Hepatoprotective effects of pantothenic acid on carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity in rats

The present study was undertaken to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of pantothenic acid on CCl(4)-induced liver damage. Male Wistar rats were orally treated with pantothenic acid (0.005, 0.01, 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 g/kg) daily, with administration of CCl(4) (1 mL/kg, 50 % CCl(4) in olive oil) twice a week for 28 days. The effect of pantothenic acid on serum markers (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyltransferase) was measured in CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rat. Further, the effects on enzymatic antioxidant (superoxide dismutase) were estimated in the liver samples. CCl(4) challenge not only elevated the serum marker enzyme activities but also suppressed hepatic antioxidative defense system including superoxide dismutase. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination of rat liver sections. Histopathological examination of livers showed that pantothenic acid reduced fatty degeneration, cytoplasmic vacuolization and necrosis in CCl(4)-treated rats. Therefore, pantothenic acid may be an effective hepatoprotective agent and viable candidate for treating hepatic disorders and other oxidative stress-related diseases.