Abstract
Although valproic acid was considered initially to be without debilitating side effects, serious hepatotoxicity have been reported during its therapy. This study aimed to determine the effects of methyl palmitate on sodium valproate-induced hepatocellular damage. Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups. The control animals were group I. Group II; rats were given only sodium valproate while Group HI was given sodium valproate + methyl palmitate. Results indicated that sodium valproate induced liver injury as it increased serum transaminases and alkaline phosphatase. Histopathological examination showed marked steatosis and inflammation in the liver of sodium valproate treated rats. In addition, sodium valproate increased hepatic oxidative stress as It elevated the malondialdehyde content and superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione content was diminished. Simultaneous administration of methyl palmitate with sodium valproate attenuated all the sodium valproate induced biochemical and histological changes. The protective effects of methyl palmitate may be mediated through antioxidant mechanism.