Improvement of carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury by oral administration of soft-shelled turtle powder in the rat

Abstract

The effects of orally administered soft-shelled turtle powder on experimental liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride were studied. Activities of transaminases and lactate dehydrogenase, content of albumin in serum, total protein, triglyceride and hydroxyproline in liver and histopathological assessment were used as indices of liver injury. Daily oral administration of 100 and 500 mg/kg soft-shelled turtle powder for 6 weeks did not prevent the acute injury induced by a subsequent single injection of carbon tetrachloride. However, administration of soft-shelled turtle powder for 6 weeks during chronic treatment with carbon tetrachloride significantly and dose-dependently ameliorated the liver injury. The increases in glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase in serum were attenuated, and there was a noticeable improvement of serum album and liver total protein content in rats treated with the powder. In addition, histopathological observation demonstrated a decrease in fatty degeneration in the liver of rats treated with the powder. None of the indices of liver injury was significantly affected by 6-week oral administration of soft-shelled turtle powder in non-carbon tetrachloride-treated rats. The results suggest that repeated administrations of soft-shelled turtle powder have a therapeutic effect on chronic liver injury, by improving liver function and protein synthesis.