关键词: 蒺藜, 大鼠, 体质量, 血液指标, 组织病理学

Abstract: Objective　To explore the effects of repeated administration of Tribulus terrestris aqueous extract on rat body weight, blood indicators and histopathology.Methods　A total of 120 SD rats (half male and half female) were randomly divided into four groups: a control group and low-, medium-, and high-dose groups treated with Tribulus terrestris aqueous extract. The control group was orally fed with animal drinking water, while the low, medium and high dose groups were orally fed with 8.50, 17.0 and 34.0 g/(kg·bw) raw drug of Tribulus terrestris aqueous extract respectively per day for 30 consecutive days. The general conditions, rat body weight, blood indicators and liver histopathological changes of rats during the administration period and recovery period were observed.Results　During the administration period, no obvious adverse reactions occurred in each group of rats, and the body weight increased normally. Compared with the control group, after 30 days of administration, the red blood cells (RBC) in the medium and high-dose groups of male mice increased (P<0.05,P<0.01), and the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) decreased (P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the control group, during the recovery period, the ALTs in the low, medium and high dose groups of female rats decreased (P<0.05, P<0.05, P<0.01); the GGTs in the medium dose group decreased (P<0.05).Histopathological examination of the liver tissue after 30 days of administration showed focal inflammatory cell infiltration in the low and medium dose groups, as well as focal inflammatory cell infiltration and a large number of fat cells in the high dose group, with fatty degeneration of hepatocytes. During the recovery period, the degree of lesion in the low and medium dose groups was significantly reduced compared to the administration period, with no fatty degeneration observed. However, in the high dose group, focal inflammatory cell infiltration and a large number of fat cells were seen in the liver.Conclusion　Long term high-dose administration of Tribulus terrestris aqueous extract can lead to pathological changes in rat liver, and its hepatotoxicity is dose- and time-dependent. The maximum non-toxic dose is 17.0 g/(kg· bw) (100 times of the clinical dosage). When using Tribulus terrestris aqueous extract clinically, it is necessary to strictly control the dose and course of treatment, and closely monitor liver function-related indicators.

Key words: tribulus terrestris, rat, body weight, blood index, histopathology