Hepatoprotective and immunological effects of antioxidant drugs.

The hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory effects of silymarin and amino-imidazole-carboxamide-phosphate were studied in 40 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver in a one-month double-blind clinical trial. Treatment with either of the 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 lymphoblast transformation, decreased the percentage of OKT8+ cells and suppressed lymphocytotoxicity. None of these changes occurred in the placebo-treated group. Thus, the hepatoprotective effects of silymarin and amino-imidazole-carboxamide-phosphate in alcoholic cirrhosis can partly be attributed to the immunomodulatory activity of the drugs.