Protective effect of Pterocarya hupehensis Skan extract on the immune liver injury induced by concanavalin A / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Pterocarya hupehensis Skan extract on liver injury induced by concanavalin A (conA). Methods:Forty C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into 5 groups normal group, model group, and groups of low-, medium- and high-dose extract, with 8 mice in each group. Except for the normal group that received intravenous injection of normal saline, the other mice were injected with conA (12 mg/kg) for replication of the immunological liver injury model. The treatment groups were intragastrically administered with corresponding concentrations of extract. After 12 hours, the mice were subjected to eyeball extraction and dissection of liver tissue to prepare HE stained sections. The liver index was collected and calculated. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were also detected. The content of STAT-3 and the level of phosphorylation in liver tissue were also tested. Results: HE staining showed that the liver tissue of the model group was significantly damaged compared with the normal group, and that of the treatment groups were ameliorated. Compared with the model group, each treatment group had reduced liver index and serum ALT, AST, IL-6 and TNF-α levels (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Significant phosphorylation of STAT-3 was observed in the model group, but it was inhibited in the treatment groups. Conclusion: The extract of Pterocarya hupehensis Skan can effectively treat immunological liver injury induced by conA, which may be related to the inhibition of phosphorylation of STAT-3.