Comparison between the effects of selenomethionine and S-adenosylmethionine in preventing cholestasis-induced rat liver damage.

We aimed to evaluate whether two methionine-related compounds, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), and selenomethionine (SM), could lessen liver damage induced by regurgitated bile in a model of rat bile duct ligation (BDL). Hepatoprotective potentials of S-adenosylmethionine and selenomethionine were estimated based on the changes of serum liver damage parameters (aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase and lactate dehydrogenase activity, and bilirubin concentration), tissue oxidative [xanthine oxidase (XO) and catalase activity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels] and inflammatory [tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-α) concentration] parameters, and morphological liver tissue alterations that follow cholestasis. The treatment regimens proved themselves able to prevent significant liver damage induced by cholestasis.