Experimental cirrhosis of the liver and cytoprotective effects of alpha tocopherol

Objective: To investigate whether alpha tocopherol (alpha-T) treatment infl uences liver cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in the rat. Design: Laboratory experiment. Setting: Teaching hospital, Turkey. Subjects: Fifty rats were divided into three groups, Group I consisted ofte n controls; Group II: twenty CCl4 induced cirrhotic rats and Group III: twe nty cirrhotic rats treated with Vitamin E. Interventions: Experimental cirrhosis was induced in rats by subcutaneous a dministration of 0.4 ml CCl4 (diluted 1:4 with olive on) per kilogram body weight twice a week for 12 weeks. Main outcome measures: Histopathologically evaluation of liver, liver malon dialdehyde and glutathione peroxidase levels and aspartate aminotransferase (SGOT), alanine aminotransferase (SGPT) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase ( GGT) levels. Results: Histopathologic evaluation of liver samples demonstrated cirrhotic changes in CCl4 treated groups. The enzyme levels in Group II were signifi cantly increased (p<0.05) but it was insignificantly lower in the alpha toc opherol treated group III. In Group II, statistically significant increase in liver malondialdehyde levels was determined (p<0.001), Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that alpha-T administration may protect liver against CCl4 induced cirrhosis.