“Potential antifibrotic effect of Deferasirox in an experimental model of liver fibrosis”

Abstract

Hepatic iron overload is one of the main causative factors for liver fibrosis and is observed in chronic hepatitis C patients, hemochromatosis patients, and patients with different blood disorders as myelodysplastic syndrome, and β-thalassemia. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential anti-fibrotic effect of the iron chelator; deferasirox (DFX), in an experimental model of immunologically-induced liver fibrosis using concanavalin A (con A). The study was divided into 2 parts. Firstly, the hepatoprotective dose of DFX was screened by giving DFX at doses 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg orally to rats followed by IV injection of con A 2 hours later. Con A induced significant hepatotoxicity as manifested by elevated liver enzymes’ activities in serum, in addition to histopathological damage. Only DFX at the dose 100 mg/kg could offer considerable hepatoprotection and restore histopathological integrity.