Acanthoic acid, a diterpene in Acanthopanax koreanum, protects acetaminophen-induced hepatic toxicity in mice

  • Phytomedicine. 2010 May;17(6):475-9. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2009.07.011.
Yan-Ling Wu  1 Ying-Zi Jiang Xue-Jun Jin Li-Hua Lian Juan-Yu Piao Ying Wan Hong-Ri Jin Jung Joon Lee Ji-Xing Nan
Affiliations
  • 1. Key Laboratory for Natural Resource of Changbai Mountain & Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002 Jilin Province, China.
Abstract

The protective effect of a diterpenoid acanthoic acid (AA) isolated from Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai was investigated in acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatic toxicity. Drug-induced Hepatotoxicity induced by an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 300mg/kg (sub-lethal dose) of APAP. Pretreatment with AA (50 and 100mg/kg) orally 2h before the APAP administration attenuated the APAP-induced acute increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activites, replenished the depleted hepatic glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level and considerably reduced the histopathological alterations in a manner similar to silymarin (Sily). Immunohistochemical analyses also demonstrated that AA could reduce the appearance of necrosis regions as well as Caspase-3 and hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) expression in liver tissue. Our results indicated that AA protected liver tissue from the oxidative stress elicites by APAP-induced liver damage and suggestes that the hepatic protection mechanism of AA would relate to antioxidation and hypoxia factor on APAP-induced Hepatotoxicity.

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