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[Studies on protective effect of total flavonoids of Astragalus on liver damage induced by paracetamol]
1Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
Objective:
To study the protective effect of total flavonoids of Astragalus (TFA) on the liver against large doses of paracetamol in mice.
Method:
After oral administration of TFA or Vitamin C 1 h prior to giving large dose of paracetamol in mice, the changes of paracetamol-induced mortality rate, serum enzyme level and liver damage degree were observed.
Result:
Paracetamol produced 80% mortality, within 24 hours of the administration of a dose of 1000 mg.kg-1 to the mice. Pre-treatment of the animals with TFA (100 mg.kg-1) or Vitamin C (1,000 mg.kg-1) reduced the death rate to 20% and 0% respectively. There was also a significant rise in the serum enzyme level of alanine transaminase (P < 0.001) and the area of liver necrosis (P < 0.001), 24 h after paracetamol (400 mg.kg-1) treatment. With pre-treatment with either TFA or Vitamin C, there was an obvious dose-dependent decrease in ALT levels and the area of hepatocellular necrosis.
Conclusion:
TFA has potential protecting effect against the paracetamol-induced hepatic damage.
