PURPOSE: To test the effects of water extract of Coleus barbatus (WEB) on liver damage in biliary obstruction in young rats. METHODS: Forty 21 day-old male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of ten 21 day old (P21) submitted to sham or actual operation (S or L) combined with WEB or Water (B or A). At P48 pentobarbital sleeping time (ST) was measured. At P49 they were submitted to euthanasia to determine of serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), liver wet weight (PFF) and, on hepatic histological slides, the frequency of mitoses (FM), the number of necrotic areas (NN), intensity of fibrosis (IF) and intensity of ductal proliferation (IPD). Two Way ANOVA, the S.N.K. test and the Wilcoxon test for paired multiple comparisons were employed to study the effects of cholestasis and those of EAB and their interactions. The Pearson's coefficient of linear correlation of between paired histological variables separately for the groups LA and LD was determined. The test results were considered statistically significant when the p of alpha error <0.05. RESULTS: Cholestasis increased the TS, ALT, AST, PFF, MI, NN, IF and IPD. The EAB decreased the TS and IM in the animals without cholestasis (sham operated animals). The EAB decreased the TS, ALT, AST, PFF, MI, NN and IF of the cholestatic animals. In the LA group there was a positive correlation between the IPD and the IF, a negative correlation between the IPD and the FM and a negative correlation between the IF and the FM. In the LD group there was a negative correlation between the NN and the IPD. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of cholestasis the EAB reduces the pentobarbital sleeping time and decreases the frequency of mitoses. The EAB has a hepatoprotective effect on the biliary cirrhosis secondary to extra-hepatic biliary obstruction.
Cholestasis, Extrahepatic; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental; Rats
