ABSTRACT
This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of the bile salt taurine and its interaction with silymarin or melatonin on the acute hepatic injury caused in the rat by the administration of acetaminophen in vim. Taurine [50. 100 or 200 mg/kg] or taurine [100 mg/kg] combined with either siLymarin [22 mg/kg] or melatonin [3 mg/kg] was given orally twice daily for 7 days, starting on time of acetaminophen administration. Liver damage was assessed by determining serum enzyme activities and hepatic histopathology. Taurine exerted dose-dependent protective effect reducing serum levels of hepatocellular enzymes. When administered at a dose of 50 mg/kg, taurine significantly reduced plasma ALT value by 35.3%. At doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, the drug caused significant reduction in plasma ALT [by 43.6 and 51.8%], AST [by 16 and 32.4%] and ALP [by 22.6 and 26.2%]. Silymarin [22 mg/kg] co-administrated with taurine [100 mg/kg] resulted in further decrease in plasma AST, whereas the combination of taurine 100 mg/kg and melatonin [3 mg/kg] exhibited significantly lower plasma ALT and AST levels compared with those given 100 mg/kg taurine alone. Examination of liver specimens revealed a marked reduction in liver cell necrosis in taurine-pretreated rats compared with the control acetaminophen-treated rats. The addition of either melatonin or silymarin resulted in further histological improvement. The present study thus indicates that in the model of acetaminophen-induced hepatic toxicity. taurine was useful in decreasing hepatic damage and the combination of taurine and melatonin or taurine and silymarin proved more effective