| ARTICLES | Volme 1, N° 6, Page 214-221 (August 2015) |
Research Article EFFECTS SILYMARIN ON REPRODUCTIVE VARIABLES ON MALE WISTAR RATS WITH CARBON TETRACHLORIDE (CCl4) - INDUCED LIVER FIBROSIS | Jamil Dauda Usman | Fasanmade A.A | and | Nwenfulu Kester |. American Journal of Innovative Research and Applied Sciences. 2015; 1(6):214-221. | PDF FULL TEXT | |
Abstract Background: Hepatic fibrosis is an effusive wound healing process in which excessive connective tissue builds up in the liver. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver damage is a well characterized experimental model for studying liver fibrosis, and silymarin is a drug made up of mixture of flavonoids extracted from seeds of milk thistle plant (Silybum marianum), which is well known for it hepato-protective effect. Objectives: The effect of silymarin on reproductive variables in experimental liver fibrosis induced by CCl4 in male wistar rats were studied. Method: Twenty wistar were randomized into four groups (Group A, B, C and D) of 5 rats each group, receiving 0.25ml/100g body weight of normal saline, 0.25ml/100g body weight of olive oil, 0.25ml/100g body weight of 40% CCl4 and 0.25ml/100g body weight of 40% CCl4 with 6mg/kg silymarin treatment respectively. CCl4 and Olive oil were given by subcutaneous injection three time a week, while normal saline and silymarin were given orally daily. At end of the seventh week, the animals were sacrificed; Liver enzymes and reproductive variables were quantified, testicular, liver and general body weights were measured, and histological studies of the testes and liver were also assessed. Results: The plasma levels of ALT, AST and ALP were significantly (P<0.05) increased, while the sperm count, motility, viability, morphology and change body weight were significantly (P<0.05) decreased in the group receiving CCl4 alone. There was increase in liver weight and decrease in testicular weight which were not significant. Microscopic examination of liver and testes sections from rats treated with CCl4 showed an abnormal cytoarchitecture. Some of the abnormalities of liver fibrosis were reversible with administration of silymarin, except for some of the reproductive variables, where by only sperm count and motility were significantly (P<0.05) increased. The results also showed decrease in plasma levels of FSH, LH, testosterone, the decrease were not significant. Also there was no significant difference in morphology and viability in the rat receiving CCl4 with silymarin treatment when compared with group D (CCl4 alone). Conclusions: There was improvements found in reproductive variables in silymarin treated groups, though, were not enough to reach the values of the control group receiving normal saline. The results also suggest that not only the fibrosis alone, but also the CCl4 on its own affect the reproductive function of the testis. Keywords: liver fibrosis, Liver enzymes, Silymarin, Histology, Testes. |