Aescin and diosmin each alone or in low dose- combination ameliorate liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated hepatoprotective effect of aescin (AES) and diosmin (DIO), individually or in low-dose combination in chemically induced liver injury in rats. Rats were divided into 6 groups; Group 1, control, Group 2, injected with a single dose of a mixture of corn oil and carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) to induce hepatic toxicity. Before CCl(4) injection, Groups 3–6 were treated daily for 14 days with silymarin (SIL) (200 mg/kg), aescin (AES; 3.6 & 1.75 mg/kg), Diosmin (DIO; 100 & 50 mg/kg). Serum samples were analyzed for different liver function, oxidative stress and antioxidant markers. Moreover, inflammation and tissue damage were confirmed by histological staining of liver tissue sections. RESULTS: Results indicated that CCl(4) elevated serum levels of all assessed liver function markers and decreased levels of key antioxidants. Administration of AES and/or DIO significantly reversed all those CCl(4)-induced effects. Histopathological study showed disruption of the hepatic architecture, necrosis and inflammatory cells and depositions of glycogen and protein in the tissues of CCl(4)-treated group. Pretreatment with DIO and/or AES significantly improved histopathological structure of liver tissue. In conclusion, low-dose combination of AES and DIO exhibited significant and preferential hepatoprotective activity compared to individual treatment with AES or DIO.