Protective activity of picroliv on hepatic amoebiasis associated with carbon tetrachloride toxicity.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Picroliv, isolated from the root and rhizome of Picrorhiza kurroa, is known to have significant hepatoprotective activity. Its effects against Entamoeba histolytica induced liver damage are not studied. This study aims to evaluate the hepatoprotective action of picroliv against the hepatotoxic changes induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) and E. histolytica infection in three animal models. METHODS: Mastomys, gerbils and albino Druckray rats were used in this study. A total of 30 animals were used for each model and divided into five groups of six animals each. Group I consisted of normal animals. The rest received six doses of CCl(4) intraperitoneally. Group II served as hepatotoxic control. The remaining animals were infected intraperitoneally with E. histolytica trophozoites, of which group III was the hepatotoxic plus amoeba infected control. The remaining animals were divided into two groups, one received hepatoprotective agent picroliv and the other silymarin. All animals were sacrificed seven days post amoeba infection. RESULTS: Increase in the enzyme levels induced by CCl(4) was further elevated after E. histolytica infection. Pinpoint abscesses were found to develop only in gerbils after E. histolytica infection. Picroliv was found to possess hepatoprotective activity against amoebic liver abscess. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: Significant recovery obtained in serum enzyme levels in all animal models and against amoebic liver abscess in gerbils on treatment with picroliv indicated that picroliv possesses therapeutic activity against E. histolytica induced hepatic damage.

Los modelos experimentales in vivo en la amibiasis / In vivo experimental models of amebiasis

La utilización de los modelos experimentales in vivo en la amibiasis, ha proporcionado información importante sobre los mecanismos involucrados en la relación huésped-parásito que determinan la producción de la enfermedad. En el laboratorio se han utilizado varios roedores para estudiar la amibiasis intestinal y la hepática. Para la primera, el modelo del "asa cecal lavada y cerrada" en el cobayo y el hámster ha sido útil para el análisis de las etapas tempranas del daño a la mucosa. También se ha logrado producir lesiones tempranas intestinales en el jerbo por inoculación intracecal de amibas en cultivo monoxénico. Para los modelos de amibiasis hepática, se han utilizado el hámster y el jerbo como animales susceptibles, y la rata y el cobayo como animales resistentes. El análisis morfológico de las lesiones hepáticas en losanimales susceptibles mostró que las células inflamatorias del huésped participan en la producción del daño hepático. La resistencia a la producción de absceso hepático amibiano en ratas y cobayos se debe en parte a los leucocitos polimorfonucleares en la rata y los macrófagos en el cobayo. La completa caracterización y estandarización de los diversos modelos de amibiasis en roedores constitutyen las bases para otros estudios biomédicos de importancia para el control de la enfermedad