PERFUSION WITH PICROLIV REVERSES BIOCHEMICAL-CHANGES INDUCED IN LIVERS OF RATS TOXICATED WITH GALACTOSAMINE OR THOACETAMIDE

Perfusion of liver of rats toxicated with galactosamine or thioacetamide with a 0.02% solution of picroliv (glycoside fraction of Picrorhiza kurroa) for 30 min (1 ml/min; 6 mg/rat), significantly reversed toxicant-induced changes in the activities of several enzymes. Galactosamine induced increases in the activities of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, acid ribonuclease, acid phosphatase, succinate dehydrogenase and decreases in the activities of Na+-K+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and glucose-6-phosphatase (reversed by 40-87%). Similarly, thioacetamide-induced inhibitions of the activities of Na+-K+-ATPase, Ca++-ATPase, Mg++-ATPase, succinate dehydrogenase and elevations in the activities of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and acid ribonuclease were also significantly reversed. A significant reversal of the toxicants-induced decrease in [C-14]-leucine incorporation was also observed. These results indicate that picroliv can also reverse D-galactosamine- or thioacetamide-induced hepatic damage in rats.