Hepato-toxicological and lipid profile of male Wistar rats following chronic carbamazepine, gabapentin, and carbamazepine-gabapentin adjunctive treatment

Aim: This study evaluated the hepatotoxicity and lipid profiles of male Wistar rats following chronic carbamazepine (CBZ), gabapentin (GBP) and carbamazepine-gabapentin (CBZ+GBP) adjunctive treatment. Methods: Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were randomized into 4 groups (n = 7) to receive daily oral administration of normal saline (0.2ml), or CBZ (25 mg/kg), or GBP (50 mg/kg), or the sub-therapeutic dose of CBZ (12.5 mg/kg) and GBP (25 mg/kg) combination for 56 days. Thereafter, blood and liver homogenate were subjected to biochemical analysis, while liver tissues were processed for the histomorphological investigation. Data were analysed statistically, while p< 0.05 was taken as level of significance. Results: Activities of alanine phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase significantly increased in the CBZ and CBZ + GBP treated rat. CBZ and CBZ + GBP treatments increased the plasma concentration of low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol. The liver concentration of malondialdehyde increased significantly in all the treated groups relative to control. There were severe vascular congestions in theliver of the CBZ treated rats, this was moderate in the GBP and CBZ + GBP treated rats. Conclusion: Chronic use of CBZ may induce hepatotoxicity and lipid profile derangement, GBP and CBZ + GBP adjunctive treatment may be saver than treatment with CBZ.