Effect of the antioxidants alpha-tocopherol acetate and sodium selenite on hepatotoxicity induced by antitubercular drugs in rats.

Blood samples of animals from groups I and II were taken for liver function tests by cardiac puncture under ether anaesthesia Hepatotoxicity due to antitubercular drugs is found to be mediated through oxidative stress and free radical damage to hepatocytes (1, 2, 3). The antioxidants α-tocopherol and selenium are known exert beneficial effect in antitubercular drugs induced hepatotoxicity (4, 5). However mere withdrawal itself of antitubercular therapy is known to reverse the hepatotoxic changes (6, 7). Hence the present study was carried out in albino rats to study the effect of these two antioxidants on reversal of hepatotoxic changes as compared to mere withdrawal of ant i tubercular drugs . The e f fect o f individual antioxidant was also compared with the effect of their combination.