title: Baicalin protects mouse from Concanavalin A-induced liver injury through inhibition of cytokine production and hepatocyte apoptosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Baicalin (BA) exhibits an anti-inflammatory effect in vivo and in vitro and is used to treat chronic hepatitis. However, the mechanism by which BA exerts the liver-protective effect remains largely unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study reports that BA inhibits cytokine production and hepatocyte apoptosis to protect mice from liver injury induced by concanavalin A (Con A), a T-cell-dependent liver injury model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Con A injection of mice induced severe immune responses and extensive hepatocellular apoptosis within 24 h. Pretreatment of 200 or 100 mg/kg BA markedly reduced serum aminotransferase activities, protected hepatoycte apoptosis and reduced the increase of plasma cytokine levels, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Furthermore, BA pretreatment decreased tissue myeloperoxidase activity and lipid peroxidation, but increased the superoxide dismutase level. In vitro studies indicated that the beneficial effect of BA was associated with reduced cytokine production from lymphocytes and reduced TNF-alpha-induced hepatocyte apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that BA has therapeutic potential for T-cell-mediated liver injury.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lin-Lin
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li-Kun
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Xiong-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yun-Hai
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Xin-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005419:Flavonoids; D020011:Protective Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003208:Concanavalin A; C038044:baicalin