Protective effect of some vitamins against the toxic action of ethanol on liver regeneration induced by partial hepatectomy in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of vitamins (A, C and E) on liver injury induced by ethanol administration during liver regeneration in rats.


METHODS
Male Wistar rats subjected to 70% partial hepatectomy were divided into five groups (groups 1-5). During the experiment, animals of Group 1 drank only water. The other four groups (2-5) drank 30 mL of ethanol/L of water. Group 3 additionally received vitamin A, those of group 4 vitamin C and those of group 5 received vitamin E. Subsequently serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin and bilirubin were measured colorimetrically. Lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric-acid reactive substances, TBARS) both in plasma and liver was measured, as well as liver mass gain assessment and total DNA.


RESULTS
Compared with sham group, serum AST and ALT increased significantly under ethanol treatment (43% and 93%, respectively, with P < 0.05). Vitamin C and vitamin E treatment attenuated the ethanol-induced increases in ALT and AST activity. Ethanol treatment also decreased serum albumin concentration compared to sham group (3.1 +/- 0.4 g/dL vs 4.5 +/- 0.2 g/dL; P < 0.05). During liver regeneration vitamins C and E significantly ameliorated liver injury for ethanol administration in hepatic lipid peroxidation (4.92 nmol/mg and 4.25 nmol/mg vs 14.78 nmol/mg, respectively, with P < 0.05). In association with hepatic injury, ethanol administration caused a significant increase in both hepatic and plasma lipid peroxidation. Vitamins (C and E) treatment attenuated hepatic and plasma lipid peroxidation.


CONCLUSIONS
Vitamins C and E protect against liver injury and dysfunction, attenuate lipid peroxidation, and thus appear to be significantly more effective than vitamin A against ethanol-mediated toxic effects during liver regeneration.
Ramírez-Farías
Carlett
C
Unidad de Genética de la Nutrición, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, México.
Madrigal-Santillán
Eduardo
E
Gutiérrez-Salinas
José
J
Rodríguez-Sánchez
Nidia
N
Martínez-Cruz
Maricela
M
Valle-Jones
Ilse
I
Gramlich-Martínez
Ingrid
I
Hernández-Ceruelos
Alejandra
A
Morales-Gonzaléz
José A
JA
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001835:Body Weight; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015996:Survival Rate; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014815:Vitamins; D000431:Ethanol