Abdel Salam O M E, Oraby Fatma Hassan, Hassan Nabila S
Department of Pharmacology, National Research Centre, Tahrir St., Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.
Acta Biol Hung. 2007 Dec;58(4):411-9. doi: 10.1556/ABiol.58.2007.4.8.
Vinpocetine is a widely used drug for the treatment of cerebrovascular and memory disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effect of vinpocetine on the acute hepatic injury caused in the rat by the administration of CCl4 in vivo. Vinpocetine (2.1, 4.2, 8.4 mg/kg) or silymarin (30 mg/kg) was given once daily orally simultaneously with CCl4 and for 15 days thereafter. Liver damage was assessed by determining serum enzyme activities and hepatic histopathology. Stained sections were subjected to morphometric evaluation using computerized image analyzer. The results showed that vinpocetine administered to CCl4-treated rats decreased the elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) by 49.3, 58.1 and 63.6%, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) by 10.5, 22.6 and 27.2% and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by 52.5, 59.6 and 64.9%, respectively, and in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, silymarin reduced elevated ALT, AST and ALP levels by 53.1, 26.9 and 66%, respectively. Histological examination of liver specimens revealed a marked reduction in liver cell necrosis in vinpocetine and silymarin-treated rats compared with vehicle-treated CCl4-treated rats. Quantitative analysis of the area of damage showed 85.3% reduction in the area of damage after silymarin and 72.2, 78.9 and 82.6% reduction after vinpocetine treatment at 2.1, 4.2, 8.4 mg/kg, respectively. It is concluded that administration of vinpocetine in a model of CCl4-induced liver injury in rats reduced liver damage. The reduction obtained by 4.2 mg/kg of vinpocetine was similar to that obtained by 30 mg/kg silymarin. Therefore, it is suggested that vinpocetine might be a good pharmacological agent in the treatment of liver disease besides its neuroprotective effects.
长春西汀是一种广泛用于治疗脑血管疾病和记忆障碍的药物。本研究旨在探讨长春西汀对四氯化碳（CCl4）诱导的大鼠急性肝损伤的影响。长春西汀（2.1、4.2、8.4毫克/千克）或水飞蓟宾（30毫克/千克）每天口服一次，与CCl4同时给药，并在之后持续给药15天。通过测定血清酶活性和肝脏组织病理学评估肝损伤。使用计算机图像分析仪对染色切片进行形态计量学评估。结果显示，给予CCl4处理大鼠长春西汀后，丙氨酸转氨酶（ALT）升高水平分别降低了49.3%、58.1%和63.6%，天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）分别降低了10.5%、22.6%和27.2%，碱性磷酸酶（ALP）分别降低了52.5%、59.6%和64.9%，且呈剂量依赖性。同时，水飞蓟宾使升高的ALT、AST和ALP水平分别降低了53.1%、26.9%和66%。肝脏标本的组织学检查显示，与溶剂处理的CCl4处理大鼠相比，长春西汀和水飞蓟宾处理的大鼠肝细胞坏死明显减少。损伤面积的定量分析显示，水飞蓟宾处理后损伤面积减少了85.3%，长春西汀在2.1、4.2、8.4毫克/千克剂量处理后，损伤面积分别减少了72.2%、78.9%和82.6%。结论是，在大鼠CCl4诱导的肝损伤模型中给予长春西汀可减轻肝损伤。4.2毫克/千克长春西汀获得的减轻效果与30毫克/千克水飞蓟宾获得的效果相似。因此，提示长春西汀除具有神经保护作用外，可能还是治疗肝病的良好药理剂。
