Effect of picroliv on regeneration of liver after partial hepatectomy in rats

After partial hepatectomy in rats certain biochemical parameters in liver registered a maximal increase at varying periods of time, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) (6 h), lipid peroxides (12 h); DNA, RNA (24 h) and acid ribonuclease, acid phosphatase (48 h). In contrast, other parameters registered a maximal decrease after 6 h (glycogen) or 24 h (total proteins, cytochrome P₄₅₀ and cytochrome b₅). Subsequently, all these parameters started recovering towards their normal values which were attained in all parameters measured except RNA, glycogen, cytochrome h₅ and acid ribonuclease. When partial hepatectomy was performed in rats fed 12 mg/kg body wt picroliv (an iridoid glycoside fraction of Picrorhiza kurroa) once daily for 7 days before killing, there was no significant difference in the time or degree of maximal changes but the rate of recovery in most of the biochemical parameters was faster. These results indicate that picroliv stimulated regeneration of liver.