Hepatoprotective and hepatoregenerative effects of ascorbic acid, selenium and allopurinol in acetaminophen-induced liver damage in rats

The hepatoprotective and hepatoregenerative properties of Ascorbic acid, Selenium and Allopurinol were evaluated in Wistar rats because they are antioxidants and are to possess antioxidant properties due to their ability to scavenge free radicals and oxidized them thereby reducing stress caused by toxicants in the system and thus help in ameliorating the damage caused by toxicants. The effects of these antioxidants were also evaluated in the kidney to determine their effectiveness in protecting the kidney and ameliorate the damage caused in the kidney. Albino rats (Wistar) were used in this study and were grouped into 9 of five animals per group for both hepatoprotective and hepatoregenerative studies. Acetaminophen at 800mg/kg dose was used to induce hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity while different doses of ascorbic acid, selenium and allopurinol were used to mitigate these effects in a 9-day study. Biochemical assays and histopathology were used to evaluate the in vivo study. Results showed that there was significance difference (p˂0.01) in AST, ALT, ALP, BUN and T.BIL with significance difference (p˂0.05) when Ascorbic acid was compared with Acetaminophen. Selenium showed significance difference (p˂0.01) in AST and ALP, (p=0.01) in ALT and BUN. Allopurinol showed significant difference (p˂0.01) in AST, ALP and BUN, p=0.01 in ALT in the hepatoprotective group. In the hepatoregenerative group, Ascorbic acid showed significance difference (p≤0.01) in ALP and BUN while the Selenium group (p≤0.01) in AST, ALT, ALP and GGT; in Allopurinol group (p˂0.01) in AST, ALP and GGT and p˂0.05 in ALT, BUN and Total Bilirubin. There was no significance difference in all the parameters when Ascorbic acid was compared with Silymarin group. The histopathological analyses also indicate this. It could thus be concluded that that Ascorbic acid, selenium and allopurinol has hepatoprotective effect hence their use in liver damage may be justified.