Effect of Spatholobi Caulis Extract in Acute Liver Injury

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the protective effect of the water extract from Spatholobi Caulis (SC) on rats with acute liver injury (ALI) induced by thioacetamide (TAA) and its underlying mechanism. ALI was induced by intraperitoneal injection with TAA for 3 days in a row and the rats were administered SC (100 or 200 mg/kg) 1 h 30 min prior to the TAA treatment. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) was measured in serum and malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured in serum and liver tissue, as markers related to oxidative stress. Further, inflammation-related proteins and apoptosis proteins were investigated using western blot analysis. SC treatment significantly reduced the levels of MPO and MDA. Further, SC treatment significantly reduces the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, including p-JNK, p-ERK, and p-p38, and reduces the expression of pro-inflammatory signaling factors. Furthermore, it effectively decreased the expression of Bax, Cytochrome C, and Cleaved Caspase-3 in liver tissue. Taken together, SC treatment alleviate0d the severity of ALI via inhibition of inflammation through both the MAPK pathway and Matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs)-dependent apoptosis.