Effect of phenobarbitone and propionyl-promazine on serum enzymes in carbon-tetrachloride hepatotoxicity.

The influence of phenobarbitone givenin ten repeated doses simultaneously with small doses of CCl4 on serum enzymes was investigated in albino rats. The same experiment was repeated to investigate the influence of propionyl-promazine (phenothiazine derivative). The results proved that SGPT is a more specific and sensitive index than SGOT of hepato-cellular injury. The activity ratio between serum GOT and GPT in the normal control group was 2.44. The activity of SGPT increased nearly 6.1 fold after CCl4 administration and thus the activity ratio between GOT and GPT is sharply reduced to 0.56. The activity of serum GPT when CCl4 and phenobarbitone were administered together showed value of about 1/2 of the value when CCl4 was administered alone, while it remained high when CCl4 administration was combined with propionyl-promazine. Serum GOT and alkaline phosphatase increased significantly in all the groups. Regarding the pathological examination of the liver it was found that marked fatty necrosis could be demonstrated when high values of SGPT was found, which is not the case with serum GOT. It is concluded that in the present experimental conditions phenobarbitone protected the liver from the hepatotoxic effect of CCl4, while propionyl-promazine did not.