Investigation of Benfotiamin's protective effects on liver tissue in experimental carbon tetrachloride induced liver injury

Repeated applications of carbon tetrachloride causes liver damage with free radical production. In addition to CCl4's prooxidant activity it is used create liver damage due to selective hepatotoxic effects at experimental animals. Benfotiamine, reduces the effectiveness of the oxidizing agents in the cell and shows antioxidant properties by protecting active proteins against oxidation reaction. In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effect of Benfotiamine on experimental liver injury caused by carbon tetrachloride on the liver tissue. In this study, 30 male Wistar albino rats were used. The rats were divided into 5 groups that have 6 animals in each groups. No application was made to control group at test period of 14 days. To the Benfotiamine group, Benfotiamine was given 70 mg / kg / day for 14 days orally. To the olive oil group, olive oil was given 2 ml / kg twice on days 1st and 8th day intraperitoneal (ip). To CCl4 group, 1ml / kg CCl4: olive oil (1: 2) was given to the experimental animals twice on days 1st and 8th day. In the CCl4 + Benfotiamine group, 1 ml / kg CCl4: olive oil (1: 2) mixture ratio twice at 1st and 8th day and orally 70 mg / kg / day Benfotiamine was given. At the end of the experiment, rats in all groups were decapitated under anesthesia procedure of ketamine (75 mg / kg) + xylazine (10 mg / kg) ip. After decapitation, rat liver tissues were rapidly removed and fixed in 10 % formalin and then paraffin blocks were prepared for histological and histochemical examination. Tissues were stored at – 80 oC until the end of the study for investigating MDA in liver. In our study, there were no significant differences at examined parameters between the control, Benfotiamine and olive oil groups. Compared with the control group, it was observed that there was as a significantly increase in MDA, apoptosis and bax immunoreactivity in the CCl4 group. Compared with CCl4 group, there was as a significantly decrease in MDA, apoptosis and bax immunoreactivity in the CCl4 + Benfotiamine group. As a result, it was observed that CCl4 increases MDA, apoptosis and bax immunoreactivity at liver tissue, but benfotiamin given as treatment, reduces these parameters. We believe with further and detailed studies, treatment approaches associated with Benfotiamine can be used at cases with liver damage, including cirrhosis. Keywords: Rat, carbon tetrachloride, Benfotiamine, apoptosis