Effect of folic acid in cholestatic hepatic fibrosis induced by bile duct ligation Model in rat

Cholestasis is a liver disease that, if untreated and not prevented, will cause hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis, and eventually death. As a result of bile duct ligation (BDL), toxic bile acids accumulate in liver. Accumulation of these toxins and subsequent events, such as oxidative stress and inflammatory response leads to cell death and hepatic fibrosis. The liver is the main organ for folate storage and metabolism and folate deficiency is a common occurrence in many liver diseases. The present study investigated the protective effect of folic acid in experimental hepatic fibrosis. 81 male Wistar rats were classified into the nine groupsº Control, Shamoperated control, Folic acid, Bile duct-ligated (BDL) control, and BDL folic acid groups. Folic acid treated groups were given oral folic acid (1, 5 and 10 mg/kg b.w) for 28 days. The severity of hepatic injury was determined by measures biochemical indicators like’s activities of AST, ALT, ALP, concentrations of bilirubin and albumin in the serum and activities of superoxide dismutase in the hepatic samples. To assess histopathological features of cholestasis (bile duct hyperplasia, fibrosis, necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration), Masson’s trichrome staining was performed. In BDL rats treated with folic acid, hepatic fibrosis was significantly ameliorated and the serum and hepatic biochemical variation induced by BDL were moderated. This study suggests that folic acid has a protective effect in liver. Folic acid reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory response and thus prevented liver fibrotic changes.