The protective effects of the combination of sodium ferulate and oxymatrine on ethanol-induced liver damage in mice

• A protective effect of drug on ethanol-induced liver damage in mice was reported.
• Liver W/D ratio and pathological changes improved after treatment with the drug.
• ALT, AST and TG levels decreased after treatment with the drug.
• SOD, CRP, IL-6 and NF-κB levels improved after treatment with the drug.
• The mechanisms might be related to anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation effects.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the combination of SF and OMT on ethanol-induced liver damage in mice. The animal liver wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio and liver tissue histopathology, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxidase dismutase (SOD), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) levels were measured. The data indicated that the levels of ALT, AST, TG, CRP, IL-6, NF-κB and MDA significantly decreased and that SOD activity improved after treatment with the combination of SF and OMT; the same effects were not observed with the same dose of SF or OMT when used alone. These results indicated that the combination of SF and OMT had a protective effect on ethanol-induced liver damage in mice and that antioxidation and anti-inflammatory effects might be involved in this protective mechanism.