Interventional effect of radix bupleuri and radix scutellariae at different ratios on the changes in the indexes of liver, spleen, thymus gland and suprarenal gland and vitamin C in suprarenal gland of rats with acute alcoholic liver injury

Xianling WANG; Haibo MU; Renhui LIU; Ning SONG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

. Until now modern science cannot explain clearly aboutthe mechanism of acute alcoholic liver injury. Besides such methods as givingup drinking, or symptomatic treatment, there is no specific therapy and remedy. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has obvious advantages for this Itcannot only improve the clinical symptoms, but also adjust organism immunefunction, and has very good development future.

OBJECTIVE:

To study the effects of radix bupleuri and radix scutellariae incompatibility with the ratio of different dosage (21, 11, 12) on acute alcoholicliver injury by regulating the system of endocrine-immunity network in rats.

DESIGN:

Groups are divided randomly and experiments are made underblank conditions.

SETTING:

TCM Clinical Laboratory of Pharmaceutical School, Henan University of TCM. MATERIALS From September to November 2002 in TCM Clinical Laboratory of Pharmaceutical School, Henan University of TCM, the general condi tion of the animals were as follows 96 healthy Wistar rats were divided into 8groups blank group, model group, radix bupleuri group, radix scutellariaegroup, xiao-chaihu group, radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae 21 group, radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae 11 group, radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae 12 group.

METHODS:

① According to the ratio of 21, 11, 12, radix bupleuri andradix scutellariae were taken respectively (480 g, 240 g; 360 g, 360 g; 240 g, 480 g) to produce the water decocting nedicine. Except the blank group(duplicated by saline of the same volume through consecutive gastric infusion), the other groups are duplicated through consecutive gastric infusionby 56 degrees of Er-Guotou White Spirit (7 mL/kg) two times a day for tendays until the model-making is finished. From the first day, the medicine wasgiven two times a day. The blank group and the model group were given thedistilled water of the same volume. The other groups were given the properwater decocting medicine. The dosage in xiao-chaihu group was 10 g/kg andin the other was all 12 g/kg. ② 16 hours later after the last time when thewhite spirit was given, blood was taken from stomach aorta to produceserum. Liver, spleen, chest gland, adrenal gland were quickly removed. Thecalculating formula of an organ index An organ index= The weight of an organ (g)/The weight of a body (g) ×100%. The calculating formula of vitamin C content in adrenal gland (mg/g) Content of vitamin C= [(The Avalue of the testing tube-The A value of the blank tube)/ (The A value ofthe standard tube-The A value of the blank tube)] ×density of the standardtube (6 mg/L)×dilution times of the sample before tested/protein content(g/L). ③ Comparison between the groups was shown by using variancesimilar test and single-factor variance analysis.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Index of rats' liver, spleen, chest gland, and adrenal gland (on the right side); the determination of vitamin C content in rats' right adrenal gland.

RESULTS:

During the experiment, 3 rats in the model group died. Tworats died in radix scutellariae group and radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae group respectively, In each of the other groups only one rat died. The condition of the number of the rats which were used for analyzing

results:

There were 12 in blank group; 9 in model group; 10 in radix bupleuri group, radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae 11 group respectively; 11 in each of the other groups. ① Comparison of index of rats in liver, spleen, chest gland, adrenal gland (right side) between different groups There was no significant difference between the indexes of rats' liver in different groups.The index of spleen, chest gland, adrenal gland in the model group were all greatly less than in blank group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01). The index of spleen in the radix bupleuri group wcre greatly higher than in the model group, it could make the reduced spleen index return to normal (P ＜ 0.05); The index of chest in radix scutellariae group, radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae 11 group, radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae 12 group and xiao-chaihu group were greatly higher than in model group (P ＜ 0.05); The index of adrenal gland in radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae 12 group and xiao-chaihu group were greatly higher than in model group (P ＜ 0.05). ② Comparison of vitamin C content in rats' right adrenal gland between the groups Compared with blank group, the vitamin C content of adrenal gland in the model group had no significant difference. While that of radix bupleuri group, xiao-chaihu group, radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae groups were greatly less than that of model group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01), especially radix bupleuri-radix scutellariae 11 group had the most significant influence (P ＜ 0.01).

CONCLUSION:

Interfering functional injuries of liver, spleen and suprarenal gland is one of the mechanisms of acute alcoholic liver injury.Generally speaking, bupleuri-radix scutellariae 12 group has the greatest effect on the testing index.