Ameliorative efficacy of a triple antioxidant combination of silymarin, selenium and vitamin E on thioacetamide induced liver cirrhosis in rats

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to investigate the curative and protective efficacy of the triple antioxidant combination of silymarin, selenium [Se] and vitamin E [Vit.E] in thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhotic rats. Thioactamide [TAA] at a dose of 200 mg/kg, twice weekly, produced liver cirrhosis in rats as manifested by the significant [P<0.05] levation of hepatic marker enzymes and disturbances in antioxidant defense when compared with normal rats. Also, histopathologic evaluation of liver samples-demonstrated cirrhotic changes in TAA treated group. Oral administration of silymarin [20 mg/kg body weight], Se [10 micro mol/kg body weight] and vit. E in diet [1 g/kg diet] for 14 consecutive days, pre and post cirrhosis induction, significantly [P<0.05] decreased alanine and aspartate aminotransferase [ALT and AST, respectively], gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT] and malondialdehyde [MDA] inthioacetamide treated rats. These ameliorative effects were more apparent in the post-treated group. The triple antioxidant also improved the activities of free radical detoxifying enzymes by increasing the activities of glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px], glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase [G6P-DH], erythrocyte copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase [Cu, Zn-SOD] and the levels of reduced glutathione [GSH], plasma ceruloplasmin [Cp] and total protein in thioacetamide treated rats. A conclusion was made that the triple antioxidant induced marked improvement of biochemical and histopathological liver changes caused by thioactamide induction. Also, the results indicated that the potential therapeutic action of the triple antioxidant against TAA induction was more effective than its curative action