title: Hepatoprotective effects of Lycium chinense Miller fruit and its constituent betaine in CCl4-induced hepatic damage in rats.
abstract: The hepatoprotective activities of Lycium chinense Miller (LC) fruit extract and its component betaine were investigated under carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The treatment of LC fruit extract significantly suppressed the increase of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the sera of CCl4 injured rats, and restored the decreased levels of anti-oxidant enzymes such as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and suppressed the expression of inflammatory mediators including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and -2. To visualize the potential activity of betaine, a component of LC fruit, betaine was substituted for LC extract in CCl4 injured rats. The biochemical profile in CCl4 injured rats co-treated with betaine matched those of LC fruit treated CCl4 injured rats. The ameliorative effects of LC extract, as well as betaine, were also confirmed by histopathological examination. Collectively, the present findings imply that LC fruit, via its component betaine, mitigate CCl4-induced hepatic injury by increasing antioxidative activity and decreasing inflammatory mediators including iNOS and COX-1/COX-2.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: healthy@jejunu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Meejung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: HLSGLOBAL Inc., Daejeon 302-220, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Aging Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sungwook
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seungjoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Changjong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hyun
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: shint@jejunu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Taekyun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001622:Betaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D032305:Lycium / Q000737:chemistry*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D001622:Betaine; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496513:Ptgs1 protein, rat; C489691:Ptgs2 protein, rat; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Betaine; Carbon tetrachloride; Hepatotoxicity; Lycium chinense Miller; Rat