title: Cantharidin-induced liver injuries in mice and the protective effect of vitamin C supplementation.
abstract: Cantharidin, a promising anti-cancer medication, is limitedly prescribed due to the risk of hepatic toxicity. Our previous study has shown that vitamin C (VC) acts as a potential hepatoprotective agent against chemical liver damage. Here we implemented further experiments to investigate the benefits of VC on cantharidin-induced liver injuries in mice. The findings showed that VC mitigated cantharidin-mediated hepatic impairments via reducing liver enlargement, as well as lowering elevated serum concentrations of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), whereas the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), sodium-potassium ATPase (Na(+)K(+)-ATPase) in the liver was increased. In addition, the count of intrahepatic TNF-α positive cells was lowered. The mRNAs of TLR4 and NF-κB pro-inflammatory mediators were down-regulated. Moreover, the phosphorylation of IkB level was decreased in the hepatocytes, while the Mn-SOD (SOD2) expression was up-regulated. Overall, these observations demonstrate that vitamin C has pre-clinical benefits against cantharidin-induced liver injury, possibly through attenuating inflammatory response and oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541004, PR China. Electronic address: college_wuwei@126.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Basic Medicine, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541004, PR China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541004, PR China.
authors.forename: Taoming
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The Second People's Hospital of Nanning City, Guangxi, Nanning 530031, PR China.
authors.forename: Ka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541004, PR China.
authors.forename: Xinmou
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541004, PR China; The Women and Children's Hospital of Guilin, Guilin 541001, PR China. Electronic address: zhenxiang_tang@126.com.
authors.forename: Zhenxiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002193:Cantharidin / Q000633:toxicity*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D002193:Cantharidin; D016328:NF-kappa B; D020011:Protective Agents; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2; C493487:Tlr4 protein, mouse
keywords: Cantharidin; Hepatoprotection; Inflammation; Liver injury; Oxidative stress; Vitamin C