Momordica charantia mitigates hepatic injury following adjuvant treatment with antiretroviral drugs in diabetic animal models. - GreenMedInfo Summary

() is a medicinal plant, used in traditional practice for treating diseases like hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This study investigated the possible hepato-protective effect offollowing treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in diabetic rats. 48 adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into seven groups (A-G) of 7 animals per group and treated according to protocols. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (STZ) by intraperitoneal injection (45 mg/kg body weight). The animals were euthanized on the 10th week with liver removed for examination and blood obtained via cardiac puncture and centrifuged to collect the sera. Blood glucose levels (BGL) were consistently and significantly raised ( < 0.05) in all groups not receiving the adjuvant. Treatment withreverses the increase in BGL to near normal. Markers of liver injury assayed showed significant increase ( < 0.05) in AST, ALP and ALT levels in groups not receiving. Adjuvant HAART andcaused significant declines in the liver enzymes ( < 0.05). Serum GGT was not markedly altered. Treatment withsignificantly restored liver enzymes elevations to near normal comparable to control. Histopathological observations ranged from severe hepatocellular distortions, necrosis and massive fibrosis following treatment of HAART in diabetic groups not receiving. Treatment withdid not show any sign of hepatotoxicity as judged from the histological and biochemical observations.