Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Yinchen Siling granule, a herbal medicine, on the improvement of liver injuries in rats with alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced cholestatic hepatitis. Method Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into control, model and herbal medicine-intervened group. The interleukin (IL)-17, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and farneside x receptor (FXR) mRNA in liver tissues were assayed. Results Serum ALP and GGT levels in herb-intervened group were (254.3±16.4)U/L and (14.3±5.8)U/L, significantly lower than 【(625.8±36.5)U/ and (26.7±7.9)U/L, respectively, P＜0.05】 in the model; serum IL-17, IFN-γ and malondialdehyde levels were (162.2±16.4)pg/ml, (28.9±6.2)pg/ml and (19.2±3.8)U/ml, significantly lower than [(223.4±18.8)pg/ml,(39.3±9.8)pg/ml and (28.6±2.4)U/ml, respectively, P＜0.05], while serum SOD level was (324.1±33.5)U/ml, much higher than [(250.8±25.4)U/ml,P＜0.05]in the model; the IL-17 and IFN-γ mRNA levels in liver tissues in herb-intervened group were (2.1±0.3) and (17.3±3.5), significantly lower than [(3.4±0.5) and (34.5±7.2), P＜0.05],whileSOD and FXR mRNA levels were (0.8±0.4) and (2.2±0.5), much higher than [(0.3±0.2) and(1.5±1.1), P＜0.05]in the model. Conclusion Yinchen Siling granule could significantly improve liver injuries in rats with cholestatic hepatitis, and the mechanism might be related to its alleviating inflammatory reaction and improve antioxidant capacities by regulating IL-17, IFN-γ and other factor expression.

Key words: Cholestatic hepatitis, Alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate, Herbal medicine, Interleukin-17, Farneside x receptor, Rats