Abstract
Food allergic diseases are gradually increasing in the world causing damage to many human organs, such as the liver. Therefore, we attempted to use Hochu-ekki-to to treat liver damage based on a model with a food allergy. First, Nc/Jic strain mice with high levels of serum IgE were sensitized with OVA, and the sensitized mice were treated with Hochu-ekki-to and physiologic saline, respectively. Second, the mice's serum and liver samples were collected, and the levels of serum ALT were calculated with spectrometry. The liver samples were subjected to analysis of cytokine expression staining using an immunohistochemical (streptavidin-biotin) method. The experimental results showed that Hochu-ekki-to could decrease the ALT level, compared to using saline to treat the mice. The numbers of cell expressions of IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α in the livers treated with Hochu-ekki-to were also significantly lower than those after saline treatment. Consequently, we can conclude that Hochu-ekki-to can effectively decrease production of allergic mediums in the liver and prevent the liver from damage caused by a food allergy.
