Hepatotoxic Effects of Gasoline Fumes in Male Albino Rats: Evidence from Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Expression and Apoptotic Marker Activation

Gasoline fumes are known to be toxic, but their effects on apoptotic and inflammatory pathways remain poorly understood. This study assessed the impact of gasoline fume inhalation on the hepatic expression of apoptotic and pro-inflammatory markers in male albino rats. Sixty rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 10). The control group was exposed to distilled water vapour, while the remaining groups were exposed to gasoline fumes for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 hours daily over 10 weeks. Hepatic expression levels of caspase-3, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Significant upregulation (p < 0.05) of all three markers was observed in the gasoline-exposed groups compared to the control. Interestingly, rats exposed for 1 hour daily exhibited the highest expression levels of these genes. The findings suggest that even short-term, repeated exposure to gasoline fumes can trigger hepatic inflammation and apoptosis.Keywords: Caspase-3; Gasoline; IL1 beta; TNF-alpha; inhalation toxicity; liver inflammation