Immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective effects of in
vivo treatment with free radical scavengers
from:http://www.thorne.com/silymarin.html
The hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory effects of silymarin
and amino-imidazol-carboxamid-phosphate were studied in 60 patients
with compensated alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver in a one month
double blind clinical trial. Treatment with both drugs normalized
the elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine
aminotransferase and serum bilirubin, markedly reduced the high
level of gamma-glutamyl transferase, increased lectin-induced
lymphoblasttransformation, decreased the percentage of CD8+ cells
and suppressed lymphocytotoxicity. None of these changes occurred
in the placebo-treated group. Thus the hepato-protective effects of
silymarin and amino-imidazol-carboxamid-phosphate are accompanied
by changes in parameters of cellular immunoreactivity of the
treated patients.Lang I, Nekam K, Deak G, et al. Immunomodulatory
and hepatoprotective effects of in vivo treatment with free radical
scavengers. Ital J Gastroenterol 22:283-7; 1990.
Liver-protective action of silymarin therapy in chronic alcoholic
liver diseases from:http://www.thorne.com/silymarin.html
The effects of silymarin (Legalon) therapy on liver function
tests, serum procollagen III peptide level and liver histology were
studied in 36 patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease in a
six month double blind clinical trial. During silymarin treatment
serum bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase and
alanin-aminotransferase values have been normalized, while
gamma-glutamyl transferase activity and procollagen III peptid
level decreased. The changes were significant, and there was a
significant difference between post-treatment values of the two
groups, as well. In the placebo group only gamma-glutamyl
transferase values decreased significantly but to a lesser extent
than that in the silymarin group. The histological alterations
showed an improvement in the silymarin group, while remained
unchanged in the placebo group. These results indicate that
silymarin exerts hepatoprotective activity and is able to improve
liver functions in alcoholic patients.Feher J, Deak G, Muzes G, et
al. Liver-protective action of silymarin therapy in chronic
alcoholic liver diseases. Orv Hetil (HUNGARY) 130:2723-2727;
1989.
Effect of silymarin on chemical, functional, and morphological
alterations of the liver. A double-blind controlled study
from:http://www.thorne.com/silymarin.html
One hundred and six consecutive patients with liver disease were
selected on the basis of elevated serum transaminase levels. The
patients were randomly allocated into a group treated with
silymarin (treated) and a group receiving placebo (controls).
Ninety-seven patients complete the 4-week trial-47 treated and 50
controls. In general, the series represented a relatively slight
acute and subacute liver disease, mostly induced by alcohol abuse.
There was a statistically highly significantly greater decrease of
S-SGPT (S-ALAT) and S-SGOT (S-ASAT) in the treated group than in
controls. Serum total and conjugated bilirubin decreased more in
the treated than in controls, but the differences were not
statistically significant. BSP retention returned to normal
significantly more often in the treated group. The mean percentage
decrease of BSP was also markedly higher in the treated.
Normalization of histological changes occurred significantly more
often in the treated than in controls.Salmi HA, Sarna S. Effect of
silymarin on chemical, functional, and morphological alterations of
the liver. A double-blind controlled study. Scand J Gastroenterol
17:517-521; 1982.
Results of a double blind study on the effect of silymarin in the
treatment of acute viral hepatitis, carried out at two medical
centres from:http://www.thorne.com/silymarin.html
In a double blind study carried out under standard conditions at
two treatment centers silymarin, 2 sugar-coated tablets 70 mg three
times daily, showed a definite therapeutic influence on the
characteristic increased serum levels of bilirubin, GOT and GPT
associated with acute viral hepatitis. The above mentioned values
in 28 patients treated with silymarin were compared with those in
29 patients treated with placebo. The laboratory parameters in the
silymarin group regressed more than in the placebo group after the
5th day of treatment. The number of patients having attained normal
values after 3 weeksÕ treatment was higher in the silymarin
group than in the placebo group. A statistical comparison revealed
a difference between bilirubin and GOT values in the placebo and
silymarin groups and a definite trend in the regression of GPT
values in favour of silymarin. The course of the immune reaction in
HBS Ag patients was not influenced by silymarin. As already proved
by other investigators, the use of silymarin in acute viral
hepatitis can lead to an accelerated regression in pathological
values, thus indicating its use in the treatment of this liver
disease.Magliulo E, Gagliardi B, Fiori GP. Results of a double
blind study on the effect of silymarin in the treatment of acute
viral hepatitis, carried out at two medical centres. Med Klin
(GERMANY) 73:1060-1065; 1978.
Immunomodulator effect of silymarin therapy in chronic alcoholic
liver diseases from:http://www.thorne.com/silymarin.html
The effects of the hepatoprotective, antioxidant drug silymarin
(Legalon) on some cellular immune parameters of patients with
histologically proven chronic alcoholic liver disease were studied
in a six month double blind study. The lectin induced proliferative
activity of the lymphocytes got enhanced, the originally low T cell
percentage and the originally high CD8+ cell percentage have been
normalized, the antibody-dependent and natural cytotoxicity of the
lymphocytes decreased during silymarin therapy. All these changes
were significant, while in the placebo group no significant changes
occurred, except for a moderate elevation of the T cell percentage.
Thus, the immunomodulatory activity of silymarin might be involved
in the hepatoprotective action of the drug and improves the
depressed immunoreactivity of the patients.Deak G, Muzes G, Lang I,
et al. Immunomodulator effect of silymarin therapy in chronic
alcoholic liver diseases. Orv Hetil (HUNGARY)
131:1291-1292;1990.
Effect of silimarin (Legalon) therapy on the antioxidant defense
mechanism and lipid peroxidation in alcoholic liver disease (double
blind protocol) from:http://www.thorne.com/silymarin.html
Antioxidant and antiperoxidative effects of the free radical
scavenger agent silymarin (Legalon) were investigated in patients
with chronic alcoholic liver disease in a double blind clinical
trial. Six month treatment (at a daily dose of 420 mg) with
silymarin significantly enhanced the originally low superoxide
dismutase activity of erythrocytes and lymphocytes and also
restored the diminished superoxide dismutase expression on
lymphocytes as measured by flow-cytofluorimetry. In addition,
silymarin therapy markedly increased the serum level of
freeÑSH groups and the activity of glutathione peroxidase. In
contrast, a considerable fall in serum malondialdehyde
concentration was detected in patients having received silymarin.
However, in case of placebo-treated patients the above mentioned
parameters of antioxidant defense system and lipid peroxidation
failed to change significantly. These data indirectly suggest that
antioxidant, antiperoxidative effects might be important factors in
the mechanism of hepatoprotective action of silymarin. Muzes G,
Deak G, Lang I, et al. Effect of silimarin (Legalon) therapy on the
antioxidant defense mechanism and lipid peroxidation in alcoholic
liver disease (double blind protocol). Orv Hetil (HUNGARY)
131:863-866; 1990.
Randomized controlled trial of silymarin treatment in patients with
cirrhosis of the liver from:http://www.thorne.com/silymarin.html
Silymarin, the active principle of the milk thistle Silybum
marianum, protects experimental animals against various hepatotoxic
substances. To determine the effect of silymarin on the outcome of
patients with cirrhosis, a double blind, prospective, randomized
study was performed in 170 patients with cirrhosis. 87 patients
(alcoholic 46, non-alcoholic 41; 61 male, 26 female; Child A, 47;
B, 37; C, 3; mean age 57) received 140 mg Silymarin three times
daily. 83 patients (alcoholic 45, non-alcoholic 38; 62 male, 21
female; Child A, 42; B, 32; C, 9: mean age 58) received a placebo.
Non-compliant patients and patients who failed to come to a control
were considered as Ôdrop outsÕ and were withdrawn from
the study. All patients received the same treatment until the last
patient entered had finished 2-years of treatment. The mean
observation period was 41 months. There were 10 drop outs in the
placebo group and 14 in the treatment group. In the placebo group,
37 (+ 2 drop outs) patients had died, and in 31 of these, death was
related to liver disease. In the treatment group, 24 (+ 4 drop
outs) had died, and in 18 of these, death was related to liver
disease. The 4-year survival rate was 58 plus or minus 9% (S.E.) in
silymarin-treated patients and 39 plus or minus 9% in the placebo
group (P = 0.036). Analysis of subgroups indicated that treatment
was effective in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (P = 0.01) and
in patients initially rated ÔChild AÕ (P = 0.03). No side
effects of drug treatment were observed. The results of this study
suggest that mortality of patients with cirrhosis was reduced by
treatment with silymarin. However, as this effect was more
pronounced in alcoholic cirrhosis, the interrelation of patterns of
alcohol consumption and of drug treatment affecting survival must
be addressed by future studies.Ferenci P, Dragosics B, Dittrich H,
Frank H, et al. Randomized controlled trial of silymarin treatment
in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. J Hepatol (Netherlands)
9:105-113; 1989.
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