carcinoma (HCC). However, the hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) is difficult to avoid after hepatectomy, which severely influence the efficacy and outcomes of the patients. Given the oxidative stress and inflammation playing critical roles in the mechanism for HIRI, this study was designated to examine the effects of using the anti-inflammatory liver protective drug magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate combined with the antioxidant reduced glutathione on HCC patients undergoing liver resection.  
Methods: Ninety HCC patients scheduled to undergo liver resection from March 2016 to March 2019 were enrolled and randomly allocated to control group and observation group, with 45 cases in each group. Patients in control group were given reduced glutathione by intravenous infusion after operation, and those in observation group received intravenous infusion of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate plus reduced glutathione after operation. Both regimens were administered once per day for 7 d. with 45 cases in each group. The main clinical variables, the levels of indexes for oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines on postoperative day (POD) 3 and 7, as well as the incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the two groups of patients. 
Results: There were no significant differences in preoperative data, surgery type and liver resection scope as well as the levels of indexes for oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines between the two groups of patients before operation (all P>0.05). The operations were successfully completed in in all patients, and there were no significant differences in time of hepatic portal occlusion, operative time and intraoperative blood loss between the two groups (all P>0.05). In observation group versus control group, the liver function parameters on POD 3 and 7 were all superior to those in control group (all P<0.05); the levels of superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione peroxidase were significantly increased, while the level of malondialdehyde was significantly decreased (all P<0.05); the levels of C-reaction protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly reduced (all P<0.05). No rash, pruritus or allergy occurred in both groups. The incidence of liver failure within postoperative one month in observation group was significantly lower than that in control group (4.4% vs. 11.1%, P<0.05). 
Conclusion: Magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate combined with reduced glutathione can protect the liver function of HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy, which is superior to that using antioxidant alone. This effect may be achieved by the double action of anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammation, which can effectively suppress the HIRI.