ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the protective effect of total flavones of Artemisia capillaris Thunb.on acute hepat-ic injury in rats. Methods Rats were randomly divided into blank control group,model control group, Yinzhihuang group,and groups of total flavones of Artemisia capillaris Thunb.(low,medium and high dose) in terms of 7-day different treatments.All rats except those in the blank control group were administrated with D-galactosamine hydrochloride ( 500 mg?g-1 , ip ) once at the sixth day.Then,concentrations of ALT and AST were detected 48 h later,and the liver samples were collected from each group for pathological examination. Results The serum ALT and AST in high-dose group of total flavones of Artemisia capillaris Thunb. was [(189.2±112.9) and (231.7±149.9) U?L-1],respectively,significantly lower than those in model control group ALT [(391.9±181.3) U?L-1] and AST [(403.9±133.8) U?L-1].Fragmented necrosis,fatty degeneration,inflammatory cells infil-tration and acidophilic degeneration of hepatic cells were improved to varying degrees in groups of total flavones of Artemisia capil-laris Thunb.compared with model control group.Fragmented necrosis of liver cells and steatosis occurred in 20 and 19 rats,respec-tively,in the model control group,while those appeared in 1 and 2 rats,respectively,in high-dose group of total flavones of Artemi-sia capillaris Thunb.. Conclusion Total flavones of Artemisia capillaris Thunb. are effective in protecting D-galactosamine hydrochloride-induced acute hepatic injury in rats.