OBJECTIVETo compare the anti-oxidative stress effects of 5 classical traditional Chinese herbal recipes in rats with dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced cirrhosis.

METHODSDMN was injected intraperitoneally three consecutive days a week to male Wistar rats for 4 weeks to develop cirrhosis model, and the model cirrhotic rats were randomly grouped and administered with 5 traditional Chinese classic recipes, i. e. Yiguanjian; Huangqi Decoction; Yinchenhao Decoction; Xiayuxue Decoction and Xiaochaihu Decoction, by gastrogavage, respectively, for 2 weeks. Changes in activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in liver tissue, and serum parameters of liver function were determined.

RESULTSGST activity and MDA content increased significantly in model rats, peaked at week 2 (liver fibrosis formation period) and week 4 (cirrhosis formation period), respectively, while activity of T-SOD and GSH-Px decreased markedly. As compared with the model control group at week 6, the degree of cirrhosis was evidently milder with lower level of MDA and GST and higher T-SOD activity in rats treated by Huangqi Decoction and Yinchenhao Decoction.

CONCLUSIONAnti-oxidative stress action should be one important mechanism for Yinchenhao Decoction and Huangqi Decoction in reversing liver cirrhosis of rats. The action of Yinchenhao Decoction focuses on eliminating hepatic lipid peroxide and that of Huangqi Decoction emphasizes for enhancing anti-oxidation ability of the organism.