Therapeutic Effect of D-Carvone on Inflammation, Apoptosis, and Cell Damage in Lithium-Induced Liver Injury Model in Rats

Objectives: Lithium is an element denoted by the symbol Li in the periodic table. Lithium salts are widely used worldwide as therapeutic agents in treating excitement. However, the use of lithium causes liver damage. Carvone is an unsaturated monoterpenoid ketone usually found in essential oil extracts of aromatic medicinal plants such as dill, mint, and cumin. Various studies have shown that D-Carvone has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of D-carvone on apoptosis, inflammation, and cell damage in lithium-induced liver injury. Materials and Methods: The rats in our study were divided into 4 groups control, D-Carvone, Lithium, and Lithium+D-Carvone. After the treatments, rats were decapitated and liver tissues were removed. Histopathological analyses were performed on liver tissue and Bcl-2, Bax, P2X7R, and NfκB-p65 expression levels were evaluated by the Western Blot method. Results: We determined that lithium administration caused liver tissue damage and increased Bax, P2X7R, and Nfkβ-p65 expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression. D-Carvone administration ameliorated these changes. Conclusions: As a result, it was observed that D-Carvone administration ameliorated lithium-induced liver tissue damage and showed this effect by suppressing the inflammatory and apoptotic process.