Comparative effects of colchicine and silymarin on CCl4-chronic liver damage in rats

The comparative effects of colchicine (10 micrograms day-1, p.o.) and silymarin (50 mg kg-1, p.o.) each given for 5 days a week on the chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) liver damage were studied. Treatment with CCl4 resulted in a marked reduction of Na+, K+, and Ca2(+)-ATPases in plasma liver membranes as compared to vehicles or either silymarin or colchicine alone. Collagen content in livers of animals treated with CCl4 was increased about four-fold as compared to controls and histological examination of liver samples showed that collagen increase distorted the normal liver architecture. Colchicine or silymarin treatment completely prevented all the changes observed in CCl4-cirrhotic rats (namely, lipid peroxidation, Na+, K+ and Ca(2+)-ATPases), except for liver collagen content which was reduced only 55% as compared with CCl4-treated rats and for alkaline phosphatase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase which still remained above controls. In the CCl4 + silymarin group, the loss of glycogen content was completely prevented. However, when rats were treated with CCl4 + colchicine, liver glycogen content could not be restored. The hepatoprotective effects of colchicine or silymarin were very similar in regard to the prevention of chronic liver damage.