[Experimental study on yiqi-huoxue therapy of liver fibrosis]

The experimental hepatic fibrosis was treated with YiQi (reinforcing Qi, YQ) Huoxue (activating blood circulation, HX) principle which was consisted of astragalus membranaceus, Ligusticum wallichii, paeonia lactiflora, etc. After stimulation with CCl4 over four months, the Wistar rat developed liver fibrosis. Rats were divided into the normal control, the toxifying control, YQHX group and HX group. The experimental period lasted over four months.

(1) Mortality of animal: Both toxifying control and HX group reached 50%, while YQHX group was 16% only. These results suggest that YQHX agents could strengthen the body resistance; (2) The determination of serum SGPT: The mean levels in toxifying control were 39.3 +/- 39, in HX group 43.7 +/- 12.9, while in YQHX group 29.0 +/- 7.6 (units/Lserum). These results indicated that YQHX agents had the function of protecting the liver and lowering the activity of SGPT (P less than 0.01); (3) Measuring the contents of hepatic collages: The mean levels in toxifying control was 38.9 +/- 3.3 (mg/g liver), while in HX group and YQHX group 28.7 +/- 2.2 and 22.7 +/- 1.1 (mg/g liver) respectively. The results indicated that the YQHX agents had the best results in treating hepatic fibrosis; (4) Observation with hepatic histopathology: The degree of hepatocyte degeneration and necrosis in YQHX group was milder than that in toxifying and HX group. These observations revealed that YQHX agents possessed the function of protecting liver. There was severe liver fibrosis in toxifying control, but the degree of liver fibrosis in YQHX group was significantly milder than that in toxifying control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)