Hepatoprotective effect of Scoparia dulcis on carbon tetrachloride induced acute liver injury in mice.
This study aims to investigate the hepatoprotective activity and active constituents of the ethanol extract of Scoparia dulcis (SDE). The hepatoprotective effect of SDE (0.1, 0.5 and 1 g/kg) was evaluated on the carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced acute liver injury. The active constituents were detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mice pretreated orally with SDE (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) and silymarin (200 mg/kg) for five consecutive days before the administering of a single dose of 0.2% CCl(4) (10 ml/kg of bw, ip) showed a significant inhibition of the increase of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Histological analyses also showed that SDE (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) and silymarin reduced the extent of liver lesions induced by CCl(4), including vacuole formation, neutrophil infiltration and necrosis. Moreover, SDE decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) level and elevated the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the liver as compared to those in the CCl(4) group. Furthermore, SDE (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) enhanced the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GRd) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). The quantities of active constituents in SDE were about 3.1 mg luteolin/g extract and 1.1 mg apigenin/g extract. The hepatoprotective mechanisms of SDE were likely associated to the decrease in MDA level and increase in GSH level by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, GPx, GRd and GST. These results demonstrated that SDE could alleviate CCl(4)-induced acute liver injury in mice.
Tsai
Jen-Chieh
JC
China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Peng
Wen-Huang
WH
Chiu
Tai-Hui
TH
Huang
Shun-Chieh
SC
Huang
Tai-Hung
TH
Lai
Shang-Chih
SC
Lai
Zhen-Rung
ZR
Lee
Chao-Ying
CY
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047310:Apigenin / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D047311:Luteolin / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009336:Necrosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D036721:Scoparia; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000187:drug effects
D000975:Antioxidants; D004798:Enzymes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012838:Silymarin; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D047310:Apigenin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D047311:Luteolin