Liver Damaging Effect of Suramin in Normal and Carbon-Tetrachloride Treated Rats

Abstract

Male Fischer 344 (F344) rats were treated with phenobarbital + carbon tetrachloride (CC14) for 16 weeks to induce liver cirrhosis. Another group of rats received 50 mg/kg iv suramin once a week for 16 weeks. The third group of rats was treated with both phenobarbital + CC14 and suramin. After 16 weeks of suramin treatment, a massive periportal infiltration composed of macrophages, many of them containing glycosa-minoglycans in their cytoplasm, mast cells, and other inflammatory cells were observed. This lesion was added to the liver cirrhosis caused by CC14 in the group treated with suramin and CC14. The changes in glycosaminoglycan metabolism caused by suramin did not influence the CC14 cirrhosis. Since suramin has been reported to be a prototype of a new generation of antitumor compounds, we suggest caution in the use of chronic suramin treatment, especially in patients with livers which are already damaged.