Abstract:

Objective: To explore the protective effect of Cordyceps militaris stroma polysaccharides (CMSP) on alcoholinduced
acute liver injury in mice. Methods: Mice were randomly divided into blank control, alcohol-induced liver injury
model, positive control and CMSP treatment groups (at doses of 150, 300 and 600 mg/(kg·d)) groups. After 30 consecutive
days of intragastric administration, all mice except for blank control group were given by gavage 50% alcohol at a dose of
12 mL/kg to induce acute liver injury. At 12 h after alcohol administration, all the mice in each group were killed by cervical
dislocation and their bloods were collected for the measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), alanine transaminase (ALT)
and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities and triglyceride (TG) content in the serum. Moreover, the liver, spleen and
thymus were collected to calculate the coefficients. The activities of SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) as well as
the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) in liver homogenate were measured, and pathological changes
in liver tissue were observed. Results: The liver, spleen and thymus coefficients, serum SOD, ALT and AST activities and
TG content, and the contents of MDA and GSH in the liver of mice from the CMSP groups were significantly different from
those of the liver injury control group (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01). Conclusion: CMSP has a significant hepatoprotective effect
on alcohol-induced acute liver injury in mice.

Key words: Cordyceps militaris stroma polysaccharides, alcohol, acute liver injury, protection