Protoberberine alkaloids from Enantia chlorantha therapy of allyl-alcohol- and D-galactosamine-traumatized rats.

The short-term effect of the hepatotoxins allyl alcohol (AA) and D-galactosamine (GalN) was investigated in adult female rats. In addition, the curative effect of Hepasor, protoberberine extract from Enantia chlorantha was examined 3 days following traumatization. There was a significant increase in serum alanine transferase (ALT) and serum alkaline phosphatase (APHOS) values induced by AA traumatization, which were lowered following Hepasor treatment. GalN traumatization also significantly increased ALT values, APHOS values to a lesser extent, and produced a decrease in serum hydroxyproline (OH-PRO) values. Hepasor treatment prevented these changes. Liver biopsies of AA-traumatized rats revealed marked necrotic areas and increased numbers of binuclear cells. When AA traumatization was combined with Hepasor treatment, fewer morphological changes in the liver were observed. GalN also provoked a 3-fold increase in binuclear cells, about a 10-fold increase in the number of lymphocytes and an increase in the neutrophils in the liver. Notable changes in Kupffer cells and degenerating hepatocytes were also observed. Both GalN traumatization and Hepasor treatment on pretraumatized rats nearly abolished these changes. Hepasor treatment appears to prevent chemically induced traumatization and also to promote the healing process in the hepatic injury models selected.