Protective effect of acidic polysaccharide from Schisandra chinensis on acute ethanol-induced liver injury through reducing CYP2E1-dependent oxidative stress.

AIM: Schisandra chinensis is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine used mainly as a recipe for hepatoprotection. Modern researches have revealed that the hepatoprotection is related to its lignans and crude polysaccharide. In this study, we examined the effect and mechanism of Schisandra chinensis acidic polysaccharide (SCAP) on the liver injury induced by ethanol. MAIN METHODS: SCAP was extracted with water extraction and ethanol precipitation. Liver injury models of both mice and HepG2 cells were produced by ethanol. The liver index, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in serum of the mice and cell culture supernatant were examined; HE staining was performed for observing pathological changes of liver. The malondialdehyde (MDA) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in serum, liver tissue and HepG2 cells, and triglyceride (TG) content in liver tissue were tested. Western blot was conducted to determine cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression in liver tissue of mice and HepG2 cells. KEY FINDINGS: SCAP significantly reduced serial AST and ALT levels in the injuried liver and HepG2 cells induced by ethanol and also decreased TG level in the liver tissue. SCAP also obviously improved the hepatopathological changes and decreased MDA level as well as increased SOD activities in the serum, liver tissue and HepG2 cells induced by ethanol. Furthermore, Western blot analysis indicated that SCAP significantly inhibited the upregulation of CYP2E1 protein. SIGNIFICANCE: SCAP has a protective effect on ethanol-induced liver injury in mice and cells, and the mechanism underlying may be via inhibiting the expression of CYP2E1 protein and then alleviating oxidative stress injury induced by ethanol.

Effects of Schisandra total lignin on autophagy and apoptosis of mouse brain aging induced by D-galactose / 吉林大学学报(医学版)

Objective To copy the mouse aging model with D-galactose,and to investigate the role of Schisandra total lignin (SCL)in the mouse brain tissue aging and its mechanism.Methods 50 mice were radomly divided into control group,model group (100 mg·kg-1 ·d-1),low dose (35 mg·kg-1 ·d-1)of SCL group (SCL-L), middle dose (70 mg· kg-1 · d-1 )of SCL group (SCL-M)and high dose (140 mg· kg-1 · d-1 )of SCL group (SCL-H)(n=10).D-galactose (100 mg·kg-1 ·d-1 )was injected into the mice hypodermically for 10 weeks to induce aging models in all the groups except control group,and 35,70,and 140 mg· kg-1 · d-1 SCL were administered for 10 weeks in SCL groups.The learning and memory abilities were measured by the Water Maze test.The expression levels of Bax,Bcl-2,ubiquitin (Ub),microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)in the brain tissue of the mice in various groups were observed by Western blotting method. The LC3 protein expressions in mouse brain cortex and hippocampus were observed by immunohistochemistry.Results In learning and memory test,compared with control group,the swimming time of the mice in model group was increased (P<0.05),and the number of errors was increased (P<0.05);compared with model group,the swimming time in SCL-L,SCL-M and SCL-H groups was decreased (P<0.05)and the number of errors was also decreased (P<0.05). Compared with control group,the expression level of Bax was increased (P<0.05),the expression level of Bcl-2 was decreased (P<0.05),the expression levels of Ub and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ proteins were increased (P<0.05)in model group;compared with model group,the expression level of Bax was decreased (P<0.05),the expression level of Bcl-2 was incerased (P<0.05),and the expression levels of Ub and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ proteins were decreased (P<0.05)in SCL-L,SCL-M and SCL-H groups.In control group,the neuronal morphology was normal,and none of brown granules were visible in the cytoplasm of mouse brain cortex and hippocampus and the expression of LC3 protein was negative.In model group,the neurons were degeneration,and the number of LC3 protein positive cells in the cerebral cortex and hippocamptal tissue was increased (P<0.05).In SCL-L,SCL-M and SCL-H groups,the number of degenerative neurons was decreased,and the number of LC3 protein positive cells was decreased (P<0.05).Conclusion SCL can inhibit the D-galactose-induced brain tissue aging in the mice, and the mechanism is related to regulating autophagy and inhibiting apoptosis.