Damage induced by paracetamol compared with N-acetylcysteine.

BACKGROUND This study investigated the effect of thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) on oxidative liver damage induced in rats with high-dose paracetamol. METHODS Rats for this experiment were divided into the following groups: healthy control, paracetamol control, thiamine + paracetamol, TPP + paracetamol, and N-acetylcysteine + paracetamol. Oxidant and antioxidant parameters and liver function test levels were compared between the groups. RESULTS The results show that TPP and N-acetylcysteine with paracetamol equally prevented a rise in oxidants such as malondialdehyde and nitric oxide. They also prevented a decrease in enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutaredoxin, glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in the rat liver. CONCLUSION Thiamine pyrophosphate and N-acetylcysteine had a similar positive effect on oxidative damage caused by paracetamol hepatotoxicity. These findings show that TPP may be beneficial in paracetamol hepatotoxicity.