The action of some antioxidant compounds with Flavonolignanes (Silimarin and Legalon) on the rat liver, intoxicated with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)

Authors: Ioana ROMAN¹*, Mircea A. RUSU¹, Constantin PUICĂ¹, Maria BORŞA¹

Affiliation: ¹ Animal Physiology Laboratory, Institute of Biological Research, Cluj-Napoca

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ABSTRACT. The effects of drugs (compounds) with flavonolignanes (Silimarin and Legalon) on the liver of male Wistar rats, intoxicated with N- nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) (produced by the administration of aminopyrine+Na nitrite), during 30 days, were investigated.

Biochemical parameters, including serum transaminase activity (GPT and GOT), the glycogen content; histoenzymological (lactate dehidrogenase, succinat-dehidrogenase, glutamate-dehidrogenase, steroid dehidrogenase, cytochromoxidase, Mg-dependent adenosine triphosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase): histochemical (Sudan black for lipids) and histological examination (haematoxilin-eosine staining) of the liver were studied. Administrations of aminopyrine + Na nitrite produce in stomach of rat the N-nitrosodimethylamine. This has a very complex and toxic actions in rats’ liver: decreases of survival, hepatocytolisis, necrosis, steatosis, proliferation of collagen, decreases of glycogen level, reduction of enzymatic activities, like cirrhotic modifications.

The utilization of Silimarin and Legalon has some positive effects such as: a smaller mortality, decreases of histological injury, reduction of hepatocytolisis, necrosis, steatosis and collagen proliferation; enzymatic activity is more increased than intoxicated rats. The rich content of Silimarin and Legalon in flavonolignanes, antioxidants, may be the cause of these positive effects.

Keywords: N-nitrosodimethylamine, intoxicated, liver rats, Silimarin, Legalon