Effect of Sinai san decoction on the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of Sinai san decoction on the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis induced by CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet in rats.


METHODS
Twenty-seven Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups randomly: control group (n = 9), model group (n = 9) and treatment group (n = 9). The rats of model group and treatment group were given small dosage of CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet, and those of control group were given normal diet. After four weeks of fat-rich diet feeding, the rats of treatment group were given Sinai san decoction. The serum levels of aminotransferase and lipid were measured, and the pathology of livers was observed by HE staining after the rats were sacrificed at eight weeks.


RESULTS
The rats' livers presented the pathology of steatosis and inflammation with higher serum levels of ALT and AST in the model group. In the treatment group the serum ALT and AST levels decreased significantly and were close to the control group. The hepatic inflammation scores also decreased markedly, but were still higher than those of control group. And the degree of hepatocyte steatosis was similar to that of model group.


CONCLUSIONS
Sinai san decoction may ameliorate the hepatic inflammation of rats with steatohepatitis induced by small dosage of CCL4 combined with a fat-rich diet, but does not prevent the development of hepatocyte steatosis.
Zhang
Qi
Q
Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China. drzhq@163.com
Zhao
Yan
Y
Zhang
Deng-Ben
DB
Sun
Li-Jun
LJ
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008055:Lipids; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase