Evaluation of in vivo antioxidant and immunity enhancing activities of sodium aescinate injection liquid.

Oxidative stress is involved in the development and progression of disease. Because sodium aescinate has been reported to have immunity enhancing and antioxidative effects, we investigated its activity by employing a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mouse model. Sixty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups, including a 1.4 mg/kg treated group (n = 15), a 2.8 mg/kg treated group (n = 15), an untreated hepatocellular carcinoma control group (n = 15) and a normal control group (n = 15). After H22 cells were cultured for one week, we collected 2 × 10⁶ cells and injected them subcutaneously as 0.2 mL cell suspensions in sterile saline into the right shoulder region of every mouse. The animals were monitored for changes in activity, physical condition and body weight during the experiment. The next day after injection of H22 cells, animals in these test groups received one intraperitoneal injection of drug or physiological saline for 13 days. Results showed that in the sodium aescinate injection liquid (SAIL)-treated HCC mice, serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), Gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were significantly decreased compared with normal control mice. In addition, treatment with sodium aescinate injection liquid significantly decreased blood and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, increased glutathione (GSH) levels, and antioxidant enzyme [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)] activities in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that sodium aescinate injection liquid can decrease oxidative injury and enhance immunity functions in HCC mice.