Table 1.

Effect of ribavirin, silymarin or ribavirin combined with silymarin on serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate minotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total proteins and glucose in CCl₄-treated rats.

	ALT (U/l)	AST (U/l)	ALP (IU/l)	Total protein (g/dl)	Glucose (mg/dl)	Area of damage (%)	Glucose (mg/dl)
Treatment
Saline control	67.4 ± 1.7	77.8 ± 3.9	122.6 ± 11.1	9.1 ± 0.6	96.0 ± 7.6	0.2 ± 0.1	96.0 ± 7.6
CCl4 control	125.5 ± 6.3	156.2 ± 4.5	198.4 ± 5.8	8.3 ± 0.2	51.0 ± 4.5	21.6 ± 1.4	51.0 ± 4.5
+ Silymarin 25 mg/kg	71.2 ± 6.6*	84.8 ± 7.4*	124.0 ± 11.6*	8.7 ± 0.5	59.0 ± 7.8	9.0 ± 1.1*	59.0 ± 7.8
+ Ribavirin 30 mg/kg	27.0 ± 3.1*	82.0 ± 5.7*	152.0 ± 12.4*	8.8 ± 0.4	80.0 ± 4.9*	9.6 ± 0.8*	80.0 ± 4.9
+ Ribavirin 60 mg/kg	22.5 ± 2.8*	97.8 ± 6.7	166.6 ± 14.6	8.9 ± 1.0	74.3 ± 4.1*	6.2 ± 0.5*	74.3 ± 4.1
+ Ribavirin 90 mg/kg	31.2 ± 2.6*	95.6 ± 8.4*	155.6 ± 13.5	9.9 ± 0.6	77.1 ± 6.9*	4.3 ± 0.5*	77.1 ± 6.9
+ Ribavirin 30 mg/kg	21.7 ± 3.4*	50.7 ± 6.0*+	152.6 ± 7.8	10.2 ± 0.6	76.1 ± 6.1*	8.9 ± 0.6*	76.1 ± 6.1
+ silymarin 25 mg/kg
+ Ribavirin 60 mg/kg	24.9 ± 2.3*	52.8 ± 5.7*+	119.0 ± 12.8*+	10.0 ± 0.7	98.7 ± 8.3*+	5.2 ± 0.4*	98.7 ± 8.3
+ silymarin 25 mg/kg
+ Ribavirin 90 mg/kg	22.5 ± 1.8*	49.0 ± 4.1*+	80.6 ± 7.0*+	11.2 ± 0.7*	112.3 ± 9.6*+	4.8 ± 0.5*	112.3 ± 9.6
+ silymarin 25 mg/kg

Results are means ± S.E. Data were analyzed by one way ANOVA and means of different groups were compared by Duncan’s multiple range test. Two-tailed probabilities of less than 0.05 were considered significant.

^*p < 0.05 vs CCl₄ control.

⁺p < 0.05 vs corresponding ribavirin alone-treated group.