Comparative Study on Hepatoprotective Effects of Traditional Herbs, Roots of Angelica gigas Nakai, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer, Zizyphus jujuba Mill., and Fruits of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., on Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice
Authors
So-Yeon Kim
Research Center for Herbal Convergence on Liver Disease, Gyeongsan 38610, Republic of Korea; [email protected] (S.-Y.K.); [email protected] (Y.-R.S.)
Kyung-Jin Oh
Department of Urology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea; [email protected]
Yu-Ri Seo
Research Center for Herbal Convergence on Liver Disease, Gyeongsan 38610, Republic of Korea; [email protected] (S.-Y.K.); [email protected] (Y.-R.S.)
Young-Woo Kim
Department of Herbal Prescription, School of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju 38066, Republic of Korea; [email protected]
Phil Song
Department of Urology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu 42415, Republic of Korea
Chang-Hyun Song
Research Center for Herbal Convergence on Liver Disease, Gyeongsan 38610, Republic of Korea; [email protected] (S.-Y.K.); [email protected] (Y.-R.S.)
Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease, with few effective treatments besides alcohol abstinence. Angelicae Gigantis Radix (AG), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (GR), Paeoniae Radix (PR), and Zizyphi Fructus (ZF) are traditional herbs used to treat various ailments, including liver diseases. While several studies have reported the beneficial effects of GR on ALD, the effects of AG, PR, and ZF remain underexplored. Therefore, their efficacy and mechanisms against ALD were investigated using an alcohol-related liver injury model. The model was induced by ethanol gavage in C57BL/6J mice for 14 days, followed by oral administration of AG, GR, PR, and ZF one hour post-induction. The administration of these herbs reduced liver weight, and improved serum biomarkers of liver injury (ALT, AST, albumin). The herbs enhanced hepatic antioxidant capacity (GSH, SOD, catalase) and suppressed the production of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β) and apoptotic changes (caspase-3). The mechanisms of action involved lipid-lowering gene modulation through regulation of the cytochrome P450 2E1/Sirtuin 1/Nrf2 pathways. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that these herbs attenuated hepatocyte damage and steatosis via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. These findings suggest that traditional herbs, particularly AG, could be promising alternative therapies for treating ALD.
Keywords: ALD, TCM, herb, Sirt1, CYP2E1, nrf2, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis
Author Biography
Chang-Hyun Song, Research Center for Herbal Convergence on Liver Disease, Gyeongsan 38610, Republic of Korea; [email protected] (S.-Y.K.); [email protected] (Y.-R.S.)
Department of Anatomy and Histology, College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Gyeongsan 38610, Republic of Korea
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