Abstract:

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of Sihuangtang on acute hepatic injury in mice and its mechanism.
Methods: Sixty mice were randomly divided into 4 groups each with 15, normal control group, model group, Sihuangtang high-dose group (40 g/kg/d crude), and Sihuangtang low-dose group (20 g/kg/d crude). Drug administration was conducted with gastric lavage in different dose everyday for 2 weeks in two treated groups, the same volume of normal saline was applied for model group. Twenty four hours after last gastric lavage, except normal control group, all mice were fasting for 8 hours and then euthanized with intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (0.1% 10 mL/kilogram). The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the serum, and malonaldehyde (MDA) in the liver were determined. And the pathological examination of liver tissue was observed by optical microscope. Results: The MDA level in the liver and the content of ALT in the serum of acute hepatic injury model group were significant higher than those in normal control group (P<0.05); compared with the acute hepatic injury model group, the MDA levels in the liver in Sihuangtang low-dose and high-dosage group were both evidently decreased (P<0.05); and the content of ALT in the serum of Sihuangtang low-dosage group was evidently decreased compared with the model group (P<0.05), but the content of ALT in the serum increases in Sihuangtang high-dose group compared with the model group (P<0.05). Under the optical microscope, liver cell injury of the low dose group was evidently slighter than that of the model group. Conclusion: Sihuangtang in certain concentration has protective effect on acute hepatic injury in mice.

Key words: Sihuangtang, acute hepatic injury, protective effect