山藥抑制餵食高膽固醇老鼠所引起之肝臟腫大和高膽固醇症

Yam (Dioscorea Alata) Inhibits Hypertriglyceridemia and Liver Enlargement in Rats with Hypercholesterol Diet

研究台灣產山藥對於食用高膽固醇的老鼠之影響，以24隻雄性Wistar老鼠分別餵食高劑量膽固醇 （10%） 和山藥 （40%） 實驗發現，餵食高劑量膽固醇和山藥對老鼠的成長和體重有刺激增加的作用。餵食過量的膽固醇會造成有肝臟腫大的現象 （P<0.05），但餵食山藥之後會減少肝臟腫大的症狀產生。以高劑量的膽固醇和山藥餵食老鼠可以減少餵食老鼠體內三酸甘油酯和膽固醇的含量。在第一週和第二週餵食高劑量的膽固醇和山藥對於老鼠的肝功能指標aspartatetransaminase （ AST ） 和alanine transaminase （ALT） 會有上升的影響，但在第四週之後與對照組比較，則無差異性，由實驗結果顯示餵食山藥可減少老鼠服用高膽固醇所引起的肝臟腫大和高膽固醇症的現象產生。Attempts were made to elucidate the effect of yam (Dioscorea alata) on the hypercholesterol diet. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were used and treated with corn oil, high dose of cholesterol (10%) and yam (40%). It was found that excess cholesterol and yam resulted in a stimulatory effect on the growth of rats. The enlargement of liver increased after 2 weeks with treatment of excess cholesterol (p<0.05). Such symptom was prevented in the group supplemented with yam. The level of triglyceride and cholesterol in the plasma of rats was significantly reduced by yam, even when rats were treated with excess cholesterol at the same time. The activity of plasma aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were significantly increased as soon as rats were treated with excess cholesterol and yam in the 1-2 weeks. However, such activity was not observed when the rats were only treated with excess cholesterol for 4-8 weeks. These data demonstrated that yam might inhibit the acute induction of hypertriglyceridemia and liver enlargement in hypercholesterol diet rats.