Hepatotoxic effect of Rifampicin as an Anti-Tuberculosis drug on male Albino rat

Tuberculosis is one of the serious airborne infectious diseases. Rifampicin is commonly used as anti-tuberculosis drug which creates drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Physiologically, liver maintains metabolic homeostasis and also regulates the detoxification process. The study of rifampicin mediated hepatotoxicity had been performed on male albino rat after its oral administration with a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight/day for 14 days. Several biochemical markers like serum glutamate pyruvate tranaminase (AST), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum total protein, serum bilirubin, serum cholesterol were considered to evaluate the toxicity. Significant elevation of level of AST (115.89%), ALT (134.40%), ALP (46.15%), serum cholesterol (91%) and bilirubin content (119.44%) had been observed in treated group compared with control group. High level of MDA content as lipid peroxidation marker was also been noticed in drug induced group. Histopathological studies had shown the disintegrated hepatolobular structure with dilated central vein. All these findings indicated that the selected dose of rifampicin is hepatotoxic; proper monitoring and care are essential during the treatment of tuberculosis. Keywords: rifampicin; hepatoxicity; anti-tuberculosis