Novel use of silymarin as delayed therapy for acetaminophen-induced acute hepatic injury.
OBJECTIVE
Recently, we have demonstrated that silymarin has a comparable pharmaceutical activity as Phyllanthus urinaria extract when used to rescue mice from acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury. In the present study, we further compared the therapeutic action of silymarin with N-acetyl cysteine (commonly used in clinical practice for emergency treatments) as a rescuer in mice after administering a lethal dose of acetaminophen for 24 h.


METHODS
Acute liver injury was induced in the treatment groups by intraperitoneally administered acetaminophen at a dose of 550 mg/kg body weight on day 1. The control group received an equal volume of physiological saline intraperitoneally. From day 2 to 4, the treatment groups received various doses of silymarin or N-acetyl cysteine orally once daily, while the control group and the acetaminophen group received an equal volume of water orally. The mortality rate was recorded in all groups. On day 5, all mice were sacrificed for examination.


RESULTS
Silymarin greatly improved the counteracting effects on mortality rate as compared to N-acetyl cysteine.


CONCLUSIONS
Silymarin should be further considered as an antidote for patients with acetaminopheninduced acute hepatic injury and delayed treatment.
Hau
Desmond Kwok-Po
DK
Research and Development Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
Wong
Raymond Siu-Ming
RS
Cheng
Gregory Yin-Ming
GY
Wong
Wai-Yeung
WY
Tong
See-Wai
SW
Chan
Kit-Wah
KW
Leung
Alexander Kai-Man
AK
Zhu
Guo-Yuan
GY
Lai
Paul Bo-San
PB
Lau
Fung-Yi
FY
Chui
Chung-Hin
CH
Gambari
Roberto
R
Fong
David Wan-Fun
DW
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000633:toxicity*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012838:Silymarin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000975:Antioxidants; D012838:Silymarin; D000082:Acetaminophen; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase