EFFECT OF SILYMARIN ON SERUM LEVELS OF ALT AND GGT IN ETHANOL INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN ALBINO RATS

Authors

  • Muhammad Habib-ur- Rehman
  • Tariq Mahmood
  • Taher Salim
  • Naeema Afzal
  • Nasir Ali
  • Javed Iqbal
  • Muhammad Tahir
  • Asif Khan

Abstract

Background: Alcoholic liver disease is a worldwide health problem. At least 80% of heavydrinkers have been reported to develop steatosis, 10–35% alcoholic hepatitis, and approximately10% liver cirrhosis. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of silymarin on thelevels of serum ALT and GGT in ethanol induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. This study was anexperimental Randomised Control Trial (RCT), and was conducted at the experimental researchlaboratory of University of Health Sciences, Lahore, from January 2007 to December 2007.Methods: Eighteen male albino rats of 6–8 weeks age, weighing 150–200 gm each were dividedinto 3 groups of 6 rats each. Group A served as control, Group B was given ethanol at a dose of 0.6ml (0.5 gm)/100 gm/day and group C was given ethanol and silymarin at a dose of 0.5 gm/100gm/day, and 20 mg/100 gm/day respectively for 8 weeks. At the end of the experiment, eachanimal was euthenised with chloroform. Blood was drawn from each animal by cardiac puncturefor liver function tests (ALT and GGT). After taking blood sample, each euthenised animal wassacrificed and then its liver was removed for gross and histological examination. Results: Themean values of serum alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) in groups A, B and C were 28.16±7.13,82.33±10.89 and 49.66±6.12 U/L respectively, whereas, the mean values of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) in groups A, B and C were 27.33±3.05, 79.33±4.37 and 45.66±1.85 U/Lrespectively. ANOVA showed significant (p<0.05) difference in mean value of these serumenzymes among groups. Post Hoc test, using the Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD)showed that there was significant (p<0.05) increase in mean value of ALT and GGT in group B ascompared to group A and C. This test also showed that there was significant (p<0.05) decrease inmean value of these enzymes in-group C as compared to group B. Conclusion: Silymarin tends tonormalise liver function test in alcoholic liver disease.Keywords: Ethanol, Silymarin, Alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)

References

Kumar, Cotran, Robbins (edt). In Robbins Basic Pathology 7th ed.

Philadephlia: Saunders; 2003.

Lieber CS. Alcohol and the liver: 1994 update. Gastroenterology

;106:1085–1105.

Walsh K and Alexander G. Alcoholic liver disease. Postgrad

Med J 2000;76:280–6.

Thurman RG. Alcoholic liver injury involves activation of

Kupffer cells by endotoxin. Am J Physiol 1998;275:605–11.

Worman HJ. Alcoholic liver disease [on line] 2002. Cited on 24

August 2006. URL: http www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/gi/

alcohol.

Tsukamoto H, Lu SC. Current concepts in the pathogenesis of

alcoholic liver injury. FASEB J 2001; 15:1335–49.

Alcoholic liver disease [on line]. 2005 [Cited on 24 August

. Available from URL: http://www.merck.com/mmpe/

sec03/ch025/ch025a.html.

Kaplowitz N, Tsukamoto H. Oxidative stress and liver disease.

Prog liver Dis1996;14:131–59.

Younes M and Strubelt O. Alcohol induced hepatotoxicity: A

role for oxygen free radicals. Free Radic Res 1987;3:19–26.

Cederbaum AI. Role of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in

alcohol toxicity. Free Radic Biol Med 1989;7:537–9.

Nordmann R, Ribiere C, Rouach H. Implication of free radical

mechanisms in ethanol-induced cellular injury. Free Rad Biol

Med1992;12:219–40.

Luper S. A review of plants used in the treatment of liver disease:

Part 1. Altern Med Rev 1998;3:410–21.

Pepping J. Milk thistle: Silybum marianum.Am J Health Syst

Pharm 1999;56:1195–7.

Flora K, Hahn M, Rosen H, Benner K. Milk thistle (Silybum

marianum) for the therapy of liver disease. Am J Gastroenterol

;93:139-43.

Sonnenbichler J, Zetl I. Biochemical effects of the flavonolignane

silibinin on RNA, protein and DNAsynthesis in rat livers. In:

Cody V, Middleton E, Harborne JB, editors. Plant flavonoids in

biology and medicine: biochemical, pharmacological and

structure-activity relationship. New York: Alan R Liss Inc., 1986:

p. 319–31

Valenzuela A, Lagos C, Schmidt K, Videla LA. Silymarin

protection against hepatic lipid peroxidation induced by acute

ethanol intoxication in the rat. Biochem Pharmacol

;34:2209–12..

Enomoto N, Takei Y, Hirose M, Konno A, Shibuya T,

Matsuyama S, et al. Prevention of ethanol-induced liver injury in

rats by an agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorgamma, pioglitazone. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2003;306:846–54.

Downloads

Published

2009-12-01

Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2 3 > >>