Protective effects of Cuscutae semen against dimethylnitrosamine-induced acute liver injury in Sprague-Dawley rats.
We investigated the protective effect of Cuscutae semen (CS) on acute liver injury induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in Sprague-Dawley rats. CS is an important traditional herbal medicine widely used as a tonic and aphrodisiac to nourish the liver and kidney and to treat impotence and seminal emission. Rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of DMN (40 mg/kg), and were then treated with CS daily by oral gavage for 4 d. Immunohistochemical studies for alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were performed, along with hydroxyproline and biological assay. Liver injury caused by DMN-injection was significantly inhibited in the CS-treated group compared to the silymarin-treated group. The results of blood biological assay were significantly protected by CS in serum total protein (T-protein), T-bilirubin (T-bili), D-bilirubin (D-bili), GOT, GPT, and ALP. The hydroxyproline content and amount of active alpha-SMA and PCNA were significantly decreased in the CS-treated group than in the silymarin-treated group. CS exhibited an in vivo hepatoprotective effect and anti-fibrogenic effects against DMN-induced acute liver injury and inhibited the formation of hydroxyproline, which suggests that CS may be useful in preventing fibrogenesis after liver injury.
Department of Anatomy, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, 130-701 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Eun-Young
EY
Kim
Eun Kyoung
EK
Kim
Hyun-Sam
HS
Lee
Youngjoo
Y
Sohn
Yunjo
Y
Soh
Hyuk-Sang
HS
Jung
Nak-Won
NW
Sohn
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012015:Reference Standards
D000199:Actins; D000477:Alkylating Agents; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine; D006909:Hydroxyproline; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; C498862:Acta2 protein, rat