Comparative study on the protective effects of Yinchenhao Decoction against liver injury induced by alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate and carbon tetrachloride.
OBJECTIVE
To optimize the animal model of liver injury that can properly represent the pathological characteristics of dampness-heat jaundice syndrome of traditional Chinese medicine.


METHODS
The liver injury in the model rat was induced by alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4) ) respectively, and the effects of Yinchenhao Decoction (, YCHD), a proved effective Chinese medical formula for treating the dampness-heat jaundice syndrome in clinic, on the two liver injury models were evaluated by analyzing the serum level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), asparate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), malondialchehyche (MDA), total bilirubin (T-BIL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) as well as the ratio of liver weight to body weight. The experimental data were analyzed by principal component analytical method of pattern recognition.


RESULTS
The ratio of liver weight to body weight was significantly elevated in the ANIT and CCl(4) groups when compared with that in the normal control (P<0.01). The contents of ALT and T-BIL were significantly higher in the ANIT group than in the normal control (P<0.05,P<0.01), and the levels of AST, ALT and ALP were significantly elevated in CCl(4) group relative to those in the normal control P<0.01). In the YCHD group, the increase in AST, ALT and ALP levels was significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), but with no significant increase in serum T-BIL. In the CCl(4) intoxicated group, the MDA content was significantly increased and SOD, GSH-PX activities decreased significantly compared with those in the normal control group, respectively (P<0.01). The increase in MDA induced by CCl(4) was significantly reduced by YCHD P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
YCHD showed significant effects on preventing liver injury progression induced by CCl(4), and the closest or most suitable animal model for damp-heat jaundice syndrome may be the one induced by CCl(4).
Cao
Hong-xin
HX
Department of Pharmacognosy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China.
Sun
Hui
H
Jiang
Xin-gang
XG
Lu
Hai-tao
HT
Zhang
Guang-mei
GM
Wang
Xi-jun
XJ
Sun
Wen-jun
WJ
Wu
Ze-ming
ZM
Wang
Ping
P
Liu
Lian
L
Zhou
Jue
J
D015058:1-Naphthylisothiocyanate / Q000633:toxicity; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D029061:Annonaceae; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D007565:Jaundice / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D015058:1-Naphthylisothiocyanate; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D005978:Glutathione; D001663:Bilirubin