EFFECTS OF ASTRAGAGALUS(ASI,SK)ON EXPERIMENTAL LIVER INJURY

The saponins (ASI, SK) used in this study was extracted from the rootof Astragalus membraneceus Bge and Astragalus sieversianus Pull. ASI and SK were foundto protect liver from chemical injury induced by CCl₄, D-galatosamine andacetaminophen in mice. The two saponins were shown to impede the elevation of SGPTlevel, decrease the MDA content and increase the GSH concentration in mouse liver. Obvi-ous improvement of histological changes were also observed. The protective action of ASIand SK against the hepatotoxicity was also shown in experiments using primary culturedrat hepatocytes. The average value of GPT in the medium treated with different concentra-tion of ASI and SK(0.00075 ～0.18 mmol/L )was lower than that in control. Analyzing through multiple linear correlation, we showed that the lowering of SGPT was negativelyrelated to the increase of GSH, positively related to the decrease of MDA in mice givenCCl₄ or acetaminophen in combination with ASI or SK. These results indicate thatthe hepato- protective effects of ASI and SK may be due to their antioxidation activities,since the content of liver protein in mice given ASI or SK was more than that in the con-trols. Morever, the level of hepatic microsomal cytochrome P- 450 in all mice given thetwo saponins were significantly increased, the liver metabolism and immunoregulating ac-tion produced by ASI and SK may be also involved in their hepato- protective effects.