Effect of zidovudine on the liver function of adult albino wistar rats

Abstract

Zidovudine is a type of antiretroviral drug used for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This study investigated its effect on liver enzymes in adult male albino rats. Fifteen male albino rats weighing between 180-250g were used for the study. The rats were subdivided into a control (A) and two test groups (B and C) (n=5 each). For 25 days, the test groups (B and C) received a daily dosage of 6mg/kg and 12mg/kg of the drug solutions (in sterile water) via an oral cannula, while the control group (A) received normal feed and water only. The results showed that Zidovudine caused significant increase in the level of alanine transaminase (ALT) in the highdose treated rats, but no significant change in aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in both the high and low-dose treated rats; and alanine transaminase (ALT) in the low-dose treated rats. Our findings suggest that high dose of Zidovudine can induce increase in the level of ALT in the treated animals. It also demonstrates that the use of antiretroviral drugs could have adverse effects on the liver that could lead to hepatic damage in normal subjects as the experimental rats used were HIV free.

Key Words: Liver, Enzymes, HIV/AIDS, Zidovudine