title: Improvement of lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatic injuries and inflammation with mulberry extracts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mulberry water extracts (MWEs), which contain polyphenols including anthocyanins, have been used in traditional Chinese edible food. The hepatoprotective effects and molecular mechanisms of MWEs on acute liver failure induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were investigated in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rats were administered different doses of MWEs (0.5 and 1 g kg(-1)) 1 h before injection of LPS (5 mg kg(-1)) and then sacrificed 10 h after treatment with LPS. Liver function, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress index and hepatic histopathological alteration were examined in the rats with and without MWE treatment. Pretreatment with MWEs prevented LPS-induced liver damage by preventing associated increases of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP), triglycerol (TG), cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein ratio. MWEs also suppressed oxidative stress to prevent the formation of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, the molecular mechanism involved in LPS-induced liver injury was associated with reducing the expression of COX-2, NF-κB and iNOS in liver tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the investigation of MWEs as a therapeutic candidate for liver injuries and indicate that MWEs exhibit hepatoprotective activities via NF-κB signaling.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Chung Shan Medical University, and Department of Clinical laboratory, Tai-An Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ting-Tsz
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Chih-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Charng-Cherng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chyau
authors.forename: Huei-Jane
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jih-Shin
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Chau-Jong
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D031625:Morus / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts