title: Dandelion leaf extract protects against liver injury induced by methionine- and choline-deficient diet in mice.
abstract: We investigated the hepatoprotective effects of the extract of dandelion leaves (EDL) on a murine model of methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). C57BL/6 mice were fed for 4 weeks with one of the following diets: control diet (Cont), MCD diet (MCD), MCD diet supplemented with EDL at 200 mg/kg body weight·daily (MCD+D200), and MCD diet supplemented with EDL at 500 mg/kg body weight·daily (MCD+D500). Hepatic function was assessed by evaluating the following parameters: liver histology; plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reduced glutathione (GSH); expression levels of TNF-α and IL-6; and levels of caspase-3 and pJNK/JNK protein. Histopathological evaluations revealed that addition of EDL to the MCD diet dampens the severity of the clinical signs of NASH. Moreover, EDL led to a significant decrease in the serum levels of ALT, hepatic TG, and MDA, and in the expression levels of TNF-α, and IL-6; on the contrary, the levels of reduced GSH increased. At the post-transcriptional level, EDL significantly decreased the activation of procaspase-3 to active caspase-3, and the phosphorylation of JNK. These results suggest that the beneficial effects of EDL on NASH are mainly due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
authors.affiliation: Research Division Emerging Innovative Technology, Korea Food Research Institute, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Korea.
authors.forename: Munkhtugs
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davaatseren
authors.forename: Haeng Jeon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.forename: Hye Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jin-Taek
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Jae Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung-Sunny
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Mi Jeong
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002794:Choline / Q000009:adverse effects; D002796:Choline Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000172:deficiency*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D031205:Taraxacum / Q000737:chemistry*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020011:Protective Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008715:Methionine; D002794:Choline