The hepatoprotective effects of acteoside from O. coerulescens were evaluated in BCG plus LPS-induced immunological liver injury (ILI) in mice. Acteoside (50, 150, or 300 mg/kg) was administered via gavage daily for 12 days. The liver index (liver weight/body weight), liver homogenate levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hepatic nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, production of tumor necrosis factor-gamma (TNF-gamma) and interleukin-2, 4, 10 (IL-2, 4, 10), as well as histopathological changes of the liver were evaluated following the 12-day treatment. Moreover, the modulation influence of acteoside on the expression of B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2, hepatocyte apoptosis inhibitor) and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax, hepatocyte apoptosis promoter) in the mice liver with immunological hepatic injury was studied also. Acteoside (50, 150, or 300 mg/kg) effectively reduced the BCG/LPS-induced elevated liver index, liver homogenate AST and ALT levels, hepatic NO and MDA contents, restored hepatic SOD activity and reduced the degree of liver injury in ILI mice. The expression of Bax was decreased (vs. BCG + LPS model group), while the expression of Bcl-2 increased (vs. BCG + LPS model group). These results are close to those of DDB (as a reference drug), and suggest that acteoside has a protective and therapeutic effect on ILI mice, which might be associated with its antioxidant properties, immunoregulatory function and regulation of hepatic apoptosis.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York.