Protective Effects And Mechanisms Of Corydalis Saxicola Bunting Total Alkaloids On Experimental Liver Injury

OBJECTIVE: To investigate protective effects of Corydalis saxicola Bunting Total Alkaloids(CSBTA) on liver ,and to explore its possible mechanisms of protecting liver and anti-hepatic fibrosis.METHODS: Animal model of acute liver injury induced by cabron tetrachloride was used to observe the protective effect of CSBTA on liver,model of chronic hepatic fibrosis established by subcutaneous injection of cabron tetrachloride was used to observe anti-fibrosis effect of CSBTA and to search its possible mechanisms.Colorimetry was used to measure the contents of ALT , AST , TP , ALB , MDA , SOD and Hyp.Radioimmunoassay( RIA ) was used to determine the contents of serum HA and LN.Light microscopic examination was used to watch morphological changes of hepatic tissue of acute liver injury and chronic hepatic fibrosis.The content of hepatic tissue TGF-β1 and MMP-9 were detected by immunohistochemical technique.RESULTS:CSBTA could obviously decrease ALT and AST of animal model of acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride and rat model of chronic hepatic fibrosis induced by subcutaneous injection of cabron tetrachloride(P<0.01, P<0.05),significantly decrease MDA level of liver tissue(P<0.01, P<0.05),increase activity of SOD of liver tissue (P<0.01, P<0.05),markedly increase levels of serum TP and ALB of hepatic fibrotic rats(P<0.01, P<0.05) and decrease Hyp level of liver tissue of hepatic fibrotic rats(P<0.01, P<0.05).The levels of HA and LN were also obviously decreased(P<0.01, P<0.05) in the rat model of chronic hepatic fibrosis.CSBTA could down-regulate the expression of TGF-β1 and MMP-9 of rat hepatic tissue(P<0.01, P<0.05).Under light microscopy,the CSBTA therapy groups could both significantly decrease the infiltration of inflammatory cells,hepatic cell degeneration,and necrosis in acute liver injury model,but also inhibit the generation of hepatic pseudolobuli and the sedimentation of collagenous fibers as compared with model group(P<0.01, P<0.05).CONCLUSION:CSBTA has obviously protective effects on acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride,and can block the formation of rat hepatic fibrosis produced by carbon tetrachloride. Its possible mechanisms may be related to the effect of anti-oxidation,inhibiton of collagen protein synthesis and promotion of extracellular matrix(ECM) degradation.