Hepatoprotective effect of pinoresinol on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic damage in mice.
Forsythiae Fructus is known to have diuretic, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. This study examined the hepatoprotective effects of pinoresinol, a lignan isolated from Forsythiae Fructus, against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver injury. Mice were treated intraperitoneally with vehicle or pinoresinol (25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) 30 min before and 2 h after CCl4 (20 microl/kg) injection. In the vehicle-treated CCl(4 )group, serum aminotransferase activities were significantly increased 24 h after CCl4 injection, and these increases were attenuated by pinoresinol at all doses. Hepatic glutathione contents were significantly decreased and lipid peroxidation was increased after CCl4 treatment. These changes were attenuated by 50 and 100 mg/kg of pinoresinol. The levels of protein and mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2, were significantly increased after CCl4 injection; and these increases were attenuated by pinoresinol. Nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and phosphorylation of c-Jun, one of the components of activating protein 1 (AP-1), were inhibited by pinoresinol. Our results suggest that pinoresinol ameliorates CCl4)-induced acute liver injury, and this protection is likely due to anti-oxidative activity and down-regulation of inflammatory mediators through inhibition of NF-kappaB and AP-1.
Kim
Hyo-Yeon
HY
School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea.
Kim
Joon-Ki
JK
Choi
Jun-Ho
JH
Jung
Joo-Yeon
JY
Oh
Woo-Yong
WY
Kim
Dong Chun
DC
Lee
Hee Sang
HS
Kim
Yeong Shik
YS
Kang
Sam Sik
SS
Lee
Seung-Ho
SH
Lee
Sun-Mee
SM
D000818:Animals; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D031657:Forsythia; D005663:Furans / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017705:Lignans / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D005663:Furans; D017705:Lignans; D010936:Plant Extracts; C103298:pinoresinol