Methotrexate is a chemotherapy medication frequently used to treat various forms of cancer. The purpose of this research
was to examine if the administration of Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) and/or thymoquinone could ameliorate the liver
injury resulting from methotrexate. The rats were randomly assigned to seven groups, each containing seven rats. The groups
included a control group that received only saline, a group that received A. platensis orally at a dose of 500 mg/kg, a group
that received thymoquinone orally at a dose of 10 mg/kg, a group that received a single i.p. dose of 20 mg/kg methotrexate,
a group that received both A. platensis and methotrexate, a group that received both thymoquinone and methotrexate, and a
group that received A. platensis, thymoquinone, and methotrexate. The injection of methotrexate caused an increase in the
levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, triacylglycerides, and low
density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and a decrease in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol). The liver tissues
also showed an increase in malondialdehyde and a decrease in reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase,
along with pathological lesions and increased expression of TNF-α and caspase-3. However, administration of A. platensis
and thymoquinone alone or in combination reduced the toxicity and apoptosis induced by methotrexate