Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2002 Feb; 22(2): 126-8.

[Experimental study on liver protective effect of Artemisia rupestris extract]

Israpil , Abdiryim , Gulnar .

Institute of Traditional Uighur Medicine of Xinjiang, Urumqi 830001.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effect of Artemisia rupestris extract (ARE) on chemical liver injury and immunological hepatitis. METHODS: Mice model of immunological hepatitis was established by lipopolysaccharide plus Bacillus Calmette-GuÃ©rin vaccine (BCG), and the models of liver injury was induced by D-galactosamine or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in mice and rats. The effects of ARE in preventing and treating immunological hepatitis and protecting liver injury were observed. RESULTS: ARE significantly lowered the serum alanine transaminase (ALT) in immunological hepatitis (P < 0.05), CCl4 induced liver injury model mice and rats (P < 0.01), and in D-galactosamine induced liver injury mice (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: ARE has significantly protective effect against chemical liver injury and could treat immunological hepatitis, but with no effect in preventing immunological hepatitis. These might be the partial pharmacologic basis for using ARE in treating hepatitis.