ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the protective effects of matrine combined with glycyrrhizic acid on chronic liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride, and explore the protective mechanism from the points of energy metabolism and CYP enzyme.Methods: The chronic hepatic injury model of rats was induced by CCl4.The changes of activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum were measured to observe the protective effect of the two drugs and their combination.The contents of glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) in serum and adenine nucleoside three phosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenine monophosphate (AMP) in liver tissue were determined to evaluate the regulation effect on hepatic energy metabolism and mitochondrial function.The levels of CYP1A2, CYP2E1 mRNA and protein in liver tissue were detected by real-time PCR and Western Blot to evaluate the two drugs and their combination on the regulation function of liver CYP enzyme.Results: Matrine (72.8 mg×kg-1)and glycyrrhizic acid(43.4 mg·kg-1)could decrease the serum activities of ALT and ALT in chronic hepatic injury model, and the combination (matrine 36.4 mg·kg-1+glycyrrhizic acid 21.7 mg·kg-1) had the most significant protective effect (P＜0.05).Matrine (72.8 mg·kg-1)and glycyrrhizic acid(43.4 mg·kg-1)could decrease GLDH in serum,and restore the content of ATP in liver (P＜0.05).Matrine (72.8 mg·kg-1) had no effect on the expression of CYP1A2 and CYP2E1mRNA, and glycyrrhizin (43.4 mg·kg-1) could inhibit the expression of CYP1A2, CYP2E1mRNA and protein (P＜0.05).Conclusion: Matrine combined with glycyrrhizin has obvious regulation effect on mitochondrial function and liver protective effect in chronic hepatic injury model.