Hepatoprotective effect of germanium-containing Spirulina in rats with d-galactosamine- and lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatitis

In the present study, the protective effects of dietary Spirulina (SP) and germanium-containing Spirulina (GeSP) were compared in rats with liver injury induced by an intraperitoneal injection of d-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide (GalN/LPS). Wistar rats were fed one of the following diets: the basal diet (GalN/LPS-CON group; n 6), the basal diet supplemented with 5 % SP or GeSP (GalN/LPS-SP and GalN/LPS-GeSP group, respectively; n 7 each). After administering these diets for 7 d, each rat was intraperitoneally injected with GalN/LPS. Increases in plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were suppressed in the GalN/LPS-GeSP group (GalN/LPS-CON v. GalN/LPS-GeSP: ALT 1052 (sem 187) v. 509 (sem 88) IU/l and AST 2183 (sem 368) v. 1170 (sem 196) IU/l) following the injection of GalN/LPS. Plasma levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and TNF-α in GeSP-fed rats were significantly lower when compared with those in the GalN/LPS-CON group (GalN/LPS-CON v. GalN/LPS-GeSP: IFN-γ 142·8 (sem 17·5) v. 66·8 (sem 9·7) pg/ml and TNF-α 72·3 (sem 15·4) v. 31·2 (sem 6·8) pg/ml). However, the decrease in these levels observed in the GalN/LPS-SP group was not as prominent as those observed in the GalN/LPS-GeSP group. Furthermore, the increase in liver catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, as well as the level of oxidised glutathione (GSSG), was more suppressed in GeSP-fed rats (GalN/LPS-CON v. GalN/LPS-GeSP: CAT 457 (sem 47) v. 262 (sem 54) U/mg liver protein; GPx 1·30 (sem 0·11) v. 0·53 (sem 0·09) U/mg liver protein; GSSG 2·18 (sem 0·33) v. 1·31 (sem 0·24) mmol/kg liver) after the injection of GalN/LPS. These changes were more pronounced in the GalN/LPS-GeSP group than in the GalN/LPS-SP group. These results suggest that GeSP could afford a significant protective effect in the alleviation of GalN/LPS-induced hepatic damage. In addition, the results indicate that GeSP is more effective than SP.

Hepatoprotective effect of sesquiterpenes in turmeric

Hepatoprotective effect of turmeric together with its sesquiterpenes and curcuminoids fractions were examined on D-galactosamine induced liver injury in rats. All the diets individually contained the turmeric extract, the curcuminoids fraction, and the sesquiterpenes fraction suppressed the increase of LDH, ALT, and AST levels caused by D-GalN treatment. Since few anti-oxidative activities are expected in the sesquiterpenes fraction, it is presumed that hepatoprotective mechanism of sesquiterpenes in turmeric is different from that of curuminoids.

Hepatoprotective activity of tocha, the stems and leaves of Ampelopsis grossedentata, and ampelopsin

Hepatoprotective effect of the leaves and stems of Ampelopsis grossedentata together with its main constituent, ampelopsin, were examined on D-galactosamine induced liver injury in rats. The diet containing 50% ethanolic extract (1%) and ampelopsin (0.1%) markedly suppressed the increase of LDH, ALT, AST, alpha-tocopherol levels and GSG/GSSH caused by GalN treatment. These results suggested that ampelopsin from Tocha acted to prevent the oxidative stress in vivo that may have been due to active oxygen species formed by a macrophage by the action of GalN.