Diammonium glycyrrhizinate, a component of traditional Chinese medicine Gan-Cao, prevents murine T-cell-mediated fulminant hepatitis in IL-10- and IL-6-dependent manners.
Diammonium glycyrrhizinate (DG), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is extracted and purified from liquorices (Radix glycyrrhizae). The liquorices exert an important function in the treatment of hepatitis because of its anti-inflammatory effects based upon the clinical practice, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of DG in protecting mice from ConA-induced hepatitis. The results showed that intraperitoneal administration of DG protected mice against ConA-induced elevation of serum ALT levels and apoptosis of hepatocytes; at the same time, the absolute amount of hepatic NKT cells and T cells was significantly decreased, indicating that DG can inhibit the recruitment of lymphocytes into the liver. In addition, the production of IL-6 and IL-10 was improved by DG pretreatment, suggesting that DG may possibly protect the liver from injury via two pathways: direct protection of hepatocytes from apoptosis through an IL-6-dependent way and indirect inhibition of T-cell-mediated inflammation through an IL-10-dependent way.
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44 Wenhua Western Road, Jinan 250012, China.
Chen
C
Feng
Hengxiao
H
Wang
Chengfang
C
Yao
Jian
J
Zhang
Zhigang
Z
Tian
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003208:Concanavalin A; D029882:Glycyrrhiza uralensis / Q000737:chemistry; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D003208:Concanavalin A; D016753:Interleukin-10; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D000410:Alanine Transaminase