those in the control group; in the heart tissues, however, NO levels were not significantly affected by caffeine. Conclusion: These results show that the short-term consumption of 2 different doses of caffeine may potentially protect against oxidative stress in the liver. This effect is related to the dose of caffeine in the liver tissue. Further studies will be needed to discover the mechanisms responsible for these findings.