[Effect of tea polyphenols on alcoholic liver injury].
OBJECTIVE
To reproduce an experimental model of alcoholic liver disease in rats and to investigate the preventive and treatment effects of tea polyphenols on alcoholic liver disease.


METHODS
68 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: alcohol group (gastrically infused with 56% of ethanol once a day with a dose of 7 g/kg body weight for 4, 12 and 24 weeks), tea polyphenols group (gastric infusion with alcohol same as in the alcohol group and with tea polyphenols at 0.25 g/kg bw) and control group (gastric infusion with normal saline). At the end of 4, 12 and 24 weeks, blood samples were collected and then the rats were sacrificed. Liver samples were obtained for routine histological examination and the degree of hepatic steatosis and alcoholic hepatitis were examined. Blood specimens were used for evaluation of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST).


RESULTS
(1) The levels of the two transaminases were elevated with the increase of the duration of ethanol feeding and the difference is significant. TP significantly mitigated the increase of ALT and AST activities induced by the alcohol. (2) Histological changes of the liver injury indicated that piecemeal or focal necrosis of hepatocytes was present in the centrilobular area. As fibrosis advanced, broader septa were formed with central-central and centra-portal bridging necrosis. In the TP infusion group, the severity of the pathological changes was significantly milder.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study revealed that TP mitigated the development of alcoholic liver disease, and TP may be a potential drug for treatment of alcoholic liver disease.
Zhang
Yu
Y
Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
Chen
Shao-Hua
SH
Zhang
Xing-Guo
XG
Ren
Guo-Ping
GP
Sa
Xiao-Ying
XY
Yu
Chao-Hui
CH
Li
You-Ming
YM
D000818:Animals; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D010636:Phenols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D059808:Polyphenols; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D059808:Polyphenols; D013662:Tea