The protective effect of taurine against thioacetamide hepatotoxicity of rats

Thioacetamide (TAA) administration (three consecutive intraperitoneal injections of 400 mg/kg at 24-h interval) to rats resulted in hepatic injury as assessed by the measurement of serum transaminase activities and histopathological findings. This treatment caused an increase in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), diene conjugates (DCs) and glutathione (GSH) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and a decrease in the levels of vitamins E and C and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the liver of rats. Taurine administration (400 mg/kg, i.p., every 12 h and started 24 h prior to the first TAA injection) was found to decrease serum transaminase activities and hepatic lipid peroxidation without any significant change in hepatic antioxidant system. Histopathological findings also suggested that taurine has ameliorated effect on TAA-induced hepatic necrosis. These results indicate that taurine treatment, together with TAA administration, diminished the severity of the liver injury by decreasing oxidative stress due to its possible scavenger effect.