The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology

The Korean Society of Pharmacology (대한약리학회)
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Swertiamarin ameliorates carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic apoptosis via blocking the PI3K/Akt pathway in rats

  • Zhang, Qianrui (Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of the Yangtze River Shipping) ;
  • Chen, Kang (Department of Pharmacy, Huanggang Central Hospital) ;
  • Wu, Tao (Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan NO.4 Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Song, Hongping (Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan NO.4 Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology)
  • Received : 2016.10.17
  • Accepted : 2018.06.01
  • Published : 2019.01.01
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Abstract

Swertiamarin (STM) is an iridoid compound that is present in the Gentianaceae swertia genus. Here we investigated antiapoptotic effects of STM on carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver injury and its possible mechanisms. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, an STM 200 mg/kg group, a $CCl_4$ group, a $CCl_4+STM$ 100 mg/kg group, and a $CCl_4+STM$ 200 mg/kg group. Rats in experimental groups were subcutaneously injected with 40% $CCl_4$ twice weekly for 8 weeks. STM (100 and 200 mg/kg per day) was orally given to experimental rats by gavage for 8 consecutive weeks. Hepatocyte apoptosis was determined by TUNEL assay and the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 proteins were evaluated by western blot analysis. The expression of $TGF-{\beta}1$, collagen I, collagen III, CTGF and fibronectin mRNA were estimated by qRT-PCR. The results showed that STM significantly reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells compared with the $CCl_4$ group. The levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 proteins, and $TGF-{\beta}1$, collagen I, collagen III, CTGF, and fibronectin mRNA were significantly reduced by STM compared with the $CCl_4$ group. In addition, STM markedly abrogated the repression of Bcl-2 by $CCl_4$. STM also attenuated the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in the liver. These results suggested that STM ameliorated $CCl_4$-induced hepatocyte apoptosis in rats.

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References

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