Volume 35, Issue 7 e22786
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Hepatoprotective potential of kirenol on ethanol-induced liver toxicity in albino rats and acetaminophen-induced oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis in hepatic HepG2 cells

Dongsheng Sun

Dongsheng Sun

Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China

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Ying Li

Ying Li

Department of Emergency, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of TCM, Tianjin, China

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Hui Cao

Hui Cao

Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China

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Hui Guo

Hui Guo

Department of Hepatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China

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Tahani Awad Alahmadi

Tahani Awad Alahmadi

Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University [Medical City], King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Sulaiman Ali Alharbi

Sulaiman Ali Alharbi

Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Jian Yu

Corresponding Author

Jian Yu

Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China

Correspondence Jian Yu, Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, 250014 Shandong, China.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 12 April 2021
Citations: 1

Dongsheng Sun and Ying Li contributed equally to this study.

Abstract

Liver diseases are a major health issue in both men and women and cause significant mortality worldwide. The hepatoprotective effects of kirenol were evaluated in acetaminophen (APAP)-induced toxicity in HepG2 cells and ethanol (EtOH)- induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The cytotoxicity of kirenol (IC50, 25 µM/ml) and APAP (20 µg/ml) with sylimarin (IC50, 15 µg/ml) was observed in HepG2 cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)−2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species formation, mitochondrial membrane potential, and oxidative stress markers such as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance, suproxide dismutase, and catalase were assayed. Rats were administered a different dose (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg/day) for a period of 4 weeks before a single dose of EtOH (40% vol/vol) 3 g/kg/day. EtOH administered rats appeared to have lower body weight gain, severe hepatic and kidney damage as proved by elevated aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, uric acid, increased malondialdehyde (MDA), and inflammatory markers, and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels. Results showed that the kirenol treatment enhanced the GSH and reduced MDA in the liver and renal tissues and restored TNF-α and IL-6. Histoanalysis proved the protective effects of kirenol. In conclusion, it was proved that the kirenol demonstrated a hepato-protective effect in APAP- and EtOH-induced liver toxicity in HepG2 cells and rats, respectively.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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