The recommended treatment for visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis is pentavalent antimony at a dosage of 20 mic/kg/day for 28 days. Some studies suggested that antimonial pentostam has multiple acute and chronic adverse effects, which can be minimized by using the lowest effective dose. The present study is aimed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity effect of sodium stibogluconate (pentostam) in mice as a model. Adult male albino mice were divided into three groups, seven mice each, injected with 20 mic/kg pentostam in addition to a control group. Later 14 days, groups II, III, and IV were tested after one, three, and six weeks respecttively. The mice’s serum and liver tissues were collected, and biochemical and histopathological measurement were carried out. Biochemical analysis of the serum obtained showed a significant increase in the levels of AST, ALT, and ALP in groups II and III when compared with the control group. In parallel, the histopathological assessments of the liver tissue proved hepatocytic necrosis. From this study, it can be concluded that the antimonial pentostam has a hepatotoxicity effect on treated mice.

No abstract