In this study, oxidative stress marker (malondialdehyde, MDA) and antioxidant enzymes (glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT)) levels in the liver and pancreas tissue and the histopathological effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) were investigated in l-asparaginase (l-ASP) induced liver and pancreatic damage in rats. Forty male albino rats were divided into four groups. The control group was intraperitoneally injected physiological saline (0.02 mL/g); NAC group was injected NAC (200 mg/kg, five days); l-ASP group was injected single-dose l-ASP (10,000 U/kg), and l-ASP + NAC group was injected NAC for five days following single-dose l-ASP (10,000 U/kg). The surgical operation was performed on all animals on the fifth day. There was no difference between the groups regarding tissue MDA, GSH, and CAT levels (p>.05, for all). In the group receiving NAC after l-ASP, there was a significant improvement in the liver and pancreas damage score than the l-ASP group. NAC was effective in reducing organ damage caused by l-ASP.
Keywords: N-acetylcysteine; l-Asparaginase; liver; pancreas.