Protective Effect ofAucuba JaponicaAgainst Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Damage in Rats

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Abstract
Pretreatment of rats with ethanol extract from leaves of Aucuba japonica (600 mg/kg/day, po) for two days protected against CCl4-induced depression in plasma disappearance and biliary excretion of injected sulfobromophthalein (BSP) determined 24 hr after the CCI4 challenge (0.5 ml/kg, ip). Percent recovery of BSP in bile in 60 min for control, CCI4, extract + CCI4 treated rats was 66.8 ± 1.9, 56.2 ± 1.4, and 68.9 ± 2.2, respectively. Pretreatment of the extract also protected CCl4-induced increased serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity and liver necrosis as demonstrated by histological evaluations. However, pretreatment of the extract did not modify the intensity of CCl4-induced lipid peroxidation process or cytochrome P-450 destruction. The results suggest that ethanol extract of Aucuba japonica protects CCI4 hepatotoxicity at a site in the chain events leading to necrosis but not the activation step of CCI4 to-CC13 and CI free radicals.