Volume 59, Issue 327, March 2023

Effect of Andrographis paniculata on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in the rat

Omar ME Abdel-Salam^1♦, Nermeen Shaffie²

¹Department of Toxicology and Narcotics, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
²Department of Pathology, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Toxicology and Narcotics, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo Egypt

ABSTRACT

The effect of a standardised extract of Andrographis paniculata (A. paniculata) on acute liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was investigated. Rats were given CCl4 once daily for a week, either alone or in combination with A. paniculata at doses of 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg or silymarin at 25 mg/kg. To evaluate liver damage, hepatic histology, DNA ploidy tests and serum liver enzyme activity were used. The results demonstrated that serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities were significantly and noticeably increased by CCl4. On the liver histology, there was massive vacuolar degeneration, acidophilic hepatocytes and inflammatory cellular infiltration. Additionally, sections stained with the Feulgen stain for DNA studies showed that the CCl4-treated group had a high proliferating index and a significantly lower DNA content (hypoploidy) than the vehicle control group. A. paniculata administered to CCl4-treated rats had a strong liver protective effect that led to significant dose-dependent decreases in the serum aminotransferases. Additionally, its dose-dependently lessened the histological alterations caused by CCl4, with the highest dose of the extract nearly returning the liver tissue to normal. The highest dose of the extract produced DNA values that were comparable to the vehicle control values when A. paniculata and CCl4 were administered. These findings show that A. paniculata protects against acute liver damage produced by CCl4, reducing the extent of histological liver damage, increases in serum transaminases and DNA changes caused by the hepatic toxicant.

Keywords: Andrographis paniculate, carbon tetrachloride, liver injury, liver enzymes, DNA ploidy, hepatoprotective

Discovery, 2023, 59, e34d1031

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Published: March 2023