Protective Effect of Royal Jelly following Phenylhydrazine-induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice

Phenylhydrazine (PHZ), a recognized oxidant agent, can cause a variety of side effects including hepatic disorders. The present study aimed to explore the possible hepatoprotective effects of royal jelly (RJ) with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities on PHZ-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. In this randomized controlled experimental study, adult male mice were categorized into four groups of eight mice each. Two groups of mice received PHZ at a dose of 60 mg/kg per 48 hours intraperitoneally for 35 days. RJ was administered to one of these groups at a dose of 100 mg/kg per day orally four hours before PHZ injection. A vehicle-treated control group and a RJ-only treated group were also included. Serum and hepatic samples were collected 24 hours after the last treatment and subjected to biochemical and histomorphometric examinations, respectively. The data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance followed by Duncan test for post hoc comparisons. PHZ treatment caused a significant elevation (P < 0.05) in serum concentrations of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and malondealdehyde and decreased serum level of total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase and albumin. Moreover, PHZ significantly increased diameters of hepatocytes and their nuclei as well as number of Kupffer cells. Notably, RJ pretreatment improved all changes in the above-mentioned parameters. RJ by virtue of its antioxidant properties can reduce PHZ-induced hepatic damages in mice. However, the exact mechanism by which RJ cause these effects merits further studies.