Abstract
Krill oil (KO) is a recent supplement which is rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids are found in both krill oil and fish oil. In krill oil, they esterified to phospholipids, but in fish oil, they are esterified to triacylglycerols. The target of this study was to investigate whether KO could help against iron overload–induced toxicity in liver and spleen. Rats were randomly assigned into 3 categories: control rats, rats received iron in a drinking water for 8 weeks followed by either vehicle or KO (40 mg/kg) treatment for an extra 8 weeks. Extent of hepatic and splenic injury was assessed via biochemical, histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluations. KO effectively improved the microscopic features of liver and spleen. Moreover, it decreased the increased levels of serum transaminases, ALP, LDH, iron, and ferritin and increased albumin serum level as well. In addition, it restored the balance between oxidants and antioxidants in the hepatic and splenic tissues. Furthermore, it decreased HO-1 levels, upregulated the production of Nrf2, and limited the expression of MMP9. These findings altogether suggest that KO might be a new candidate for treatment of iron overload-induced toxicity.
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The authors acknowledge Dr Walaa Awadin, lecturer of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, for her help in histopathology sections.
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Highlights:
• Krill oil alleviated oxidative stress associating iron overload -induced liver and spleen injury
• Krill oil lessened iron accumulation in liver and spleen of iron overloaded rats
• Krill oil attenuated iron overload-induced fibrosis in liver and spleen.
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Helal, M.G., El-Kashef, D.H. Krill oil alleviates oxidative stress, iron accumulation and fibrosis in the liver and spleen of iron-overload rats. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 3950–3961 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06983-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06983-1