Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effects of 18-α isomer of glycyrrhizin (magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate,MI) in protecting human hepatocytes (L-02) injured by D-galactosamine (D-GalN) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄),and research MI in protecting human hepatocytes deeply.METHODS: The cultured L-02 were pre-treated MI,respectively, for protecting these cells from the injury made with CCl₄ or D-GalN. Then, the final product of nitrogen (NO_x), and the cellular mitochondrial membrane potentials were measured .All the values above were analyzed to research the protective effects of the MI.RESULTS: At the concentration of 1 mg/mL, the MI could improve the survival rate of cells, and significantly reduced NO_x releasing from the D-GaLN or CCl₄ injured cells(P＜0.05), and could increase the decreased cell mitochondrial membrane potential caused by D-GalN.CONCLUSION: At the concentration of 1 mg/mL, the MI have protective effects on the D-GalN or CCl₄ injured human hepatocytes. The mechanism of these protective effects may be related to the inhibition of NO_x release and related to the improvement of the cellular mitochondrial membrane potentia.

Key words: Galactosamine, Carbon tetrachloride, Glycyrrhizin, Hepatocyte, Drug effects