The Hepatoprotective Effect of Vitamin C and E on Hepatotoxicity Induced by Ethanol in Sprague Dawley Rats

Abstract: Ethanol liver disease is a major health problem worldwide. One aspect of ethanol toxicity that has received increasing attention in recent years is the role of free radical species in the etiology of liver injury. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that scavenge for free radicals. The effect of 200mg Vitamin C + 200mg Vitamin E as food supplement administered for 7 days was studied on hepatic damage induced by ethanol (40 % v/v, 2.0ml/100g body weight per oral for 21 days) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The supplements were administered for the last week of 21 days administration of ethanol. Serum transaminases, Lipid peroxidase and Bilirubin were estimated to access liver damage. Our results showed that ethanol induce increased serum Transaminases, Lipid peroxidase and Bilirubin levels. The biochemical findings were supplemented by histopathological examination of the liver sections. The study confirmed the hepatoprotective effects of Vitamins C and E on the hepatocytes of rats as demonstrated by previous investigators. Key words: Hepatoprotective, free radicals, vitamins C and