Effects of fullerenol C<sub>60</sub> on the liver, heart and brain tissues of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with sepsis


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ŞENGEL N., KUBAT Ö., Farajsoylu L., BÜYÜKKASAP A. Ç., Atli M., SEZEN Ş. C., ...Daha Fazla

EXPERIMENTAL AND THERAPEUTIC MEDICINE, cilt.31, sa.5, 2026 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 31 Sayı: 5
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3892/etm.2026.13130
  • Dergi Adı: EXPERIMENTAL AND THERAPEUTIC MEDICINE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), BIOSIS, EMBASE, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

In the present study, the protective effects of fullerenol C-60, a nanomaterial with antioxidant properties, were investigated against sepsis-induced multiple organ failure in liver, heart and brain tissues using a sepsis model [cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)] in diabetic rats. A total of 30 Wistar albino male rats were divided into four groups: Control, diabetic control, diabetes + sepsis (DM/SEP) and diabetes + sepsis + fullerenol C-60 (FUL/C-60). Streptozotocin was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 55 mg/kg to induce diabetes in the rats; those with blood sugar levels >250 mg/dl 72 h after injection were considered diabetic. After 4 weeks, only laparotomy was performed in the control and diabetic control groups. CLP was applied to the DM/SEP and FUL/C-60 groups to establish a sepsis model. After laparotomy, the abdomens of the rats were closed. In the FUL/C-60 group, 100 mg/kg fullerenol C-60 was administered intraperitoneally 30 min after the procedure. All rats were sacrificed 24 h later and blood and tissue samples from the brain, liver and heart were taken for histopathological and biochemical examination. The data distribution was analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Data were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc test or one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test. Fullerenol C-60 markedly reduced sepsis-induced tissue damage in the liver, heart and brain. Histopathological evaluation demonstrated significantly less hepatocyte degeneration (P=0.042), necrosis (P=0.040) and sinusoidal dilatation (P=0.013) in liver tissue; reduced interstitial fibrosis (P=0.040) in heart tissue; and decreased inflammatory cellularity (P=0.034) in brain tissue in the FUL/C-60 group compared with the DM/SEP group. Biochemically, fullerenol C-60 significantly attenuated oxidative stress in liver and brain tissues, as indicated by lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels (both, P<0.001) and higher catalase activity (P=0.034 and P=0.009, respectively) in the FUL/C-60 group. Consistent with these findings, liver function was substantially improved, as evidenced by reduced serum aspartate transaminase (P<0.001), alanine transaminase (P<0.001) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (P=0.008) levels, as well as lower total (P<0.001) and direct bilirubin (P<0.001) levels. Overall, fullerenol C-60 effectively reduced organ damage by suppressing oxidative stress. Fullerenol C-60 demonstrated protective effects against multiple organ failure in a diabetic sepsis model, indicating its potential as a supportive agent in sepsis treatment.