Hepatotoxic Effects of Sub-chronic Paracetamol Administration on Serum ALT and AST Levels in Albino Rats in Kirkuk- City

Abstract

The liver is the principal site of drug metabolism and biotransformation and is therefore vulnerable to toxic injury by xenobiotics. Paracetamol (PCM) is one of the most frequently used analgesic and antipyretic agents; however, excessive or prolonged use is associated with severe hepatic damage caused by the formation of reactive metabolites. This study aimed to assess the sub-chronic effect of PCM on serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in albino rats and to identify possible sex-related differences. Thirty albino rats of both sexes, aged 53–60 days and weighing 300–390 g, were randomly allocated to a control group (n = 10) and a PCM-treated group (n = 20). The treated group received PCM orally at 500 mg/kg body weight once daily for 30 days. Serum ALT and AST activities were determined by standard biochemical assays, and the data were analysed by Student's t-test. The study protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee, College of Medicine, University of Kirkuk, Iraq (Approval No. 29 B, 27/3/2023). Serum ALT and AST were significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group (P ≤ 0.05), with very large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 8.53 and 7.75, respectively). In both groups, male rats showed higher enzyme activities than females. Sub-chronic PCM administration therefore produces marked hepatocellular damage, reflected by increased ALT and AST activities, and the injury is more pronounced in males than in females.