Carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity and its amelioration by Agaricus blazei Murrill extract in a mouse model.
This study was conducted to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Agaricus blazei Murrill extract (ABM) against experimentally induced carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) toxicity in male BALB/c mice. The experiments included a normal group (no induction by CCl(4)), CCl(4-)induction group (with hepatotoxicity by CCl(4) and without treatment) and experimental groups with low dose (200 mg) or high dose (2,000 mg) of ABM extract (per kilogram mouse weight). All groups other than the normal group were treated with intraperitoneal injections of CCl(4) twice a week. Mice were tube-fed with experimental ABM extracts or double-distilled water, accordingly, on the remaining four days each week. The whole experimental protocol lasted 8 weeks; blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical and tissue histochemical analysis. Only administration of a high dose of ABM to treatment groups resulted in a significant abrogation of CCL(4)-induced increase of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT). Post-treatment with ABM also did not significantly reverse the alterations of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and catalase. Both high- and low-dose ABM treatment reduced hepatic necrosis and fibrosis caused by CCl(4) in comparison with the CCl(4) control group in the histochemical analyses. Our results suggest that the ABM extract affects the levels of ALT and AST in mice.
Department of Pathology, National Defense Medical Center, Division of Clinical Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Jin-Biou
JB
Chang
Ming-Fang
MF
Wu
Yi-Yuan
YY
Yang
Sy-Jye
SJ
Leu
Yung-Liang
YL
Chen
Chun-Shu
CS
Yu
Chieh-Chih
CC
Yu
Shu-Jen
SJ
Chang
Hsu-Feng
HF
Lu
Jing-Gung
JG
Chung
D000364:Agaricus / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride