Clinical usefulness of edaravone for acute liver injury

Shinichiro Tada, Nobuhiro Nakamoto, Kaori Kameyama, Satoshi Tsunematsu, Naoki Kumagai, Hidetsugu Saito, Hiromasa Ishii

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background and Aims: Edaravone, a newly synthesized radical scavenger, has shown an excellent effect on treating stroke patients. The effect of edaravone on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury was examined. Methods: Six rats were injected with CCl4 alone and six rats were intravenously injected with edaravone immediately after and 3 h after injection of CCl4. Another six rats were injected with olive oil alone. The animals were killed at 24 h after the CCl4 injection. Results: Injection of CCl4 was followed by a marked increase in serum alanine aminotranferase (ALT) level (CCl4, 1630.6 ± 606.8 IU/L; olive oil, 21.0 ± 2.6 IU/L; P < 0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level (CCl4, 5068.0 ± 2956.4 IU/L; olive oil, 203.6 ± 30.5 IU/L; P < 0.005), and total bilirubin (TB) level (CCl4, 0.88 ± 0.48 mg/dL; olive oil, 0.37 ± 0.05 mg/dL; P < 0.01), whereas in the edaravone-treated rats, the ALT (119.4 ± 113.5 IU/L, P < 0.001), LDH (369.7 ± 288.2 IU/L, P < 0.005), and TB values (0.29 ± 0.16 mg/dL, P < 0.01) were significantly decreased. Histological examination of the liver by hematoxylin and eosin and oil red O staining showed a marked reduction of steatosis in the CCl4 and edaravone-treated rats compared with the CCl4-injected rats. Significant inhibition of hepatocytic apoptosis was demonstrated by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated UTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method in the edaravone-treated rats. Conclusions: These results suggest that edaravone has a marked preventive effect on oxidative stress-induced acute liver injury.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)851-857
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Australia)
Volume18
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2003 Jul 1

Keywords

  • Acute liver injury
  • Apoptosis
  • Carbon tetrachloride
  • Free radicals
  • Steatosis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Hepatology
  • Gastroenterology

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