Protective effects of tamoxifen and raloxifene on apoptosis and oxidative stress in the kidney and liver of ovariectomized rats

Abstract

In the postmenopausal period, women undergo physical and morphological changes that may result in insufficiency and deterioration in physiological functions. It is accepted that oxidative stress is involved in the etiology of postmenopausal changes. It is known that the decrease in ovarian hormones, especially 17β-estradiol (17-β) after menopause induces apoptosis and oxidative stress in many tissues. It is well known that 17-β has an antioxidant role in non-menopausal women. Recently, we observed that the treatments of 17-β, raloxifene (RAL), and tamoxifen (TAM) diminished apoptotic factors, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial membrane depolarization in the brain and dorsal root ganglia of ovariectomized rats. There is no enough information about the effects of triple therapy [17-β, and selective estrogen receptor modulators (TAM and RAL)] effects on liver and kidney tissues. We aimed to investigate the effects of 17-β, TAM, and RAL on apoptosis, cell viability (MTT), and oxidative stress in the kidney and OV+TAM, and OV+RAL. 17-β, TAM, and RAL were subcutaneously given to three groups (OV+17-β, OV+TAM, and OV+RAL) for 14 days after ovariectomy. While kidney and liver cells lipid peroxidation levels were high in the OV group, they were low in the OV+17-β, OV+TAM, and OV+RAL groups. The treatments of 17-β, TAM, and RAL in the groups of OV+17-β, OV+TAM, and OV+RAL increased the glutathione peroxidase (GSH Px) activity and glutathione (GSH) levels in the cells of kidney and liver. In addition, the MTT level of kidney and liver cells was low in the OV group and higher in the OV+17-β, OV+TAM, and OV+RAL groups. The treatments of OV+17-β, OV+TAM, and OV+RAL decreased the apoptosis and ROS levels in kidney and liver cells. In conclusion, we observed that 17-β, TAM, and RAL administrations were beneficial on cell viability (MTT), apoptosis, and ROS levels in the kidney and liver cells of OV rats by modulating antioxidant systems. liver of bilateral ovariectomized (OV) rats. Forty female rats used in the experiment, and they were divided into five groups as control, OV, OV+17-β,