Hepatoprotective properties of oleanolic and ursolic acids in antitubercular drug-induced liver damage

OBJECTIVE: To estimate to what extent the mixture of ursolic acid and oleanolic acid, in addition to the antitubercular standard regime, affects the hepatotoxicity profile. METHODS: Liver injury was induced in male BALB/c mice by administering, per os and daily for 11 weeks, a combination of anti-Tubercular (anti-TB) agents Rifampicin (10 mg/kg), Isoniazid (10 mg/kg), and Pyrazinamide (30 mg/kg). The ursolic acid and oleanolic acid mixture at doses of 100 or 200 μg/mouse/day was subcutaneously injected throughout the entire study period (11 weeks). Biochemical and hematological analysis was supplemented by liver histological examination. RESULTS: Animals treated with the mixture of triterpenic acids exhibited significantly decreased aspartate transaminase and alanine aminotransferase levels and amelioration of the histopathological alterations produced by the anti-TB drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The triterpene mixture was able to prevent the steatosis induced by the anti-TB drugs.