Non-invasive tests such as acid-fast stain and culture of the ascitic fluid are usually insufficient, hence invasive laparoscopy and peritoneal biopsy are necessary for the diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis if non-invasive tests such as ascites adenosine deaminase activity measurement are not easily available. Triple therapy without rifampicin for 6 months is sufficient to treat tuberculous peritonitis.

Thioacetamide (TAA) administration (0.3 g/l of tap water for a period of 3 months) to rats resulted in hepatic cirrhosis as assessed by biochemical and histopathological findings. This treatment caused an increase in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and diene conjugates (DCs) and a decrease in the levels of glutathione (GSH), vitamin E, vitamin C and the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the liver of rats. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were unchanged. Taurine (2% w/w, added to the chow diet) was administered together with TAA (0.3 g/l of drinking water) for 3 months. Taurine was found to decrease TAA-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation and to increase TAA-depleted vitamin E levels and GSH-Px activities. Histopathological findings also suggested that taurine has an inhibitive effect on TAA-induced hepatic cirrhosis. These results indicate that taurine treatment has a protective effect against TAAinduced liver cirrhosis by decreasing oxidative stress.

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Thioacetamide (TAA) administration (three consecutive intraperitoneal injections of 400 mg/kg at 24-h interval) to rats resulted in hepatic injury as assessed by the measurement of serum transaminase activities and histopathological findings. This treatment caused an increase in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), diene conjugates (DCs) and glutathione (GSH) and the activity ofsuperoxide dismutase (SOD), and a decrease in the levels of vitamins E and C and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the liver of rats. Taurine administration (400 mg/kg, i.p., every 12 h and started 24 h prior to the first TAA injection) was found to decrease serum transaminase activities and hepatic lipid peroxidation without any significant change in hepatic antioxidant system. Histopathological findings also suggested that taurine has ameliorated effect on TAA-induced hepatic necrosis. These results indicate that taurine treatment, together with TAA administration, diminished the severity of the liver injury by decreasing oxidative stress due to its possible scavenger effect.