Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 69, Issue 12 , Pages 563-568, December 2006

Methimazole Alleviates Hepatic Encephalopathy in Bile-duct Ligated Cirrhotic Rats

  • Ching-Chih Chang

      Affiliations

    • Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Yi-Chou Chen

      Affiliations

    • Division of General Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Hui-Chun Huang

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Fa-Yauh Lee

      Affiliations

    • Division of General Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Fa-Yauh Lee, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Full-Young Chang

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Han-Chieh Lin

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Cho-Yu Chan

      Affiliations

    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Sun-Sang Wang

      Affiliations

    • Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Shou-Dong Lee

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Received 30 June 2006; accepted 23 October 2006.

Article Outline

Background

Acute or chronic liver damage may lead to hepatic encephalopathy. Previous studies have indicated the hemodynamic and hormonal mimicry between portal hypertension and hyperthyroidism. Furthermore, medically or surgically induced hypothyroidism has been found to be beneficial in ameliorating hyperdynamic circulation in the portal hypertensive state and in alleviating acute or chronic liver injury in rats. However, the effect of chronic thyroid hormone inhibition on chronic hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis remains unknown.

Methods

Liver cirrhosis was induced by bile-duct ligation (BDL) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Three weeks after BDL, rats were randomized to receive either tap water (control) or 0.04% methimazole in drinking water for 3 weeks. At the end of 6 weeks after BDL, severity of encephalopathy was assessed by the Opto-Varimex animal activity meter and hemodynamic parameters were measured. Blood samples were collected for determination of thyroid stimulating hormone, ammonia and liver biochemistry.

Results

The heart rate of the methimazole-treated group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p = 0.015), whereas there were no differences in the mean arterial pressure and portal pressure. The total amount of movements were significantly increased in the methimazole group (p = 0.029). Plasma levels of ammonia, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase were significantly lower (p = 0.01) and thyroid stimulating hormone significantly higher (p = 0.035) in the methimazole group.

Conclusion

Chronic methimazole treatment alleviates hepatic encephalopathy and liver damage in rats with BDL-induced hepatic cirrhosis.

Key Words:  hepatic encephalopathy , liver cirrhosis , methimazole

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PII: S1726-4901(09)70330-2

doi:10.1016/S1726-4901(09)70330-2

Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 69, Issue 12 , Pages 563-568, December 2006

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