The protective effects and mechanisms of modified Lvdou Gancao decoction on acute alcohol intoxication in mice

Acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) is a ubiquitous emergency worldwide, whereas the searching for both effective and safe drugs is still a task to be completed. Modified Lvdou Gancao decoction (MLG), a traditional Chinese medicine decoction, has been confirmed to be valid to alcohol-induced symptoms and hepatotoxicity clinically, whereas its protective mechanisms have not been determined. AAI mice model was established by alcohol gavage (13.25 mL/kg) and MLG (5, 10, 20 g/kg BW) was administered to mice 2 h before and 30 min after the alcohol exposure. Assay kits for alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glutamine transferase (GGT), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), as well as histopathology were used to explore the effects of MLG on acute alcohol-induced intoxication and hepatotoxicity. Mechanisms of MLG on oxidative stress and inflammatory were evaluated with RT-qPCR and Western Blot. MLG remarkably decreased the drunkenness rate, prolonged the tolerance time and shortened the sober-up time of AAI mice. After acute alcohol exposure, MLG treatment induced significant increment of ADH, ALDH, T-SOD and GSH-Px activities in liver, while serum ALT, AST, GGT and NO levels as well as hepatic MDA activity were reduced, in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast to the model group, the mRNA expression of TNFα, IL-1β and NF-κB in the MLG treated groups had a downward trend while the Nrf-2 showed an upward trend simultaneously. Furthermore, the protein levels of p65, p-p65, p-IκBα in the MLG treated groups were considerably diminished, with HO-1 and Nrf2 elevated. To sum up, our results suggested that MLG could efficaciously ameliorate AAI via accelerating the metabolism of alcohol, alleviating acute hepatotoxicity, and weakening the oxidative stress coupled with inflammation response, which might be attributed to the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway and the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Taken together, our present study verified the protective effect and mechanisms of MLG to AAI mice, and we further conclude that MLG may be a potent and reliable candidate for the prevention and treatment of AAI.