Evaluation of Hepatotoxicity of Carbon Tetrachloride and Pharmacological Intervention by Vitamin E in Balb C Mice

Present study was designed to investigate the toxic effects of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) on the liver of Balb C mice and also to investigate the protective effect of Vitamin E pre-treatment on the carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity. Study included the estimation of the activities of the enzymes such as ALAT (alanine aminotransferase), ASAT (aspartate aminotransferase) and LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) and biochemical components like glucose, urea, lipids, cholesterol and protein contents both in the liver and blood while DNA and RNA contents only in liver. The administration of CCl4 resulted in increase in plasma ALAT and decrease in LDH. Vitamin E pre-treatment abolished CCl4-induced changes in the activities of these enzymes. Blood glucose content was increased while cholesterol content was decreased. Vitamin E pre-treatment abolished only CCl4-induced change in blood glucose content but failed to abolish CCl4-induced change in cholesterol content. Glucose, urea, lipids, cholesterol contents in liver were decreased whereas total protein contents increased. Vitamin E pre-treatment also prevented CCl4-induced changes in glucose, urea, lipids and total protein contents in liver. CCl4 treatment caused massive damage to the liver. This was prevented by vitamin E pre-treatment. These results show that vitamin E pre-treatment prevented the mice from CCl4-induced hepatic damage, which clearly indicates its preventive effects against liver damage caused by both oxidative and non-oxidative mechanisms.