Objective: To study the inhibitory effect of dihydromyricetin from Ampelopsis grossedentata (Hand-Mazz) W.T. Wang (Vine tea dihydromyricetin

VTD) on hepatocyte apoptosis induced by the cessation of phenobarbital sodium (SP) injection treatment in mice

and to explore its mechanism of hepatoprotective effect. Method: The mouse model with hepatocellular apoptosis induced by removing SP was established.The mice were randomly divided into blanks

negative controls

positive controls and test groups.Test groups of mice were given intragastric gavage of 200

50 mg ·kg-1 VTD.Hepatic apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry

terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end(TUNEL)

and pathological changes in the liver tissue were observed after HE staining. Result: The histopathological analysis of the liver showed normal liver morphology in blanks and negative controls

and varying degrees of liver cell apoptosis in positive controls and low- and high-dose VTD groups.The outcome from flow cytometry and TUNEL showed hepatocelluar apoptosis rate in low dose of VTD group were 17.7%

2.9% respectively.All of these values were lower than those in positive controls (P<0.01). Conclusion: The mouse hepatocellular apoptosis induced by removing SP can be markedly inhibited by treating with VTD in 50 mg ·kg-1

and it might be one of the hepatoprotective mechanisms for VTD to inhibit the hepatocelluar apoptosis.