Mechanisms of apigenin-7-glucoside as a hepatoprotective agent.
OBJECTIVE
Ixeris chinesis (Thunb.) Ankai has been used as a Chinese folk medicine, but only scanty information is available on the physiological and biochemical functions of the compounds extracted from I. chinesis. In the present study the effects of apigenin-7-glucoside (APIG) isolated from I. chinesis against liver injury caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) were investigated.


METHODS
The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and reduced glutathione (GSH) were evaluated by spectrophotography. The content of 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with electrochemical and UV detection methods. The antioxidant activity of APIG was evaluated using chemiluminescence single photon counting technology.


RESULTS
CCl4 significantly increased the enzyme activities of GPT and GOT in blood serum, as well as the level of MDA and 8-OHdG in liver tissue, and decreased the levels of GSH. Pretreatment with APIG was able not only to suppress the elevation of GPT, GOT, MDA and 8-OHdG, and inhibit the reduction of GSH in a dose-dependent manner in vivo, but also to reduce the damage of hepatocytes in vitro. On the other hand, we also found that APIG had strong antioxidant activity against reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner.


CONCLUSIONS
The hepatoprotective activity of APIG is possibly due to its antioxidant properties, acting as scavengers of ROS. These results obtained in vivo and in vitro suggest that APIG has protective effects against hepatic oxidative injury induced by chemicals. Further studies on the pharmaceutical functions and immunological responses of APIG may help its clinical application.
Zheng
Qiu-Sheng
QS
Department of biochemistry, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong 264005, China. johnsonjem@hotmail.com
Sun
Xi-Ling
XL
Xu
Bo
B
Li
Gang
G
Song
Meng
M
D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047310:Apigenin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004249:DNA Damage; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*
D000975:Antioxidants; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D020011:Protective Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D008315:Malondialdehyde; C057792:apigetrin; D047310:Apigenin; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003849:Deoxyguanosine; D005978:Glutathione