title: Physiological responses to a natural antioxidant flavonoid mixture, silymarin, in BALB/c mice: I induction of transforming growth factor beta1 and c-myc in liver with marginal effects on other genes.
abstract: Silymarin, a mixture of flavonolignans isolated from Silybum marianum, is known for its hepatoprotective properties. We investigated the expression of cytokines in mouse liver following treatment with 0, 10, 50, and 250 mg/kg of silymarin once daily for 5 days. A dose-related but insignificant decrease of circulating alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase after silymarin treatment was observed, suggesting that silymarin treatment did not induce hepatic damage. Silymarin treatment caused significant increases in the expressions of transforming growth factor (TGF) beta1 and c-myc in liver. No significant difference was detected among these treatments in the expression of hepatocyte growth factor, interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and class II major histocompatibility complex. These results suggest that alterations of TGFbeta1 and c-myc expression in the liver may be involved in the hepatoprotective effects of silymarin observed in other studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7389, USA.
authors.forename: Quanren
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Marcin F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Osuchowski
authors.forename: Victor J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Raghubir P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020944:Silybum marianum / Q000737:chemistry*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012838:Silymarin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012838:Silymarin; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D007371:Interferon-gamma