Review of properties and mechanisms of action of hepatoprotective drugs
Abstract
Medical practice quite often requires simultaneous administration of several drugs. Sometimes it is impossible due to their hepatotoxicity; therefore, urgent tasks of pharmacology include searching for and developing new drugs as well as optimizing already existing products in order to reduce side effects during their administration. This review focused on pharmacological drugs of the hepatoprotector class and their mechanisms of action and evaluated the prospects of searching for new medicines. In conclusion, drugs containing essential phospholipids and those improving recirculation and removal of bile acids are currently the most popular agents in clinical practice. Mechanisms of action of these drugs are theoretically justified and there is a prospect for building an evidence base for them by randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses.