OBJECTIVE

2

To investigate the protective effect and potential mechanism of Arisaema Cum Bile on acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride （CCl

4

） in mice.

METHODS

2

Fifty mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， positive control group （Biphenyl diester dropping pills， 150 mg/kg）， Arisaema

Cum Bile low-dose and high-dose groups （0.78， 2.34 g/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. The mice in each group were given relevant medicine intragastrically， once a day， for 7 consecutive days. Two hours after the last administration， those groups were given intraperitoneal injection of 0.2% CCl

4

-olive oil solution to induce acute liver injury model except for normal group. Seventeen hours after intraperitoneal injection， the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）， and malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD） in liver tissue were measured with kit method. The hepatic index was detected. The pathological changes of liver tissue were observed by HE staining， and the degree of liver injury was scored quantitatively. The mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-6 in liver tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR； the protein expressions of Janus kinase 2 （JAK2）， signal transducer and activator of transcription protein 3 （STAT3） and nuclear factor-κB p65 （NF-κB p65） in liver tissue were detected by Western blot assay.

RESULTS

2

Compared with normal group， the levels of ALT， AST， IL-6， TNF-α and MDA， the hepatic index were increased significantly （

P

＜0.05）， while the level of SOD was decreased significantly （

P

＜0.05）； the mRNA expressions of IL-6 and TNF-α， and the protein expressions of JAK2， STAT3 and NF-κB p65 were up-regulated significantly （

P

＜0.05）； the pathological observation of liver tissue showed that the structure of hepatic cord was seriously disordered， there were many inflammatory cells infiltration of liver cells， and the liver injury score was significantly increased （

P

＜0.05）. Compared with model group， pathological changes and above indexes in mice were improved significantly in Arisaema Cum Bile low-dose and high-dose groups （

P

＜0.05）.

CONCLUSIONS

2

Arisaema Cum Bile has a protective effect on CCl

4

-induced acute liver injury in mice， which may be related to the inhibition of inflammatory response mediated by JAK2/STAT3/NF-κB signal pathway and antioxidant stress.