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Abstract
The present work was designed to evaluate and introduce more sensitive and specific biochemical markets suitable for detection of liver fibrosis such as -GST, MDA, NO and MMP-2 and correlate the change in these markers with the degree of liver fibrosis as detected in liver biopsy in 75 children patients with different liver diseases divided into 34 Bilharziasis, 29 HCV and 12 HBV patients and compared to 30 liver diseases free children served as control group. This study evaluated also the protective and treatment effects of some natural antioxidants such as Nigella sativa, Honey and Silymarin in experimental liver fibrogenesis induced by CCl4 administration by assessing their effects on the determined biochemical markers, comparing the change in these markers with the changes in the liver functions and determine the histological changes in liver cells.
To sum up, the similarity between the elevated levels of α-GST, MDA and NO in children and animals groups proved that one of the mechanisms involved in the process of liver fibrogenesis is the development of oxidative stress. Therefore, these markers can be used effectively for monitoring hepatocellular damage.
Determination of MMP-2 can be considered as a useful predictor for monitoring chronic liver disease as its level was elevated in liver fibrosis, thus, it can be used as a test for diagnosing liver fibrosis.
The present results match the role of Silymarin for protection and treatment against liver fibrogenesis via the antioxidant activity due to its high content of flavonoids, the toxic free radical scavenger property to prevent lipid peroxidation, the antifibrotic property to reduce HSCs activation, increase antioxidant defense system and improvement in liver functions.
Owing to its antioxidant activity, Nigella Sativa can be used for protection and treatment against liver fibrogenesis induced by CCl4 due to the ability to decrease lipid peroxidation, increase the antioxidant capacity and improve liver functions and general health.
It was appeared that Honey may be effectively used as a supportive treatment in liver cell damage and as a protective natural antioxidant against CCl4- induced fibrogenesis due to its high content of flavonoids and its ability to scavenge free radicals and prevent oxidative stress.
When the protective effect of Silymarin, Nigella sativa and Honey was studied and these groups were compared to each other, the results proved that the protectiveness effect was higher in Silymarin followed by Nigella sativa then Honey as evidenced by improvement in level of serum biochemical markers and liver enzymes. While, when the treatment effect of these antioxidant was studied and the groups of this experiment were compared to each other, the results interestingly showed that Nigella sativa proved to be more effective as a treatment agent than Silymarin as evidenced by significant improvement in the level of liver ALT, Honey has the least effective ability for treatment of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis.
In histological examination, the treatment of rats with Honey and Silymarin after or along with CCl4 showed some improvement in pathological changes in the form of diminution of fibrosis while treatment of rats with Nigella sativa after or along with CCl4 showed more improvement in pathological changes in the form of diminution of fibrosis, vacular degeneration and fatty changes as compared to CCl4- administered group.