Abstract:

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Ganchunpian(GCP )on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury.In this experiment,36 C57 mice were randomly divided into a control group,a model group (APAP 400 mg/kg),low,medium,and high-dose GCP groups (0.33,0.66,1.32 mg/kg),and an N-acetyl-L-cysteine group (NAC;400 mg/kg).The control group was administered pure water by gavage,while the GCP groups were administered the drug by gavage once daily for three consecutive days.The NAC group received a single intraperitoneal injection on the third day.Two hours after the last administration,all groups (except for the control) were injected intraperitoneally with 400 mg/kg APAP to induce liver injury.After the experiment,the body and liver weights of the mice were measured to calculate the liver index for each group.Histological changes in the liver were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining.Levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum,as well as malondialdehyde (MDA),superoxide dismutase (SOD),tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in liver tissues,were determined.Apoptosis in liver cells was detected using the TUNEL fluorescence staining method.Expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2),BCL-2 associated X protein (BAX),and cleaved caspase-3 in the liver were analyzed by Western blot.The results showed that compared with the model group,GCP improved liver histological changes,significantly reduced the liver index and liver function indicators (P<0.01) in mice with APAP-induced liver injury,decreased liver MDA levels and increased SOD activity (P<0.05,P<0.01),reduced TNF-α and IL-6 levels (P<0.01),inhibited the expression of BAX and Cleaved caspase-3 proteins in the liver,and promoted BCL-2 expression (P<0.05,0.01).GCP exhibits a certain preventive effect on APAP-induced liver injury,and its mechanism of action may be related to antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,and anti-apoptotic activities.

Key words: acetaminophen, liver damage, Ganchunpian, apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation