Rat Models of Fatty Liver due to Liver Depression and Spleen Deficiency

[Objectives] To establish animal models of fatty liver due to liver depression and spleen deficiency that were suitable for activity discovery of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) compounds,efficacy evaluation,new drug research and development and correspondence between prescription and syndrome of TCM. [Methods] A syndrome score scale that was suitable for evaluating the rat models was established according to the evolvement rules of etiology and pathogenesis of TCM and the modern clinical pathological mechanism. At the same time,bifendate pills and Sanqi Zhigan pills were selected as drug counterevidence for the models. Rats in model groups were given different proportions of high-fat and low-protein fodder and different concentrations of alcohol every day,and intraperitoneally injected with porcine serum twice a week. Drug groups were given with bifendate pills and Sanqi Zhigan pills( 8. 1 mg/kg,and 2. 7 g/kg) respectively for 14 consecutive days.During the experiment,general status,weight,daily fodder intake and daily water intake of the animals were observed,and TCM syndromes were scored. After the experiment,the levels of alanine aminotransferase( ALT),aspartate aminotransferase( AST),γ-glutamine transpeptidase( γ-GT),total cholesterol( TC),triglycerides( TG),low density lipoprotein-cholesterol( LDL-C),and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol( HDL-C) in serum were detected,and the pathological changes in liver tissue were observed. [Results] Compared with the control group,body weight,daily fodder and water intake of rats increased slowly in the model group,and the levels of ALT,AST,γ-GT,TC,TG and LDL-C increased significantly,while the level of HDL-C dropped. Pathological examination showed that steatosis and fat granule were observed in hepatocytes of rats in the model group. Behavioral observation found that main symptoms and minor symptoms of rats in the model group conformed to the syndrome manifestation of liver depression and spleen deficiency,which suggested that the three model groups were established successfully. Among them,three rats died in model group 1,and one rat died in model group 2. The manifestation of all the above lesions can be alleviated by drug counterevidence. [Conclusions]The animal model of fatty liver due to liver depression and spleen deficiency shows an obviously lower mortality and shorter duration and can be used for research of correlation between prescription and syndrome and its mechanism.