title: Protective effect of Lycium chinense fruit on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity.
abstract: In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of Lycium chinense Miller (Solanaceae) fruit (LFE) against CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity and the mechanism underlying these protective effects in rats. The pretreatment of LFE has shown to possess a significant protective effect by lowering the serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase (AST and ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). This hepatoprotective action was confirmed by histological observation. In addition, pretreatment of LFE prevented the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and the depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) content and catalase activity in the liver of CCl(4)-injected rats. The LFE also displayed hydroxide radical scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner (IC(50) = 83.6 microg/ml), as assayed by electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping technique. The expression level of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) mRNA and protein, as measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis, was significantly decreased in the liver of LFE-pretreated rats when compared with that in the liver of control group. Based on these results, it was suggested that the hepatoprotective effects of the LFE might be related to antioxidative activity and expressional regulation of CYP2E1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Oriental Medicine, Dongguk University, 707 Suk-Jang Dong, Kyungju City, Kyungbuk 780-714, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Tae
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Sang-Ju
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Dall-Yeong
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Dong-Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: June-Ki
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Cheorl-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D005638:Fruit; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D032305:Lycium; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013481:Superoxides; D002374:Catalase; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D005978:Glutathione