Evaluation of Grapefruit Juice in terms of Interleukin 18 Gene Expression in Rats with Fatty Liver and Healthy Rats

Introduction: Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is a member of the cytokine family and an important regulator of inflammatory reactions. Due to the severe and irreversible complications of this disease in the advanced stages, timely treatment, especially with herbal medicines, can be considered an important strategy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of grapefruit extract on the IL-18 gene expression in mice with fatty liver. Material & Methods: In this study, 24 male Wistar rats weighing 180±20 g were divided into four groups (positive control, negative control, first treatment, and second treatment). The two treatment groups received grapefruit extract 4 and 8 ml/kg by gavage for 5 weeks, respectively. Finally, the rats were anesthetized with chloroform, and after dissection, the liver tissue and blood samples were collected. Subsequently, RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed using the relevant kits according to the protocol, and finally the expression of IL18 gene was performed using Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, and the relevant analyzes were performed. (Ethic code: IR.IAU.SHK.REC.1399.049) Findings: In the present study, the results showed that grapefruit extract at a dose of 8 ml/kg could further reduce the expression of IL-18 gene, compared to a dose of 4 ml/kg in rats with fatty liver. This decrease in the rate expression was significant in the patient group (P<0.05). The results of biochemical tests confirmed liver improvement in treated rats at a dose of 8 ml/kg. Discussion & Conclusion: Grapefruit juice seems to reduce various symptoms of inflammation due to its orange content by reducing the expression of the IL-18 gene in rats with a fatty liver that can be considered a therapeutic target in fatty liver disease.