本研究对虫茶粗多糖的肝损伤预防效果进行了实验。虫茶粗多糖可以使CCl4（四氯化碳）诱导的肝损伤昆明小鼠血清中的AST（天门冬氨酸氨基转移酶）、ALT（丙氨酸氨基转移酶）、LDH（乳酸脱氢酶）、MDA（丙二醛）含量下降，升高血清中的GSH（还原型谷胱甘肽）含量。虫茶粗多糖还可以使肝损伤小鼠肝脏中的MDA和TG（甘油三酯）含量下降，GSH含量上升，且100 mg/kg浓度虫茶粗多糖的效果更显著，能够接近常用的肝治疗药物水飞蓟。对小鼠血清中细胞因子的检测也发现灌胃虫茶粗多糖小鼠的IL-6、IL-12、TNF-α和IFN-γ水平低于肝损伤对照组小鼠，接近正常组和药物水飞蓟组。通过组织病理切片观察也证明虫茶粗多糖可以减轻CCl4对肝脏组织的破坏，保护肝细胞。虫茶粗多糖灌胃小鼠肝组织中的炎症相关基因iNOS和COX-2被下调，低于对照组小鼠，并且100 mg/kg浓度虫茶粗多糖可以比50 mg/kg虫茶粗多糖更多的下调iNOS和COX-2的mRNA表达。这些实验结果证明了虫茶粗多糖具有很好的肝损伤预防效果。

In this study, the protective effects of crude polysaccharides in insect tea (CPIT) against hepatic damage were investigated. Following treatment with CPIT, the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased and the glutathione (GSH) level increased in mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic damage. CPIT also decreased the MDA and triglyceride (TG) levels and increased the GSH level in the hepatic tissues of mice with CCl4-induced hepatic damage. In addition, these effects were more pronounced following 100 mg/kg CPIT treatment and were similar to those of the common hepatic therapeutic drug, silymarin. The levels of serum cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ in CPIT-treated mice were lower than those of the control group, and the levels were similar to those of the normal and silymarin treatment groups. Histopathological results also showed that CPIT could reduce the CCl4-induced hepatic damage and protect the liver cells in mice. The inflammation-related genes, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 were down-regulated in CPIT treated mice, and were lower than that in the control group. The mRNA expressions of iNOS and COX-2 were further down-regulated by CPIT (100 mg/kg) compared to that by 50 mg/kg CPIT treatment. These experimental results have shown that CPIT had a good protective effect against hepatic damage.

重庆市教委科学技术研究项目（KJ1401402）