Effect of vitamin C on liver injury after taking methotrexate in rats

Methotrexate is a folic acid antagonist which is widely used as a cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent for leukemia and other malignancies. It causes structural and functional damages in liver. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of vitamin C on the liver enzymes, including alanine amino transferase (ALT) and spartate amino transferase (AST), and also liver tissue damages induces bytaking methotrexate.
In this study, 30 rats were divided into three groups. Group 1 (control group) received normal saline (0.9%), intraperitoneally, for 10 consecutive days. Group 2 were given methotrexate (20mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 10 consecutive days. Group 3 received methotrexate with vitamin C (25mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 10 consecutive days. After 10 days, all animals were anaesthetized and blood serum were collected for biochemical analysis. After cervical dislocation, the liver tissue samples were taken in order to histological evaluation by light microscopy.
Serum levels of AST and ALT were significantly lower in group of methotrexate and vitamin C compared to methotrexate group (p The results of this study show that vitamin C may have a beneficial role in preventing liver damage caused by methotrexate and thus it could be considered potential role in clinical applications.