Protective Effect of Matrine Microemulsion and Kushenin Capsule on Acute Hepatic Injury in Mice

OBJECTIVE To observe the protective effects of matrine microemulsion and kushenin capsule on acute hepatic injury by CCl₄ in mice, and compare the difference between the two groups. METHODS Kunming mice were separated into six groups randomly, including normal control group, model group, matrine microemulsion groups(high, medium and low-dose) and kushenin capsule positive control group. The mouse model of liver injury induced by CCl4. In order to prevent the liver injury, mouse were administered by transdermal delivery with the matrine microemulsion in high, medium and low dose (200, 100, 50 mg·kg^-1), and were administered by gavage with water solution of kushenin in 200 mg·kg^-1. After 14 days, the alanine transferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) in serum were determined, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver homogenate were measured. The hepatic histological changes were observed with optical microscope. RESULTS Compared with the model group, ALT were significantly lower in the groups of high and medium doses of the matrine microemulsion and the group of water solution of kushenin(P<0.05), and the AST were significantly lower in the group of high doses of the matrine microemulsion and the group of water solution of kushenin(P<0.05). In addition, pre-treatment of matrine microemulsion significantly prevented the elevation of MDA formation and the depletion of SOD contents in the liver of CCl₄-injected mice (P<0.05), And it could ameliorate the hepatic pathological changes. The ALT, AST, MDA, SOD levels and pathological changes had no significant difference between the two groups of matrine microemulsion and water solution of kushenin. CONCLUSION Matrine microemulsion transdermal delivery played an important role in prevention of acute CCl4 liver injury in mouse. The protective effects on mouse model of liver injury by carbon tetrachloride had no significant difference between the two groups of matrine microemulsion and kushenin capsule.