Acta Anat (Basel). 1988 ; 132(2): 159-63.

Regeneration of D-galactosamine-traumatized rat liver with natural protoberberine alkaloids from Enantia chlorantha.

Virtanen P, Lassila V, Njimi T, Ekotto Mengata D.

Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland.

Experimental liver injury was provoked in test rats with intraperitoneal injections of D-galactosamine. Traumatized rats received further intraperitoneal injections of Hepasor, a protoberberine alkaloid mixture from Enantia chlorantha (Annonaceae). Biochemical assays from blood plasma, serum alanine transferase, serum alkaline phosphatase, serum creatinine, serum hydroxyproline and serum calcium were done and liver and kidney samples for histological processing were taken. The biochemical results obtained indicate a marked influence by Hepasor on the serum alanine transferase activities and serum hydroxyproline values in female rats, but more accidental ones in male rats. A reduction in serum alkaline phosphatase activity and the serum creatinine values was also found, being also dependent on sex. The histological findings in the liver sections of female rats show that 1 week Hepasor therapy greatly furthers the healing process in a D-galactosamine-pretraumatized liver, eliminating megalocytosis, contraction of chromatines and other disorders in the cell architecture. The inhibitory effect of Hepasor on proceeded traumatization caused by D-galactosamine was nearly complete.