Anti-inflammatory/anti-fibrotic effects of the hepatoprotective silymarin and the schistosomicide praziquantel against Schistosoma mansoni-induced liver fibrosis

Table 1 Effect of silymarin with/without praziquantel on total worms, hepatic tissue egg load and % dead eggs 10 and 18 weeks post infection of mice with S.mansoni

Animal groups	Total worms		Hepatic tissue egg load × 10³		% dead eggs
	10 wks	18 wks	10 wks	18 wks	10 wks	18 wks
Infected (Vehicle)	19.16 ± 2.18	20.28 ± 0.99	16.22 ± 1.40	27.08 ± 3.53	7.16 ± 0.94	6.87 ± 0.99
Infected + PZQ	‡‡‡ 0.80 ± 0.17 (95.82%)	‡‡‡ 0.50 ± 0.27 (97.53%)	‡‡‡ 4.00 ± 0.43 (75.34%)	‡‡‡ 7.64 ± 1.10 (71.79%)	‡‡‡ 100 ± 0.00	‡‡‡ 100 ± 0.00
Infected + silymarin	14.13 ± 2.96 (26.25%)	‡‡‡ 12.29 ± 1.21 (39.39%)	‡‡ 11.56 ± 0.68 (28.73%)	‡‡ 15.40 ± 0.72 (43.13%)	‡ 11.00 ± 0.97	‡‡‡ 39.29 ± 2.60
Infected + PZQ + silymarin	‡‡‡ 0.50 ± 0.50 (97.39%)	‡‡‡ 0.00 ± 0.00 (100%)	‡‡‡ 3.67 ± 0.60 (77.37%)	‡‡‡ 6.14 ± 0.76 (77.33%)	‡‡‡ 100 ± 0.00	‡‡‡ 100 ± 0.00

Data are presented as mean ± SEM (n = 8 in each group).
Mice were administered praziquantel (PZQ; 500 mg/kg/day for 2 days) in the 7^th week post infection (PI) and silymarin (750 mg/kg/day, 5 days/week for 6 weeks) at the 4^th and 12^th weeks PI for 6 weeks and were killed 10 and 18 weeks PI respectively. Numbers in parentheses indicate the percentage of reduction from infected (vehicle) group.
‡ Significantly different from infected (vehicle) group at P < 0.05, ‡‡ P < 0.01 and ‡‡‡ at P < 0.001.

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