Objective    To investigate the effects of Tongluo recipe (TLR)

a compound ripe of traditional Chinese drugs

on serum hepatic fibrosis markers and hepatic morphological changes of diabetic rats.      Methods    Experimental diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were divided into normal control (CN)

diabetes mellitus control (DM)

and TLR treatment group [TRL

2.0 g/(kg·d)

once a day

intragastrical gavage]

10 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of treatment

serum hepatic fibrosis markers hyaluronic acid (HA)

collagen type Ⅳ (Ⅳ-c)

laminin (LN)

procollagen type Ⅲ (PC Ⅲ)

and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver tissues were measured. The morphological changes of liver tissues were observed with light microscopy and transmission electronic microscopy.      Results    The serum HA and Ⅳ-c levels of diabetic rats were increased (P0.01) compared with CN group. Light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy displayed that there were collagen fibers hyperplasia in hepatic sinusoid and portal area

and fat-storing cells hyperplasia in Disse space. SOD activities were decreased and the MDA levels were increased in liver tissues of diabetic rats than in those of CN rats (P0.01). After 12 weeks’ TLR treatment

the serum HA and Ⅳ-c levels were decreased than those in DM group (P0.05) and morphological changes were ameliorated. TLR treatment obviously improved SOD activity and decreased the levels of MDA (P0.01).      Conclusion    Tongluo recipe decreases the levels of serum hepatic fibrosis markers and ameliorates morphological changes of hepatic fibrosis in diabetic rats

which probably through increasing activities of antioxidatant and depleting lipid peroxidation products. 