title: Ursolic acid enhances mouse liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ursolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpenoid which has hepatoprotective and antihepatotoxic activities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether ursolic acid is able to stimulate liver regeneration in partially hepatectomized mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ursolic acid or the vehicle solution was orally administered to the experimental, sham-operated and vehicle-treated group mice for 7 days, positive control animal (mice) was treated with recombinant human hepatocyte growth factor (rhHGF), and then the 70% liver partial hepatectomy was performed. The liver mass recovery rate was estimated by measuring the ratios of mice liver weight to body weight. The liver cells undergoing DNA synthesis were identified by immunohistochemistry analysis using monoclonal anti-BrdU antibodies. The expression levels of cyclin D1, cyclin E and C/EBP proteins (C/EBPα and C/EBPβ) were detected by the Western blotting technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed administration of ursolic acid significantly increased the ratio of the liver to body weight and BrdU labeling index at 36 and 48 h after partial hepatectomy, and the potency of UA is similar to rhHGF treated positive control mice. In addition, ursolic acid treatment significantly increased cyclin D1, cyclin E and C/EBPβ protein expression levels at 36 h after liver PHx compared with the vehicle-treated control mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All these results suggest that ursolic acid stimulates liver proliferation after partial hepatectomy, and this effect may be associated with the stimulation of C/EBPβ expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, 119 Juzi Street, Yanji 133000, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Ri
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jing-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Cheng-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xi-Xu
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Nan-Ge
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000378:metabolism; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D006498:Hepatectomy; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D013997:Time Factors; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000097245:Ursolic Acid
chemical_list: D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha; D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta; D019938:Cyclin D1; D019927:Cyclin E; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D014315:Triterpenes; D000097245:Ursolic Acid; C530105:Ccnd1 protein, mouse; C066855:HGF protein, human