Prophylactic effect of myricetin and apigenin against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute liver injury.

Abstract

Liver has an important role in the initiation and progression of multiple organ failure that occurs in sepsis. Many natural active substances can be used to reduce the liver injury caused by sepsis. For this aim, the effects of myricetin and apigenin on mice model of acute liver injury was evaluated in this study. Thirty-six mice were randomly divided into six groups as; control, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5mg/kg), LPS + myricetin (100mg/kg), LPS + myricetin (200mg/kg), LPS + apigenin (100mg/kg), and LPS + apigenin (200mg/kg) groups. Myricetin and apigenin were administered orally for 7days, and LPS was administered intraperitoneally only on the 7th day of the study. 24h after LPS application, all animals were sacrificed and serum biochemical parameters, histopathology and oxidative stress and inflammation markers of liver tissue were examined. Myricetin and apigenin pre-treatments increased serum albumin and total protein levels, liver GSH level and catalase and SOD activities and decreased serum ALT, AST, ALP, γ-GT, CRP, total and direct bilirubin levels, liver MPO activity, MDA, NOx, PGE2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels, iNOS and COX-2 mRNA levels, phosphorylation of NF-κB p65, IκB, and IKK proteins but not p38, ERK, and JNK proteins in LPS-treated mice. Myricetin and apigenin administration also regained the hepatic architecture disrupted during LPS application. Myricetin and apigenin pre-treatments led to reduction of liver injury indices and oxidative stress and inflammatory events and these flavonoids has probably hepatoprotective effects in acute liver injury.