ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of hesperdin (HDN) on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced acute liver injury in mice. MethodsForty-eight male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups:normal group, model group, HDN (the doses respectively were 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg) group and bifendate group. The HDN group was separately intragastrically given different doses of hesperidin for ten days. The bifendate group was given bifendate. Acute liver injury was induced by injecting APAP (150 mg/kg) in all mice except those in the normal group. After 16 hours, all mice were sacrificed. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured. The contents of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver homogenates were determined. Pathological changes in hepatic tissue were observed under an optical microscope. The expression of high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) in hepatic tissue was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. ResultsHDN could significantly reduce serum ALT, AST, liver homogenate MDA levels, improve liver tissue GSH activity and the liver injury was lightened. By RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, it showed that HDN could inhibit the releasing and expression of HMGB1. ConclusionHDN protects mice from acetaminophen-induced liver injury possibly via mechanisms related to inhibition of the expression and releasing of HMGB1.
Objective To assess the effect of pregnant rat adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on repair of acute liver injury. Methods ADSCs were isolated from 18-week pregnant Sprague Dawley rats and were identified by flow cytometry. Twenty Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into groups A, B, C, and D (n=5); rats in group A were not treated as normal controls; rats in groups B, C, and D were injected intraperitoneally with CCl4 to establish the acute liver injury model. At 2 hours after modeling, DPBS, 0.1 mL normal rat ADSCs (2×106cells/mL), and pregnant rat ADSCs (2×106cells/mL) were injected into the spleen in groups A, C, and D respectively; rats in group B was not treated. After 7 days, total bilirubin (TBIL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartic acid transaminase (AST), albumin (ALB), and total protein (TP) in serum were measured. The liver tissue sections were stained with HE. The expressions of Ki67, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and ALB were measured by immunohistochemistry. Results The serum levels of TBIL, ALT, and AST in group B were significantly higher than those in groups A, C, and D (P<0.05), but ALB and TP were significantly lower than those in groups A, C, and D (P<0.05). The levels of TBIL, ALT, and AST were significantly higher in groups C and D than group A, and in group C than group D (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in serum levels of ALB among groups A, C, and D (P>0.05). The serum level of TP in groups C and D was significantly lower than that in group A (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between group C and group D (P>0.05). HE staining showed that the liver tissue of group A had clear structure; the cells arranged neatly with uniform size. The hepatocytes in group B showed obvious edema, disorderly arrangement, dot necrosis in liver lobules, and diffuse infiltration of inflammatory cells. In groups C and D, the inflammation and hepatocellular necrosis were obviously reduced when compared with group B, and the number of vacuoles caused by dilation of mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum was decreased; especially in group D, improvement of liver injury was more effective. The Ki67 positive cell rate was significantly higher in groups C and D than groups A and B (P<0.05), in group B than group A (P<0.05), and in group D than group C (P<0.05). There was no expression of AFP in groups A and B, but positive expression was observed in groups C and D, and AFP positive cell rate of group D was significantly higher than that of group C (t=3.006,P=0.017). ALB expression was significantly higher in groups C and D than groups A and B (P<0.05), and in group D than group C (P<0.05). Conclusion Pregnant rat ADSCs could promote repair of liver injury induced by CCl4.