Morin enhances hepatic Nrf2 expression in a liver fibrosis rat model

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG Vol. 23; no. 47; pp. 8334 - 8344
• Main Authors: Sang, Liang, Wang, Xue-Mei, Xu, Dong-Yang, Sang, Li-Xuan, Han, Yang, Jiang, Long-Yang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Baishideng Publishing Group Inc 21.12.2017
• Subjects: Basic Study; Liver fibrosis; Morin; Rat; Nrf2
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i47.8334

AIM To investigate whether morin can reduce hepatic fibrosis by activating the NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2) signaling pathway.METHODS Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, morin group, carbon tetrachloride(CCl4) group, and morin + CCl4 group. Rats in both the CCl4 and morin + CCl4 groups were injected intraperitoneally with CCl4 at a dose of 2 mL/kg twice a week. Rats in both the morin and morin + CCl4 groups were treated orally with morin at a dose of 50 mg/kg twice a week. Control rats were treated with vehicle only twice a week. At the end-point of the 8 wk of the experimental period, serum AST, ALT, and ALP were measured, and the liver specimenswere obtained for pathological assessment. Real-time PCR and Western blot methods were used to analyze the expression of α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, Nrf2, heme oxygenase(HO-1), and quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) using frozen liver specimens.RESULTS Morin-treated rats in the morin + CCl4 group had less hyperplasia of fiber tissue, minimal inflammatory cells, and less body weight loss with favorable liver enzyme measurements compared to rats treated with CCl4 only. Additionally, morin-treated rats had significantly lower m RNA and protein expression of α-SMA, collagen Ⅰ, and collagen Ⅲ, but significantly higher m RNA and protein expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 compared to rats treated with CCl4 only(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION Morin could play a protective role by inducing the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant factors(HO-1 and NQO1) and reducing the expression of α-SMA, collagen Ⅰ, and collagen Ⅲ in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis rats.