Protective effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza and Carthamus tinctorius extract against lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury.

PMID: 

World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Aug 14 ;21(30):9079-92. PMID: 26290634

Abstract Title: 

Protective effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza and Carthamus tinctorius extract against lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury.

Abstract: 

AIM: To investigate the hepatoprotective effects and mechanisms of an extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza and Carthamus tinctorius in vivo.METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to five groups and intraperitoneally administered 0.9% saline, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Carthamus tinctorius extract [Danhong injection (DHI), 0.75 and 3 g/kg mixed extract] or reduced glutathione for injection (RGI, 300 mg/kg) for 30 min before exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 16 mg/kg). After intraperitoneal LPS stimulation for 90 min or 6 h, the mice were sacrificed by ether anaesthesia, and serum and liver samples were collected. Histological analysis (H&E) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labelling (TUNEL) staining were performed. Alanine transferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total bilirubin (TBil), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and caspase-3 levels were measured. Bax, Bcl-2, P-IκBα, IκBα, P-NF-κB p65, and NF-κB p65 protein levels were determined by Western blot. TNF-α, IL-6, caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA expression was measured by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).RESULTS: Hematoxylin-eosin staining and TUNEL results suggested that DHI (3 g/kg) treatment alleviated inflammatory and apoptotic (P

read more