Chemotherapeutic doses of arsenic trioxide delays hepatic regeneration by oxidative stress and hepatocyte apoptosis in partial hepatectomy rat

The extensive regeneration potential of the liver makes use of hepatic re-sectioning and split liver transplantation for treating advanced liver diseases. Heavy metals such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and arsenic trioxide (ATO) are being practiced as chemotherapeutic agents for different cancers. Further, research is progressed on using different heavy metal nano-particles as a drug, drug carrier and diseases detective agent. Since liver is the chief organ metabolize ingested materials, the current study focuses on the involvement of ATO on acute liver injury regeneration using a partially hepatectomised (PHx) rat model. Scrutiny of serum liver markers such as albumin, AST, ALT & ALP and hepatic antioxidants like reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, catalase & superoxide dismutase reveled ATO mediated hepatocyte injury and oxidative stress. Further, oxidative stress is confirmed with elevated TSARS and 8-OHdG in the hepatocyte nucleus in ATO supplemented healthy and regenerating liver and are co-relating with the H&E histological observations. It is noticed that ATO supplementation reduced liver regeneration potential as evidenced by reduced proliferative markers (Ki-67 and PCNA) and meanwhile increases apoptotic protein PARP-1. ICP-MS analysis displayed several-fold hiked serum and liver arsenic in ATO administrated normal and liver regenerating animals. This study concludes that ATO at a chemotherapeutic concentration augments oxidative stress and hepatocytes apoptosis, thereby delays liver regeneration potential and could affect the outcome of liver transplantation.