Rosmarinic acid stimulates liver regeneration through the mTOR pathway.
BACKGROUND
Rosemary (Rosmarinus offcinsalis L) has a liver protection function under various conditions of liver damage. Rosmarinic acid, one of the pharmacological constituents of rosemary, exhibited protective effects against organ injury, including acute liver injury.


OBJECTIVE
We hypothesize that RA stimulates liver regeneration.


METHODS
In the present study, we investigated the effects and mechanism of RA administration on liver regeneration using partial hepatectomy (PH), a well-validated liver regeneration model in mice.


METHODS
We use a 2/3 partial hepatectomy (PH) model to induce liver regeneration. RA was administered prior to and simultaneously with PH. The regeneration process was estimated by the index of the liver to body weight (ILBW) and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and liver transaminases.


RESULTS
The administration of rosmarinic acid stimulated hepatocyte proliferation based on activation of the mTOR/S6K pathway. Rosmarinic acid treatment also rescued impaired liver function due to PH.


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate that RA is potentially useful to promote liver regeneration.
School of Pharmaceutical Science & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.
Kaihan
K
Lou
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.
Min
M
Yang
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.
Erdan
E
Duan
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.
Jiahui
J
Zhao
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.
Cong
C
Yu
Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.
Rongping
R
Zhang
Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.
Lanchun
L
Zhang
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China.
Ming
M
Zhang
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China; Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne 3800, Australia.
Zhicheng
Z
Xiao
School of Pharmaceutical Science & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China. Electronic address: huweiyan2004@163.com.
Weiyan
W
Hu
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China; Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne 3800, Australia. Electronic address: zhiyonghe2013@163.com.
Zhiyong
Z
He
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002934:Cinnamates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053630:Depsides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006498:Hepatectomy; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097123:Rosmarinic Acid
D002934:Cinnamates; D053630:Depsides; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000097123:Rosmarinic Acid; C546843:mTOR protein, mouse
Liver regeneration; Partial hepatectomy; Proliferation; Rosemary; Rosmarinic acid; mTOR