The effect of silibinin on liver healing following blunt trauma in rats

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of silibinin, a compound with demonstrated therapeutic effects in various liver diseases, on liver healing in a rat model of blunt liver trauma.

Twenty-four Wistar albino rats weighing 250-300 g were randomly assigned to three equal groups. Group I served as the control group (CG) and received standard nutrition without trauma induction. Under general anesthesia, rats in Groups II and III underwent a blunt trauma procedure applied to the right upper abdominal quadrant. Group II, designated as the trauma group (TG), received standard nutrition only. Group III, designated as the trauma-silibinin group (T-SG), received silibinin at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day via gastric gavage for five days in addition to standard nutrition. Following the five-day observation period, blood samples were collected from inferior vena cava. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured in the collected blood specimens. Histopathological examination of liver tissue was performed to assess the degree of inflammation.

Mean AST and ALT levels differed significantly among the groups (p<0.001). Although no statistically significant difference was observed in inflammation scores between the TG and T-SG groups (p=0.115), inflammation scores tended to be higher in the TG, with a moderate effect size (r=0.41). Furthermore, the risk of a high injury score was 11.7 times greater in the TG than in the T-SG.

To our knowledge, this is the priority study to evaluate the effects of silibinin in a rat model of blunt liver trauma. Silibinin may represent a promising therapeutic agent for reducing inflammation following liver trauma and promoting liver healing.