title: [Studies on protective effect of total flavonoids of Astragalus on liver damage induced by paracetamol].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the protective effect of total flavonoids of Astragalus (TFA) on the liver against large doses of paracetamol in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  After oral administration of TFA or Vitamin C 1 h prior to giving large dose of paracetamol in mice, the changes of paracetamol-induced mortality rate, serum enzyme level and liver damage degree were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Paracetamol produced 80% mortality, within 24 hours of the administration of a dose of 1000 mg.kg-1 to the mice. Pre-treatment of the animals with TFA (100 mg.kg-1) or Vitamin C (1,000 mg.kg-1) reduced the death rate to 20% and 0% respectively. There was also a significant rise in the serum enzyme level of alanine transaminase (P < 0.001) and the area of liver necrosis (P < 0.001), 24 h after paracetamol (400 mg.kg-1) treatment. With pre-treatment with either TFA or Vitamin C, there was an obvious dose-dependent decrease in ALT levels and the area of hepatocellular necrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TFA has potential protecting effect against the paracetamol-induced hepatic damage.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: D Q
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Y Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Neil
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brian
authors.forename: Y P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Critchley
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D027885:Astragalus propinquus / Q000737:chemistry*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000473:pathology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005419:Flavonoids; D020011:Protective Agents; D000082:Acetaminophen; D001205:Ascorbic Acid