J Nutr Health.  2014 Apr;47(2):106-112. 10.4163/jnh.2014.47.2.106.

Protective effects of Acanthopanax koreanum Kakai extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in Sprague-Dawley rats

• Yang YK
• Lin W
• Kwon O

• KMID: 2210024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2014.47.2.106

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was conducted in order to investigate the protective effects of ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai (AE) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in rats.
METHODS
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups in order to receive the following experimental diets with intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (2.0 mL/kg body weight, 20% solution 0.65 mL) for eight weeks (n = 8 per group): CCl4 control (CON), CCl4 + AE 1% (AE1), CCl4 + AE 3% (AE3), or CCl4 + acanthoic acid 0.037%, which is equivalent to AE 3% (AA).
RESULTS
Highest serum ALT activity and albumin level were observed in the CCL4 control group, but showed a significant decrease by either AE or AA supplementation in a dose-dependent manner (p = 0.0063 and 0.0076, respectively). Both hemotoxylin and eosin staining and Masson's staining indicated remarkable prevention of CCl4-induced liver damage in the AE3 group. TNFalpha and IL-6 production were significantly lowered in the AE treated groups, but not in the AA group (p = 0.0016 and p = 0.0002, respectively). The effects of AE3 were greater than those of AA for inflammation and liver toxicity biomarkers.
CONCLUSION
Taken together, the results suggested that ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai provided hepa-toprotective effects, leading to the reduction of inflammatory response. In addition, the effect of AE was superior to that of single compound AA.

Keyword

Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai; hepatoprotective effects; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; interleukin-6

MeSH Terms

Eleutherococcus*
Animals
Biomarkers
Body Weight
Carbon Tetrachloride
Carbon*
Diet
Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
Ethanol
Hematoxylin
Humans
Inflammation
Injections, Intraperitoneal
Interleukin-6
Liver*
Male
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley*
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Carbon
Carbon Tetrachloride
Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
Ethanol
Hematoxylin
Interleukin-6
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Effects of AE or AA on changes of serum ALT, AST and albumin level in CCl4-induced liver injury rats for 8 weeks. Data are presented as mean ± SE (n = 8/group). Values with different alphabets are significantly different among the groups at p < 0.05 by Duncan's multiple range test. CON, CCl4-induced control; AE1, CCl4 + 1% ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai; AE3, CCl4 + 3% ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai; AA, CCl4 + acanthoic acid.

• 

  Fig. 2 Histological findings of the liver tissue; (A) H&E staining, magnification ×200 and (B) Masson's trichrome staining, magnification ×200. CON, CCl4-induced control, AE1, CCl4 + 1% ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai, AE3, CCl4 + 3% ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai and AA, CCl4 + acanthoic acid. White arrows (A) fatty changes and (B) fibrosis (interbridging septa) Bars: (A)100 µm and (B) 500 µm.

• 

  Fig. 3 Effects of AE or AA on hepatic TNFα (A) and IL-6 (B) levels in CCl4-induced liver injury rats for 8 weeks. Data are presented as mean ± SE (n = 8/group). Values with different alphabets are significantly different among the groups by post-hoc Duncan's multiple range test at α = 0.05 level after one way ANOVA. CON, CCl4 control; AE1, CCl4 + 1% ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai; AE3, CCl4 + 3% ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai; AA, CCl4 + acanthoic acid.

• 

  Fig. 4 Effects of AE or AA on hepatic SOD (A) and CAT (B) activities in CCl4-induced liver injury rats for 8 weeks. Data are presented as mean ± SE (n = 8/group). Values with different alphabets are significantly different among the groups by post-hoc Duncan's multiple range test at α = 0.05 level after One way ANOVA. CON, CCl4-induced control; AE1, CCl4 + 1% ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai; AE3, CCl4 + 3% ethanolic extract of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai; AA, CCl4 + acanthoic acid.

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