title: [Experimental study on effects of herbs for nourishing and smoothing the liver in reversing bile lithogenicity of guinea pig].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To further probe the mechanisms of herbs for nourishing and smoothing the liver in reversing bile lithogenicity of guinea pig.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty guinea pigs were divided randomly into control group (fed with normal diet, n=20), model group (fed with lithogenic diet, n=20) and treatment group (fed with lithogenic diet plus herbal medicine, n=20). After four-week feeding, the animals were sacrificed and sampled, the rates of gallstone formation in each group were estimated, and the total bile acid (TBA), total bilirubin (TBIL), conjugated bilirubin (CB), unconjugated bilirubin (UCB), and calcium ion in the bile were determined, and the different bilirubins were analyzed by HPLC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The rate of gallstone formation was 5% in normal group, 81.25% in model group and 31.25% in treatment group (P<0.05). (2) The bile TBIL, CB, UCB and Ca(2+) were higher and the bile TBA was lower significantly in model group than that in the other two groups (P<0.05). (3) HPLC analysis revealed that MCB was higher and DCB was lower significantly in model group (P<0.01), and there were no significant differences of UCB and IPA among the three groups. (4) The percentages of MCB and UCB were much higher and the percentage of DCB was remarkably lower in model group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Herbs for nourishing and smoothing the liver can significantly reduce the rate of gallstone formation and has effect of reversing lithogenicity of bile in guinea pigs fed with lithogenic diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biliary Surgery, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Zhe
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zuo-Biao
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Ju
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xue-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yong-Zheng
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Pei-Ting
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000737:chemistry; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal