ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore protective effect of extract from rhubarb and alismae rhizome on acute liver injury induced by diethylene glycol(DEG)and its mechanism.Methods:Animal model of acute liver injury induced by DEG(18.7 ml/kg)was applied to investigate the protective effect of extract from rhubarb and alismae rhizome.Mice were administered intragastrically with n-butanol extract from rhubarb 0.8 and 0.4 g/kg,aqueous extract from rhubarb 0.8 and 0.4 g/kg and ethanol extract from alismae rhizome 3.6 and 1.8 g/kg for 4 days,respectively.DEG(18.7 ml/kg)was administered intragastrically to the mice 1 hour before extract from rhubarb and alismae rhizome administration on day 5.The manifestation of the poisoned mice were observed,the serum was prepared and the mice were then sacrificed after ig DEG for 24 h.The contents of ALT,AST and TBIL in serum of mice were assayed,and the liver tissues were collected and the ho-mogenate was prepared,the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-PX)and the contents of malon-aldehyde(MDA)in liver homogenate were also detected.Results:After the administration of DEG,the poisoned manifestations of the mice were obviously visible,the ratio of liver to body weight increased,the contents of ALT,AST and TBIL in serum significantly in-creased,the activities of SOD and GSH-PX in liver homogenate decreased,and the contents of MDA in liver homogenate increased.Com-pared with that in DEG model group,in extract from rhubarb and alismae rhizome treatment groups,the poisoned manifestations were ob-viously relieved,the ratio of liver to body weight decreased,the contents of ALT and AST and TBIL significantly lowered,the activities of SOD and GSH-PX were also markedly improved and the contents of MDA significantly decreased.Conclusion:DEG can obviously dam-age liver,but extracts from rhubarb and alismae rhizome have an obvious protective effect against DEG-induced acute liver injury,and the protection role is related to the improvement of antioxidation enzyme activities and suppression of lipid peroxidation.