Nutr Res Pract.  2013 Aug;7(4):273-280.

Bamboo salt attenuates CCl4-induced hepatic damage in Sprague-Dawley rats

• Zhao X
• Song JL
• Kil JH
• Park KY

Abstract

Bamboo salt, a Korean folk medicine, is prepared with solar salt (sea salt) and baked several times at high temperatures in a bamboo case. In this study, we compared the preventive effects of bamboo salt and purified and solar salts on hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in Sprague-Dawley rats. Compared with purified and solar salts, bamboo salts prevented hepatic damage in rats, as evidenced by significantly reduced serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05). Bamboo salt (baked 9x) triggered the greatest reduction in these enzyme levels. In addition, it also reduced the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Histopathological sections of liver tissue demonstrated the protective effect of bamboo salt, whereas sections from animals treated with the other salt groups showed a greater degree of necrosis. We also performed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses of the inflammation-related genes iNOS, COX-2, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta in rat liver tissues. Bamboo salt induced a significant decrease (~80%) in mRNA and protein expression levels of COX-2, iNOS, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta, compared with the other salts. Thus, we found that baked bamboo salt preparations could prevent CCl4-induced hepatic damage in vivo.

Keyword

Bamboo salt; hepatic damage; CCl4; cytokines; inflammation

MeSH Terms

Alanine Transaminase
Animals
Aspartate Aminotransferases
Blotting, Western
Carbon Tetrachloride
Cytokines
Inflammation
Interferons
Interleukins
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
Liver
Medicine, Traditional
Necrosis
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
RNA, Messenger
Salts
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Alanine Transaminase
Aspartate Aminotransferases
Carbon Tetrachloride
Cytokines
Interferons
Interleukins
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
RNA, Messenger
Salts
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Effect of various salt samples on serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in CCl4-induced hepatic damage (n = 10 Sprague-Dawley rats in each group, 400 mg/kg b.w. of salt). P, purified salt; S, solar salt; BS, bamboo salt. Mean values with different letters over the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05) according to Duncan's multiple range test.

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  Fig. 2 Effect of salt samples on serum triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels in CCl4-induced hepatic damage (n = 10 Sprague-Dawley rats in each group, 400 mg/kg b.w. of salt). P, purified salt; S, solar salt; BS, bamboo salt. Mean values with different letters over the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05) according to Duncan's multiple range test.

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  Fig. 3 Effect of salt samples on serum IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α levels in CCl4-induced hepatic damage (n = 10 Sprague-Dawley rats in each group, 400 mg/kg b.w. of salt). P, purified salt; S, solar salt; BS, bamboo salt. Mean values with different letters over the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05) according to Duncan's multiple range test.

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  Fig. 4 Histology images of liver tissues in rats with CCl4-induced hepatic damage (×200 magnification).

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  Fig. 5 Effects of bamboo salt (400 mg/kg b.w.) on mRNA expression levels of iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-1β in liver tissues of rats treated with CCl4. P, purified salt; S, solar salt; BS, bamboo salt. The intensity of the band was measured by densitometry and expressed as fold ratios compared with the control. Fold ratio: gene expression/GAPDH × control numerical value (control fold ratio: 1). Mean values with different letters over the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05) according to Duncan's multiple range test.

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  Fig. 6 Effects of bamboo salt (400 mg/kg b.w.) on protein expression levels of iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-1β in liver tissues of rats treated with CCl4. P, purified salt; S, solar salt; BS, bamboo salt. The intensity of the band was measured using a densitometer and expressed as fold ratios compared with the control. Fold ratio: gene expression/GAPDH × control numerical value (control fold ratio: 1). Mean values with different letters over the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05) according to Duncan's multiple range test.

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