Isoliquiritigenin attenuates oxidative hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride with or without buthionine sulfoximine

• Published in: Chemico-biological interactions Vol. 225; pp. 13 - 20
• Main Authors: Zhao, ZhengLin, Park, Sang Mi, Guan, LiXin, Wu, YiYan, Lee, Jong Rok, Kim, Sang Chan, Kim, Young Woo, Zhao, RongJie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 05.01.2015
• Subjects: Alanine Transaminase - blood; Alanine Transaminase - genetics; Animals; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Aspartate Aminotransferases - genetics; Buthionine Sulfoximine - metabolism; Buthionine Sulfoximine - toxicity; Carbon tetrachloride; Carbon Tetrachloride - metabolism; Carbon Tetrachloride - toxicity; Chalcones - pharmacology; Chalcones - therapeutic use; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - enzymology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - metabolism; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 - metabolism; Cytochrome P450 2E1; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Enzyme Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Histocytochemistry; Isoliquiritigenin; Liver; Male; Oxidative stress; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - chemistry; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Isoliquiritigenin; Oxidative stress; AST; COX-2; Liver; Carbon tetrachloride; ALT; SOD; G. radix; MDA; isoLQ; CAT; Cytochrome P450 2E1; CYP2E1; GSH; BSO
• ISSN: 0009-2797; 1872-7786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2014.10.030

•Isoliquiritigenin is a hepato-protective component in Glycyrrhizae radix.•Isoliquiritigenin improved hepatic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities in vivo.•Isoliquiritigenin protected the liver against CCl4 or CCl4 plus buthionine sulfoximine.•Isoliquiritigenin inhibited CCl4-induced decrease in cytochrome P450 2E1 in the liver.•In conclusion, isoliquiritigenin blocked the production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species in the liver. Glycyrrhizae radix (G. radix) has been demonstrated to have hepatoprotective properties. This study determined the therapeutic effects of isoliquiritigenin (isoLQ) in G. radix, against liver injury induced by CCl4 in rats. CCl4 (0.5ml/kg/d, twice) or CCl4 plus buthionine sulfoximine exerted severe liver damage assessed by increased plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, in addition to hepatic degeneration and necrosis. These pathological changes were markedly protected by pretreatment with isoLQ (5, 20mg/kg/d, p.o.) for 3 consecutive days. In addition, pretreatment with isoLQ inhibited CCl4-induced reduction of cytochrome P450 2E1 protein and mRNA expression as well as activity in the liver. Moreover, isoLQ pretreatment reversed the decrease in hepatic antioxidant capacity induced by CCl4 as well as suppressed expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cyclooxigenase-2 in the liver. These results suggest that isoLQ has a protective effect against CCl4-induced liver damage through induction of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.