The effects of vitamin e against methotrexate induced liver damage in rats

The aim of this study was to investigate protective effects of vitamin E against Methotrexate (MTX) induced liver damage in rats. In this experiment, thirty two male Spraque dawley type rats were used. They were divided into four groups of eight rats. Control group were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with physiological saline for five days. Only the first day of the experiment, 20 mg/kg of MTX was injected i.p. to the MTX group. Vitamin E group were dosed by i.p. with 100 mg/kg of vitamin E for five days. The rats of treatment group (MTX+vitamin E) were injected with 20 mg/kg of MTX on the first day of the study and for five days (incluiding the first day) they were dosed by i.p. with 100 mg/kg of vitamin E. All animals were sacrificed and their livers extracted at the end of the experimental period. Liver tissue samples were evaluated histopathologically under light microscope. The Flowcytometer technique was used to determine apoptosis. A portion of the liver tissue were suspended by means of enzymatic digestion and this solution was used for flow cytometric analysis. Histopathologically, the structures of the liver tissue in control group was observed normally. We observed hepatocyte degeneration, sinusoidal dilatation, mononuclear cell infiltration, vascular congestion, hepatocyte hypertrophy, vacuolization in hepatocytes and picnotic nukleus in the liver tissue of MTX group. In the MTX+Vitamin E group, methotrexate-induced liver damage was significantly reduced. The apoptotic index in the MTX+Vitamin E group was significantly decreased when compared to the MTX group. The structures in liver observed normally in the vitamin E group. Our histological findings were supported by our flow cytometric data. In summary, methotrexate causes damage in liver and vitamin E reduces the MTX-induced liver damage.