Cytokines are secreted by specific cells of immune system and can mediate the balance between humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and they are involved in pathologic processes occurring in the liver. An imbalance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines production influences their immunopathogenesis. The current study aimed to detect the ameliorative effect of α-Tocopherol on cytokines production, oxidative stress biomarkers, and liver injury in Lipopolysaccharides (LPS)

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... cated male albino rats. Adult rats were classified as, (Group I): administered with saline solution (0.9%NaCl) as intraperitoneal injection (i.p), (Group II): administered orally with α-Tocopherol (40 mg /kg b. w) twice a week for one month, (Group III): injected (i.p) with a single dose of LPS (1mg/kg b. w), (Group IV): administered orally with α-Tocopherol for a month, then, intoxicated with a single dose of LPS. Rats were scarified at 4 and 24 hours post the last injected doses. The results of the present study revealed that intoxication with LPS induced imbalance in production of cytokines as it caused significant increases in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6) and antiinflammatory cytokine (interleukin-10). Also, it increased liver lipid peroxide (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides, liver enzymes as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) compared with the control group. Conversely, intoxication with LPS significantly decreased liver antioxidant enzymes as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) activity, and induced adverse histopathological changes in liver, including, increasing in number of active kuppfer cells and in leukocytes infiltration. Pre-treatment with α-Tocopherol significantly ameliorated the all previous studied parameters compared with LPS group, in particular, it decreased the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6) and increased the level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) and improved adverse histopathological changes in liver induced by LPS challenge, including, decrease in number of active kuppfer cells and reducing leukocytes infiltration in liver. Conclusion: we could conclude that α-Tocopherol has immunomodulatory effect demonstrated by ameliorating cytokines production and reducing active kuppfer cells and leukocytes infiltration in liver, anti-inflammatory effect as it increased the activity of the anti-inflammatory cytokine and decreased the level of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and its antioxidant effect was proven by alleviating lipid peroxidation through scavenging of free radicals, or by enhancing the activity of the antioxidants in liver. Moreover, improving the adverse histopathological changes in liver induced by LPS intoxication showed that it has hepato-protective effect and could attenuate liver injury.