Objective To observe the protection of two traditional Chinese medicine-
Panax ginseng (PNG) and Hovenia dulcis thunb (HDT)
on
acute alcoholism mice, and explore the effectual target of the two medicines and compare their effects. Methods Mice were daily administered intragastrically with hot water extracts of PNG (8 g crude drug/kg) and HDT (5 g crude drug/kg), respectively, for three days. Thirty minutes after the last administration, the animals were administrated ethanol (7.11 g/kg) intragastrically. The tolerance time was recorded and plasma ethanol concentration was determined at 120 min after ethanol administration. Alcohol de-hydrogenase (ADH) and aniline hydroxylase (CYP2E1) activity in liver and small intestine were assayed. Results Compared with the control group, PNG significantly delayed tolerance time, decreased plasma ethanol concentration, and induced ADH activity in small intestine and inhibited CYP2E1 activity in liver and small intestine; HDT delayed tolerance time, decreased plasma ethanol concentration, and induced ADH activity in liver. Conclusion The protection of both PNG and HDT on acute alcoholism mice was observed. PNG affected the ethanol metabolism through inhibiting CYP2E1 activity and inducing ADH activity, while HDT through inducing ADH activity.