DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2018.v06i08.005

Pages: 589-593

Melatonin [N- acetyl- 5- methoxytryptamine] (ME), an endocrine product of pineal gland. The present work was conducted to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of exogenous (ME). Thirty six healthy male rabbits weighting 1500-1700g.were divided into six groups with 6 animals in each group. Animals in first group served as control, animals in second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth groups were intraperitoneally (i.p) injected with D-Galactosamine (GalN) in a single daily dose of 50mg/kg period of 20 days for the induction of hepatocellular injury. The animals in third and fourth groups in addition to GalN were orally treated with ME in a single daily dose of 300µg/kg, as follows: animals in third group received ME at 9am; and animals in fourth group received ME at 9pm, period of 20 days. The animals in fifth and sixth groups, in addition to GalN, were orally treated with ME in a single daily dose of 600µg/kg, as follows: animals in fifth group received ME at 9am, and animals in sixth group received ME at 9pm period of 20 days. The level of Albumin, Total Protein, Alanintransferase (ALT), Asparatatetransferase (AST), and Alkalin-phosphatase (ALP) in serum was estimated. Results showed that ME significantly (P<0.01) reduced the toxicity of GalN.Results also showed that ME is more effective when it given at evening times.