Protective effect of probucol on liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats

Aim To explore protective effect of probucol on liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats. Methods We used CCl4 to induce a rat model of liver injury. Some of those rats were treated with an oral administration of probucol. Liver function, blood lipid, liver tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and degree of liver fibrosis were analyzed. Results Probucol significantly decreased the elevation of serum aspartate transaminase, total bile acid, alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol, and improved liver histopathological changes (including fatty infiltration, inflammation cell infiltration, and fibrosis), decreased liver tissue MDA level, and increased liver tissue SOD level in liver injury rats. Conclusions For the first time, we demonstrated that probucol has protective effect against liver injury in animal experiment. The antioxidant action of probucol may play an important role in its hepatoprotective mechanism. Probucol also can reduce serum cholesterol. Thus, probucol may have the potential use in clinical liver diseases in which oxidative stress may be present, especially for the patients with hypercholesterolemia.