STUDIES ON PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF DA-9601, ARTEMISIA-ASIATICA EXTRACT, ON ACETAMINOPHEN-INDUCED AND CCL4-INDUCED LIVER-DAMAGE IN RATS

The hepatoprotective effect of DA-9601, a quality-controlled extract o f Artemisia asiatica, on liver damage induced by acetaminophen (APAP) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was investigated by means of serum-bio chemical, hepatic-biochemical, and histopathological examinations. Dos es of DA-9601 (10, 30, or 100 mg/kg) were administered intragastricall y to each rat on three consecutive days i.e. 48 h, 24 h and 2 h before a single administration of APAP (640 mg/kg, i.p.) or CCl4 (2 ml/kg, p .o.). Four h and 24 h after hepatotoxin treatment, the animals were sa crificed for evaluation of liver damage. Pretreatment of DA-9601 reduc ed the elevation of serum ALT, AST, LDH and histopathological changes such as centrilobular necrosis, vacuolar degeneration and inflammatory cell infiltration dose-dependently. DA-9601 also prevented APAP- and CCl4-induced hepatic glutathione (GSH) depletion and CCl4-induced incr ease of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), a parameter of lipid peroxidati on, in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that pretreatme nt with DA-9601 may reduce chemically induced liver injury by complex mechanisms which involve prevention of lipid peroxidation and preserva tion of hepatic GSH.