Ethnopharmacological relevance: Lycium barbarum has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine to nourish liver, kidneys and the eyes.
Aim of the study: We investigated the protective mechanisms of Wolfberry, Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) in carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced acute liver injury.
Materials and methods: Mice were intraperitoneally injected with a 50 μl/kg CCl(4) to induce acute hepatotoxicity (8h) and were orally fed with LBP 2 h before the CCl(4) injection. There were six experimental groups of mice (n=7-8 per group), namely: control mice (vehicle only; 1 mg/kg LBP or 10 mg/kg LBP), CCl(4)-treated mice and CCl(4)+LBP treated mice (1 mg/kg LBP or 10 mg/kg LBP).
Results: Pre-treatment with LBP effectively reduced the hepatic necrosis and the serum ALT level induced by CCl(4) intoxication. LBP remarkably inhibited cytochrome P450 2E1 expression and restored the expression levels of antioxidant enzymes. It also decreased the level of nitric oxide metabolism and lipid peroxidation induced by CCl(4). LBP attenuated hepatic inflammation via down-regulation of proinflammatory mediators and chemokines. Furthermore, LBP promoted liver regeneration after CCl(4) treatment. The protective effects of LBP against hepatotoxicity were partly through the down-regulation of nuclear factor kappa-B activity.
Conclusion: LBP is effective in reducing necroinflammation and oxidative stress induced by a chemical toxin, thus it has a great potential use as a food supplement in the prevention of hepatic diseases.
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