title: Hepatoprotective effects of Solanum nigrum against ethanol-induced injury in primary hepatocytes and mice with analysis of glutathione S-transferase A1.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Solanum nigrum is a herbaceous perennial plant, which is widely used in traditional medicine systems for its antioxidant, antiulcerogenic, antitumorigenic, and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of S. nigrum against alcoholic liver damage in primary hepatocytes and mice, using glutathione S-transferase alpha 1 (GSTA1) as an indicator.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary hepatocytes were obtained by the inverse perfusion method improved on Seglen two-step perfusion in situ.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the presence of S. nigrum aqueous extracts (100 μg/mL), no hepatocytic damage was observed in cells treated with ethanol, compared with the model group, and GSTA1 (p < 0.01) was more sensitive than alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase (p < 0.05). Mice that received S. nigrum aqueous extracts (150 mg/kg) with ethanol showed marked attenuation of ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity, as evidenced by significant reductions of serum transaminases (p < 0.01), and variation of hepatic oxidative indices (p < 0.05) and GSTA1 (p < 0.05), compared with the model group and mice that received S. nigrum aqueous extracts (200 mg/kg). All the detection indexes were significantly different (p < 0.01) from those of the model group, and the protective effects were almost the same as that of the positive drug group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggested that S. nigrum has hepatoprotective effects against ethanol-induced injury both in vitro and in vivo, and can protect the integrity of hepatocytes and thus reduce the release of liver GSTA1, which contributes to improved liver detoxification.
authors.affiliation: Basic Veterinary Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: fangpingliu@126.com.
authors.forename: Fang-Ping
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Basic Veterinary Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Basic Veterinary Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Min-Min
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Basic Veterinary Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Basic Veterinary Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Basic Veterinary Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Animal Base, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Basic Veterinary Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Cong
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Basic Veterinary Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Basic Veterinary Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Yue-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D032324:Solanum nigrum
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D000431:Ethanol; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; C119995:glutathione S-transferase alpha; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Solanum nigrum; ethanol; glutathione S-transferase alpha 1; hepatic injury; primary hepatocytes