OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Qinggan Huoxue recipe (QGHXR) in treating alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

METHODSBy adopting the multi-centered, randomized and controlled method, the patients were divided in to the QGHXR group (60 patients) treated orally by QGHXR, the XCHG group (30 patients) treated orally by Xiaochaihu granule and the control group (30 patients) treated orally by conventional therapy such as glucurolactone, vitamin C. The changes in symptoms, signs, liver function, blood lipid, liver fibrosis markers, cytokines, lipid superoxidation parameters and B-untrasonographic figure after treatment of the two groups were observed.

RESULTSThe total therapeutic efficacy of QGHXR, improvements in anorexia, nausea, vomiting and jaundice as well as effect in reducing blood levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and triglyceride (TG) were superior in the QGHXR group to those in the other two groups (P < 0.01), and the effect in decreasing gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) in the QGHXR group was more significant than that in the control group (P < 0.01). QGHXR also showed effects in lowering levels of liver fibrosis markers and cytokines, alleviating the anti-lipid superoxidation damage in liver, and could markedly improve the degree of fatty liver.

CONCLUSIONQGHXR shows obvious therapeutic effect in treating ALD, the mechanism could possibly be related with its effects in antagonizing lipid superoxidation, stabilizing hepatic cell membrane, adjusting the lipid metabolic disturbance of liver, regulating immune function, anti-liver fibrosis and promoting the intrahepatic metabolism of alcohol.