Protective Effects of Liu Wei Di Huang Wan on the Liver, Orbitofrontal Cortex Nissl Bodies, and Neurites in MSG+PH-Induced Liver Regeneration Rat Model

Introduction. To examine the protective effects of Liu Wei Di Huang Wan formula (LWDH) on liver and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) injuries in monosodium glutamate (MSG) and partial hepatectomy (PH) rat model. Methods. Neonatal Wistar rats were given MSG or saline on postnatal days 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. The rats were caged into five groups and treated accordingly at six weeks old as follows: Saline group, Saline+PH group, MSG group, MSG+PH group, and LWDH group (MSG+PH+LWDH). The PH was performed during week 8 by excision of the left and median hepatic lobes (occupying about 68% of whole liver).On day 8 after the PH, the rats were subjected to an inner OFT before being sacrificed. The liver and OFC were stained using H&E, ORO, or Nissl staining. The expression of neurotrophic factors (β-NGF, BDNF) was examined in the OFC lysates by ELISA. Serum levels of cytokines (IL-1β, VEGF) were examined using the Bio-Plex suspension array. Results. LWDH increased the total distance traveled by the animals (p