Abstract
Despite the promising advances in therapeutic discovery, there still is a major challenge in the development of a safe, effective, and economical intervention for managing alcohol-related liver disorders. In this study, we describe the potential use of "MAP," a standardized composition comprising three extracts from Myristica fragrans, Astragalus membranaceus, and Poria cocos, in ameliorating alcohol-induced acute liver toxicity. Ethanol-induced acute hepatotoxicity as an animal model of binge drinking was utilized. Mice received oral doses of MAP at 300 mg/kg for four consecutive days. Mice were orally gavaged with 50% ethanol in 12 mL/kg dosing volume following the third dose of MAP every 12 h thereafter for a total of three doses. Hepatic functional tests from serum collected at T12, and hepatic glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutases (SODs), and triglyceride from liver homogenates were evaluated. Histopathology analysis and alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) scoring were also determined. Excessive increases of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly inhibited at 46.3% and 43.6%, respectively, when mice were treated with MAP. MAP replenished the depleted SOD by more than 60%, while causing significant stimulation of GSH productions. MAP showed statistically significant reduction in ballooning degeneration, vascular steatosis, cytoplasmic or nuclear condensation, and shrinkage, as well as inflammations when compared to vehicle-treated alcohol-induced liver toxicity model. Mice treated with MAP showed statistically significant reduction in ASH scoring when compared to vehicle control. Therefore, the composition MAP could be potentially utilized as an effective hepatic-detoxifying agent for the protection of liver damage caused by alcohol consumptions.
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