bromsulphalein test
(BSP test)
A liver function test using bromsulfthalein, a phthalein dye, by determining the rate of removal of the dye from the blood stream.
Phthalein dyes are a class of dyes mainly used as pH indicators, due to their ability to change colors depending on pH. They are formed by the reaction of phthalic anhydride with various phenols.
Hepatotoxicity is induced by thioacetamide and biochemical parameters such as total bilirubin and bromsulphalein uptake in the liver can be studied by Asparagus retrofractus roots and silymarin as standard hepatoprotective agents.
The capacity to excrete bromsulphalein in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is equally as low as in patients suffering from severe liver cirrhosis.