2.2. Animals and treatment
Male Wistar rats (6 weeks old, weighing 150 ± 20 g), were maintained at
22 ± 2C under a 12 h light/dark cycle. Experimental procedures and handling were
conducted in accordance with the international guidelines for laboratory animals.
The current study was approved by the Chung Shan Medical University Animal Care
Committee.
Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into six groups. Group 1: control standard chow (0.1% olive oil); Group 2: CCl4group received 8% CCl4(0.1 mL/100 g);
Group 3: 8% CCl4 plus 0.5% MWE; Group 4: 8% CCl4plus 1% MWE; Group 5: 8%
CCl4plus 2% MWE; and Group 6: 8% CCl4plus silymarin (200 mg/kg). Groups 2 to
6 received an intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL CCl4/kg bw (8% CCl4/olive oil) twice
a week for 8 weeks. The MWE and silymarin were dissolved in sterilized water and
administered orally to each assigned group. After 8 weeks, the mice were fasted for
12–14 h and sacrificed via cervical dislocation. Blood samples were collected in
blood tubes before scarification. Half of the dissected livers and kidneys were
immediately fixed in 6% formaldehyde for specimen preparation and histochemical
staining analysis. The other half of the livers and kidneys were frozen using liquid
nitrogen and stored at80C before protein extraction