Background: The efficacy and therapeutic benefit of itraconazole as antifungal medication can be clinically limited by the incidence of hepatotoxicity.
Objective: Detection of the effect of itraconazole administration on the histological structure and function of the liver in adult male rat and its amelioration by Coenzyme Q 10 (COQ 10) use.
Materials and Methods: Forty adult male albino rats were used and divided into four equal groups. Group I: Control group, Group II received Coenzyme Q10 (10mg/Kg/day) for four weeks, Group III were treated orally with itraconazole (100 mg/kg/day) for four weeks and Group IV pre-treated with Coenzyme Q10 orally (10 mg/Kg/day) 2 hours prior to itraconazole (100 mg/kg/day) for four weeks. After the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed under anesthesia and blood samples were collected for assessment of liver function tests (ALT, AST, and ALP). Liver tissue specimens were collected for histopathological examination and assessment of liver tissue levels of MDA, SOD, CAT, and GSH.
Results: Histopathological examination using light and electron microscope showed that itraconazole induced marked distortion of liver parenchyma, hepatic congestion with vacuolar degeneration of hepatocytes which associated with significant increase in AST, ALT, and ALP as compared to control group There was also a significant increase in liver malondialdehyde (MDA) level, with significant decrease in liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH). Pre-treatment with CoQ10 reduced itraconazole hepatic affection with preservation of histological picture of the liver tissues, liver function parameters and oxidative stress biomarkers.
Conclusion: COQ 10 reduced itraconazole-induced hepatotoxicity in adult male albino rats.