Effects of Chronic Administration of Lamivudine on the Histochemistry of the Liver in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Lamivudine (3TC) is a drugs used in the management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) infection in combination with other drugs. The objective of this research study was to investigate the effects of this drug on the histology of the liver of Wistar rats.  Twenty male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups of 10 rats each. Group A served as the control and were administered with 1 ml of distill water, while group B was treated with 4.28mg/kg of lamivudine daily for 30 days, after which the rats where sacrificed using chloroform inhalation method and the liver was harvested, processed and stained using PAS crocian blue, carcino- embryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin-7 (CK7)  Immunochemistry methods. Stained slides were viewed using light microscope. Serum from each rat was extracted into fresh test tubes and used for analysis of aspartate aminotransaminase test (AST), alanine aminotransaminase test (ALT), alkaline phosphotase (ALP).  Findings showed that the liver of Wistar rats administered with lamivudine, showed distortions with various degree of vacoulations, dilatation of sinusoidal spaces and nuclei necrotic changes. There were increased expression of CEA and CK7 in the groups treated with lamivudine than the control.  This also agreed with the biochemical changes which showed significant levels of increase in AST and ALP in the groups administered with lamivudine. This suggests that lamivudine is harmful to the liver and should be taken with caution.