Protective Mechanism of Glycyrrhizin on Acute Liver Injury Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride in Mice

• Published in: Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin Vol. 30; no. 10; pp. 1898 - 1904
• Main Authors: Lee, Chan-Ho, Park, Sang-Won, Kim, Yeong Shik, Kang, Sam Sik, Kim, Jeong Ah, Lee, Seung Ho, Lee, Sun-Mee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 01-10-2007; Pharmaceutical Society of Japan; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Alanine Transaminase - blood; Animals; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Blotting, Western; carbon tetrachloride; Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning - prevention & control; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - pathology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - prevention & control; Cyclooxygenase 2 - metabolism; Glutathione - metabolism; Glycyrrhizic Acid - pharmacology; glycyrrhizin; heme oxygenase-1; Heme Oxygenase-1 - metabolism; hepatoprotective activity; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Liver - pathology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - metabolism; oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; proinflammatory mediator; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - isolation & purification; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.30.1898

Glycyrrhizin is the major active component extracted from licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) roots, one of the most widely used herbal preparations for the treatment of liver disorders. This study evaluated the potential beneficial effect of glycyrrhizin in a mouse model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury. The mice were treated intraperitoneally with CCl4 (0.5 ml/kg). They received glycyrrhizin (50, 100, 200, 400 mg/kg) 24 h and 0.5 h before and 4 h after administering CCl4. The serum activities of aminotransferase and the hepatic level of malondialdehyde were significantly higher 24 h after the CCl4 treatment, while the concentration of reduced glutathione was lower. These changes were attenuated by glycyrrhizin. CCl4 increased the level of circulating tumor necrosis factor-α markedly, which was reduced by glycyrrhizin. The levels of hepatic inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and heme oxygenase-1 protein expression were markedly higher after the CCl4 treatment. Glycyrrhizin diminished these alterations for inducible nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase-2 but the protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 was further elevated by the treatment of glycyrrhizin. CCl4 increased the level of tumor necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and heme oxygenase-1 mRNA expressions. The mRNA expression of heme oxygenase-1 was augmented by the glycyrrhizin treatment, while glycyrrhizin attenuated the increase in tumor necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expressions. These results suggest that glycyrrhizin alleviates CCl4-induced liver injury, and this protection is likely due to the induction of heme oxygenase-1 and the downregulation of proinflammatory mediators.