EFFECTS OF S-ADENOSYL-L-METHIONINE ON HEPATIC AND RENAL OXIDATIVE STRESS IN AN EXPERIMENTAL-MODEL OF ACUTE BILIARY OBSTRUCTION IN RATS

We used an animal model of extrahepatic biliary obstruction of 7 days' duration to study the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive subs tances (TBARS), total glutathione (TG), reduced glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and the enzymatic activities of GSH-pero xidase, GSSG-reductase, and GSH-transferase. Four groups of six rats e ach were treated with saline, drug solvent, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (S AM) 5 mg/kg/d, subcutaneously, or SAM 10 mg/kg/d, subcutaneously, Extr ahepatic biliary obstruction increased TBARS, SAM had the dose-depende nt effects of inhibiting TBARS production and increasing TG content, m ainly as a result of the increase in GSH. The activity of GSH-peroxida se and GSH-transferase was also significantly increased. In renal tiss ue these effects were statistically significant only in animals given the higher dose of SAM. In liver we found a reduction in biochemical v alues indicative of liver damage, We conclude that effect of SAM on he patorenal function is strongly influenced by the drug's ability to ree stablish equilibrium after oxidative tissue stress.