Protective effects of various Chinese traditional medicines against experimental cholestasis

In a previous paper, we reported that methanol extracts obtained from 13 Chinese traditional medicines showed remarkable choleretic effects in normal rats. This paper examines the protective effects against experimental cholestasis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) in rats. No medicines, including sodium dehydrocholate and 1-phenylpropanol which are used clinically as choleretic drugs, inhibited the decrease of bile flow induced by CCl4. On the other hand, Intinko-to, Saiko-seikan-to and Bohu-tusyo-san revealed marked improvement of the dysfunction in bile secretion induced by ANIT. These three medicines inhibited the decrease of excretion of bile acid or bilirubin in the bile. They also exerted a protective effect against the alterations of serum components induced by ANIT, i.e., of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and the concentration of serum bilirubin. These results indicate that methanol extracts of Intinko-to, Saiko-seikan-to and Bohu-tusyo-san demonstrate not only choleretic effects but also improvement of cholestasis and liver parenchymal injury in rats.