The protective effect of iridoid glucosides from Boschniakia rossica (BRI) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver injury was examined. CCl₄ at a dose of 0.5 ml/kg of body weight was given intraperitoneally to rats to induce liver damage. The rats were sacrificed 16 h after the CCl₄ injection. The CCl₄ challenge caused a marked increase in the levels of serum animotransferases, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and of hepatic inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein, depleted reduced glutathione (GSH), and propagated lipid peroxidation. The liver antioxidative defense system, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR), as well as the cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression were suppressed, however. Preadministration of BRI reversed the significant changes of all liver function parameters induced by CCl₄ and restored the liver CYP2E1 content and function. These results demonstrate that BRI produced a protective action on CCl₄-induced acute hepatic injury via reduced oxidative stress, suppressed inflammatory response and improved CYP2E1 function in the liver.

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