title: Dendrobium candidumWall. ex Lindl. attenuates CCl4-induced hepatic damage in imprinting control region mice.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to determine the preventive effect of the traditional Chinese medicine,Dendrobium candidumWall ex Lindl. (D. candidum), on CCl4-induced hepatic damage in mice. The CCl4-induced hepatic damage mice were treated withD. candidum,and the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) were determined. In addition, serum cytokine levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ were analyzed with kits, while liver tissues were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin staining and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Furthermore, the contents ofD. candidumwere determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).D. candidumwas demonstrated to successfully prevent hepatic damage in mice. The serum levels of AST, ALT and LDH were significantly decreased when the mice were treated with 200 and 400 mg/kgD. candidum,as compared with the control mice (P<0.05). The lowest enzymatic activities were exhibited in the 400 mg/kgD. candidumgroup, which produced similar results to the positive control drug, silymarin. In addition, in the 400 mg/kgD. candidumgroup, the highest levels of TG and TC were observed among the treated groups.D. candidum-treated groups also demonstrated reduced levels of the serum proinflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ. The sections of liver tissue examined during histopathology in the high concentration 400 mg/kgD. candidumgroup recovered well from CCl4damage; however, the sections in the 200 mg/kgD. candidumgroup revealed necrosis to a more serious degree. RT-PCR analysis was conducted on inflammation-associated genes, including nuclear factor (NF)-κB, IκB-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, in the livers of the mice. The 400 mg/kgD. candidumgroup demonstrated significantly decreased mRNA expression levels of NF-κB, iNOS and COX-2, but an increased expression level of IκB-α when compared with the CCl4-treated control group. Furthermore, using NMR, 11 compounds were identified in theD. candidumleaf, whose functional contents may aid the preventive effect observed in the current study. Therefore,D. candidummay potentially contribute to the prevention of CCl4-induced hepatic damagein vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Gui-Jie
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
keywords: Dendrobium candidum; cytokine; gene; hepatic damage; imprinting control region mice