title: Dose-related effects of dexamethasone on liver damage due to bile duct ligation in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of dexamethasone on liver damage in rats with bile duct ligation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 165-205 g, were used in this study. Group 1 (sham-control, n = 10) rats underwent laparotomy alone and the bile duct was just dissected from the surrounding tissue. Group 2 rats (untreated, n = 10) were subjected to bile duct ligation (BDL) and no drug was applied. Group 3 rats (low-dose dexa, n = 10) received a daily dose of dexamethasone by orogastric tube for 14 d after BDL. Group 4 rats (high-dose dexa, n = 10) received a daily dose of dexamethasone by orogastric tube for 14 d after BDL. At the end of the two-week period, biochemical and histological evaluations were processed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum bilirubin and liver enzyme levels significantly decreased, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) values were significantly increased in low-dose dexa and high-dose dexa groups when compared to the untreated group. The histopathological score was significantly less in the low-dose and high-dose dexa groups compared to the untreated rats. In the low-dose dexa group, moderate liver damage was seen, while mild liver damage was observed in the high-dose dexa group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corticosteroids reduced liver damage produced by bile duct obstruction. However, the histopathological score was not significantly lower in the high-dose corticosteroid group as compared to the low-dose group. Thus, low-dose corticosteroid provides a significant reduction of liver damage without increased side effects, while high dose is associated not with lower fibrosis but with increased side effects.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Surgery, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Medical School, Department of Pediatric Surgery, BOLU 14280, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eken
authors.forename: Hayrettin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Hulya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Buyukbayram
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000187:drug effects*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003907:Dexamethasone