Protection of CCl4-induced hepatic and renal damage by linalool.

The aim of the current study is to determine the protective and therapeutic effects of linalool against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Six-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: Control group (a regular diet); CCl4 group (1 ml/kg dissolved in olive oil, intraperitoneally at 14th day); pretreatment group (25 mg/kg linalool daily + CCl4 14thday); post-treatment group (25 mg/kg linalool 2, 6, 24, and 48 h after the injection of CCl4 at 14th day); and linalool group (25 mg/kg linalool daily, orally). All animals were sacrificed, tissue and blood samples were collected to analysis. Administration of CCl4 resulted in a marked increase in hepatic (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase) and renal (blood urea nitrogen and creatinine) markers. Also, CCl4 resulted in pathological damages, a significant increase in the concentration of malondialdehyde , tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and Interleukin 6 , expression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells and a significant decrease in the levels of serum total protein, serum albumin, and antioxidants. However, in pretreatment and post treatment groups, linalool significantly inhibited CCl4- induced hepatic and nephric damages. These results demonstrate that linalool has protective and therapeutic effects in an in vitro model of CCL4-induced hepatic and nephric damage, proposing linalool as a potential therapeutic agent against chemical and drug induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity.