The preventive effect of bismuth and vitamin E combination on cisplatin hepatotoxicity in cancer patients

Background and objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the optimal combination of agents with their doses used along with cisplatin for the protection of hepatotoxicity. Methods: This experiment was carried out on a patients suffering from different solid types of tumor divided into two groups: cisplatin group receiving cisplatin in a dose of 90 mg/ m² body surface area(BSA) and the therapy group receiving cisplatin in a dose of 90 mg/m² BSA and bismuth subcitrate (200mg/day) with vitamin E (400mg/day). Ten healthy subjects were taken as a control group.Total serum bilirubin (TSB), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were tested for the assessments of liver function. Results: The level of TSB, GPT, GOT and ALP in healthy subjects did not changed significantly with respect to baseline value along the entire period of the study ; while cisplatin group showed a sustain and significant elevation in TSB, GPT, GOT and ALP level in comparison with baseline along the entire period of the study, P<0.05. Meanwhile, the hepatotoxic effect of cisplatin was shown to be slightly but however significantly decreased in patients received bismuth-vitamin E therapy (P<0.05) along the entire period of the study. Conclusion: Bismuth and vitamin E combination play a beneficial role for prevention of cisplatin hepatotoxicity. The potentiated actions for prevention of cisplatin hepatotoxicity could be achieved via combined use of these agents.