US EPA

8287299 

Journal Article 

Protective effects of Houttuynia cordata thunb on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats 

Kim, OK 

2002 

33 

4 

324-331 

Korean 

This study was performed to investigate the protective effect of Houttuynia cordata Thunb on hepatotoxicity in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxicated rats. The examined effects hexane, chloroform, butanol and water fractions prepared from the Houttuynia cordata Thunb methanol extract and rats were administrated with those orally once a day for successive 6 days, followed by treatment with CCl4 on the sixth day. After 6 days, the activities of aminotransferase, alkalinephosphatase, γglutamyl transpeptidase, lactate dehydrogenase and contents of triglyceride, hepatic lipid peroxide in butanol fraction pretreated rats were significantly decreased compared to the only CCl4 treated rats, also depletion glutathione content induced by treatment with CCl4 was prevented by butanol fraction pretreated rats. In addition, activities of hepatic superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase in butanol fraction pretreated rats were significantly decreased compared to the only CCl4 treated rats, but the activity of hepatic glutathione-S-transferase was not significantly effect. These results suggest that butanol fraction of Houttuynia cordata Thunb methanol extract have potent hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rats. 

Carbon tetrachloride; Hepatoprotective effect; Houttuynia cordata Thunb