Beta-carotene attenuates experimentally induced liver cirrhosis in rats.

OBJECTIVE To study whether retinolpalmitate, beta-carotene or lycopene could prevent liver cirrhosis induced by thioacetamide in rats. METHODS In the control group liver cirrhosis was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injections of TAA 200 mg/kg for 12 weeks. The three study groups received in addition to TAA either beta-carotene, lycopene or retinopalmitate by gavage through an orogastric tube. Histopathological analysis and determination of the hydroxyproline contents of the livers were performed at the end of the protocol. RESULTS Rats treated with beta-carotene and TAA had lower histopathologic scores and reduced levels of hepatic hydroxyproline (P = 0.02) than those treated by TAA alone. A trend of decreased fibrosis was observed in the rats treated with lycopene and TAA although this lacked statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS Beta-carotene attenuated liver cirrhosis induced by TAA in rats. The mechanism may be related to effects on hepatic stellate cells or to scavenging of free radicals by beta-carotene. Retinolpalmitate and lycopen had no significant beneficial effect.