Browse > Article

Protective Effect of the Herbal Combination HCE-2 on Alcohol Metabolism and Alcohol-induced Liver Injury in Ethanol-loaded Rats  

Han, Dong-Oh (Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University)
Park, Soo-Jin (The Graduate School of East-West Medical School, Kyung Hee University)
Sur, Bong-Jun (Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University)
Lee, Hye-Jung (Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University)
Kim, Sung-Hoon (Department of Pathology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University)
Hahm, Dae-Hyun (Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University)
Publication Information
Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine / v.21, no.5, 2007 , pp. 1081-1086 More about this Journal
Abstract
This study was performed to investigate the medicinal effects of the herbal combination extracts-2 (HCE-2), consisting of Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Lonicera japonica Thunb., Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina, and Hovenia dulcis Thunb. on the alcohol-induced liver injury in rats. The rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal group (n =6), non-treated control group (n =6), saline-treated group (n =6) and the herbal combination extract (HCE-2)-treated group (n =6). The rats in the alcohol-loaded groups were orally administered with ethanol at a daily dose of 4 g/kg-body weight for 5 weeks. Thirty minutes before the ethanol injection, saline or herbal combination extracts was administered by using a gastrogavage. Blood and liver tissue samples were taken out from the hearts and livers of the rats, respectively, on 15th and 38th days. The activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We also investigated the protective effect of the herbal combination extracts by Hematoxylin-Eosin staining on histological sections of rat liver. In this study, the oral administration of the herbal combination extracts significantly reduced the serum levels of AST and ALT, which had been raised by alcohol-induced liver injury. Histological analysis and apparent observation of liver also showed the preventive effect of the herbal combination extracts in a chronic alcohol-induced rat model. Theses results revealed that the herbal combination extracts effectively prevented hepatic damage consequent to the chronic exposure to repetitive administration of ethanol and could be used as a primary resource of a health beverage or herbal medicine, alleviating the alcohol-induced hepatic injury and hangover symptoms.
Keywords
herbal combination; alcohol; liver; aspartate aminotransferase (AST); alanine aminotransferase (ALT); rat;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Marjanen, L. Intracellular localization of aldehyde dehydrogenase in rat liver. Biochem. J. 127: 663-639, 1972
2 Lieber, C.S., DeCarli, L.M. Hepatic microsomal ethanol oxidizing system: In vitro characteristics and adaptive properties in vivo. J. Biol. Chem. 245: 2505-2512, 1970
3 Kim, K.W., Yang, J.S., Lee, J.S., Cho, Y.S., Kang, S.K., Chung, H.K. Activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and ethanol, acetaldehyde levels in normal adults blood. Korean Indus. Hyg. Assoc. J. 4: 240-247, 1994
4 Abdellah, M., Demelliers, C., Amsellem, S., Pessayre, D., Fromenty, B. Acute ethanol administration oxidatively damages and depletes mitochondrial DNA in mouse liver, brain, heart, and skeletal muscles: protective effects of antioxidants. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 298: 737-743, 2001
5 Mosmann, T. Rapid colorimetric assay for cellular growth and survival: Application to proliferation and cytotoxicity assays. J. Immunol. Method. 65: 55-63, 1983   DOI
6 Lieber, C.S. Alcohol and the liver: Metabolism of ethanol, metabolic effects and pathogenesis of injury. Acta. Med. Scand. (Suppl). 703: 11-55, 1985
7 French, S.W. Biochemical basis for alcohol-induced liver injury. Clin. Biochem. 22: 41-49. 1989   DOI   ScienceOn
8 Lieber. C.S. Hepatic, metabolic and toxic effects of ethanol.Clin. Exp. Res. 15: 573-592. 1991   DOI   ScienceOn
9 Kim, H.S., Kim, Y.G., Son, H.J. Effect of Pueraria lobataextract water on the ethanol metabolism enzyme activities in ethanol administered rats. J. Agri. Tech. & Dev. Inst. 3: 219-225, 1999
10 Murray, R.K., Granner, D.K., Mayes, P.A., Rodwell, V.W. Lipids. In: Harper's Biochemistry. Connecticut: Appleton & Lange. 260, 1993
11 Zimmerman, H.J. Chemical hepatic injury and its detection: In toxicology of the liver. New York, Raven press. pp 1-10, 1981
12 Lieber, C.S. Ethanol metabolism, cirrhosis and alcoholism. Clin. Chem. Acta. 257(1):59-84, 1997   DOI   ScienceOn
13 Wheeler, M.D., Nakagami, M., Bradford, B.U., Uesugi, T., Mason, R.P., Connor, H.D., Dikalova, A., Kadiiska, M., Thurman, R.G. Overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase prevents alcohol-induced liver injury in the rat. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 36664-36672, 2001   DOI   ScienceOn
14 Jin-Taek Kim, Dong-Hoan Kim, Sang-Hyun Ahn. The effect of chronic alcohol administration to alteration of liver, kidney and stomach in mouse. The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine 3: 163-169, 1994
15 김창민,,신민규, 안덕균, 이경순 外. 完譯中藥大辭典, (주)鼎談, 2: 582-587, 7: 3500-3506, 8: 3938-3939, 1999
16 Nordmann, R., Ribiere, C., Rouach, H. Implication of free radical mechanisms in ethanol-induced cellular injury. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 12: 219-240, 1992   DOI   ScienceOn
17 본초학. 전국한의과대학 본초교수 공 편저. 도서출판 영림사, pp 169-170, 1991
18 Burk, R.F., Hill, K.E., Awad, J.A., Morrow, J.D., Kato, T., Cockell, K.A., Lyons, P.R. Pathogenesis of diquat-induced liver necrosis in selenium-deficient rats. Assessment of the roles of lipid peroxidation by measurement of F2isoprotanes. Hepatology. 21: 561-569, 1995
19 Gill, K., Amit, Z., Smith, B.R. The regulation of alcohol consumption in rats: the role of alcohol, metabolizing enzymes, catalase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. Alcohol. 13(4): 347-355, 1996   DOI   ScienceOn