Background: Tramadol is a broadly used opioid drug;it is an effective analgesic agent for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. The liver is one of the organs responsible for the metabolism and excretion of opioids, which may cause hepatotoxicity.
Objectives: The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of tramadol on the liver of both juvenile and adult experimental mice.
Materials and methods:Twenty juvenile mice aged 3 weeks and twentyadult mice aged 2 months, were used in the present study.Each group was divided into two subgroups; control and tramadol-treated group (40 mg/kg b.wt., orally for 30 consecutive days). Liver specimens were taken for histopathological examination.
Results:This study showed that tramadol treatment induced histopathological changes in both groups (juvenile and adult), but thesechangeswere more prominent and obvious in juvenile than adult group. These changes were manifested by disorganization of liver architecture,cellular degeneration, with congested central and portal veins, associated with inflammatory cells infiltration.
Conclusions:Tramadol has harmful effects on the liver of bothjuvenile and adult albino mice and these effects were more obvious in juvenile than in adult mice.Toxic effects of tramadol should keep in mind, even though, the important role it plays as a powerful pain killer.