[Hepatoprotective effects of chloroform extract from leaf of Terminalia catappa in relation to the inhibition of liver IL-6 expression].
OBJECTIVE
To study the hepatoprotective effects of Terminalia catappa chloroform extract (TCCE) and its effects on IL-6 gene over expression in liver of CCl4-treated mice.


METHODS
Mice were orally pretreated with TCCE (20, 50, 100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) for 5 days, and the sALT activity of mice was detected 24 hours after the intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 on the 5 th day. Meanwhile, IL-6 mRNA level was determined by using the method of RT-PCR. And the liver morphological changes were also observed.


RESULTS
sALT activity was remarkably increased (5.6 fold) after the injection of CCl4. However, with oral pretreatment of TCCE, changes in sALT were dose-dependently reversed. On the other hand, significant increase in IL-6 mRNA level induced by CCl4 was remarkably decreased. The level of IL-6 mRNA in 100 mg x kg(-1) TCCE treated mice was reversed to that of control. In addition, histological changes such as the infiltration of numerous inflammatory cells and hepatocyte swelling in injured mice were effectively lessened by the pretreatment of TCCE.


CONCLUSIONS
TCCE has hepatoprotective activity and the mechanisms underlying its protective effects may be related to the inhibition on the over expression of IL-6 gene in liver.
Tang
Xin-hui
XH
School of Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, Jiangsu, China.
Gao
Jing
J
Wang
Yan-ping
YP
Xu
Li-zhi
LZ
Zhao
Xiao-ning
XN
Xu
Qiang
Q
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D029766:Terminalia / Q000737:chemistry
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015850:Interleukin-6; D020011:Protective Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000410:Alanine Transaminase