title: Hepatoprotective effects of Yulangsan polysaccharide against nimesulide-induced liver injury in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Yulangsan polysaccharide (YLSPS) is often used in popular folk medicine in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China as a chief ingredient of Millettia pulchra, which is used as a hepatic protection, anti-aging and memory improving agent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of polysaccharides from Millettia pulchra Kurz var.laxior (Dunn) (Yulangsan polysaecharide, YLSPS) against nimesulide-induced hepatotoxicities in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Liver injury was induced in mice by administering nimesulide. Simultaneously, YLSPS was administered 2h prior to the administration of nimesulide. Dimethyl diphenyl bicarboxylate (DDB) was used as a reference drug.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the nimesulide group, YLSPS significantly decreased the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and the content of bilirubin in the serum. The anti-oxidative effect of YLSPS was observed from the increase of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in the liver, both of which were decreased by nimesulide. Moreover, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was reduced, and histological findings also confirmed the anti-hepatotoxic activity. In addition, YLSPS significantly inhibited proinflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Additionally, YLSPS also enhanced the mitochondrial antioxidant and inhibited dead cells by preventing the down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation and release of Bax along with caspase 9 and 3 activity, confirming the involvement of mitochondria in the nimesulide-induced apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The protective effect of YLSPS against nimesulide-induced hepatic injury may rely on its ability to reduce oxidative stress and prevent nimesulide-induced hepatotoxicity by inhibiting critical control points of apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, PR China.
authors.forename: Vanphuc
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianchun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, PR China.
authors.forename: Vanminh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Doan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, PR China.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiuneng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuanheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, PR China.
authors.forename: Aicun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, PR China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, PR China. Electronic address: huangrenbin518@163.com.
authors.forename: Renbin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D051379:Mice; D033641:Millettia / Q000737:chemistry*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000633:toxicity*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004149:Dioxoles; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013449:Sulfonamides; D008315:Malondialdehyde; C041398:7,7'-dimethoxy-(4,4'-bi-1,3-benzodioxole)-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester; C012655:nimesulide
keywords: Hepatoprotection; Nimesulide; Yulangsan polysaccharide