An experimental investigation of therapeutic effect of Oxalis comiculata L. extracts on rats with alcoholic liver disease / 中国中西医结合急救杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the therapeutic action and molecular mechanisms of Oxalis comiculata L. extracts on rats with alcoholic liver disease. Methods Forty-two male Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into normal control group(n=10),model group(n=8),moderate dose oxalis group(n=8),high dose oxalis group(n=8)and prednisone group(n=8). The model of rat with alcoholic liver disease was established by liquor gavage;after 12 weeks,moderate dose oxalis group,high dose oxalis group and prednisone group were given the total extract of oxalis 3.5 g?kg-1?d-1,7 g?kg-1?d-1 or prednisolone acetate 0.9 mg?kg-1?d-1,respectively,the remaining two groups were given the same amount of normal saline by gavage daily for 6 weeks. Levels of indexes of liver function,superoxide dismutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA),antidiuretic hormone(ADH)and aldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH)in rats were detected. The pathological changes of liver tissues in rats were observed under light microscope;tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) expression level was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Results Compared with the normal control group, the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT),alkaline phosphatase(AKP),γ-glutamyl transferase(GGT),MDA were increased significantly,while the levels of SOD,ADH and ALDH were obviously reduced in model group. Compared with the model group,AST,ALT,AKP,GGT and MDA contents were decreased significantly,while the levels of SOD, ADH and ALDH were markedly increased in the drug groups,and the changes of levels of AST,ALT,AKP,GGT, SOD,ADH in high dose oxalis group were the most obvious〔AST(U/L)117.38±22.75 vs. 201.62±17.95,ALT (U/L)33.51±11.64 vs. 59.14±9.52,AKP(U/L)95.19±24.85 vs. 169.39±37.21,GGT(U/L)46.54±14.55 vs. 89.37±12.49,SOD(U/mg)137.03±12.03 vs. 80.64±13.45,ADH(U/L)3.48±0.71 vs. 2.05±0.91,P<0.05 or P<0.01〕,and the most significant changes of MDA and ALDH were in oxalis moderate dose group〔MDA (mmol/mg)2.05±0.64 vs. 3.17±0.61,ALDH(U/L)7.59±1.95 vs. 5.71±1.33,both P<0.05〕. In normal control group,no obvious lesion was seen in the rat liver tissues. In the model group,fatty degeneration of liver cells with formation of bullae was found,while in the moderate and high dose oxalis groups,cells with macrovesicular steatosis were significantly decreased. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of TNF-α in the cytoplasm and part of cell membrane of macrophage was significantly decreased in liver tissues in oxalis moderate and high dose groups. Conclusion These results show that the Oxalis comiculata L. extracts possess certain therapeutic effect on alcoholic liver disease.