Histopathological and biochemical study on effect of L-methionine-supplementation on gentamicin-induced hepatotoxicity in rabbits

Abstract EN

Objectives: The present investigation was planned as an attempt to determine the role of I.

methionine supplementation for the protection against the hepatotoxic effects of Gentamicin.

Materials and methods: 21 male adult rabbits weighing between 1000-1100 g were divided into three groups with seven rabbits in each.

The first group (I) rabbits were injected intramuscularly with gentamicin at a dose of 40mg/kg/12 hours for 5 successive days while rabbits in Group (II) were injected with Gentamicin at a dose of40ing/kg/12 hours for the same time jjIus L methionine at a dose of 0.3g/kg/24hours fur 7 successive days (two day pre-treatinent with gentamicin and 5 days during gentamicin treatment.

Moreover, rabbits in Group (III) left as untreated control group.

At the end of experimental period, rabbits in all groups were sacrificed and both blood samples and tissues specimens from the liver were collected.

Thin tissue paraffin sections were routinely prepared and serum enzymes including AST and ALT values were estimated.

Results: The histopathological examination of liver of rabbits in group I revealed severe hepatic damages in the form of diffuse degeneration and focal necrosis with bile ductal hyperplasia and aggregation of inflammatory cells mostly lymphocytes.

The examined liver in group II showed less toxic changes compared with those in group I.

The results of serum biochemical analysis confirmed these histopathological findings.

The biochemical analysis of serum AST and ALT revealed high levels of both enzymes in group I compared with those in control one.

In addition, levels of both enzymes in group II were lower than that in group I but at the same time slightly higher than recorded in control rabbits Conclusion: This work showed that administration of L methionine diminished hepatotoxic effects of gentamicin in rabbits.