Abstract:
To investigate the effect of epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG) on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced liver injury in mice. Twenty-four male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups: the Con group, LPS(intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg·kg
-1LPS) group and LPS+EGCG(gavage 80 mg·kg
-1EGCG+intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg·kg
-1LPS) group. The results showed that compared with the LPS group, the serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and azelaic transaminase(AST) levels of the gavaged EGCG mice were significantly reduced; the levels of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) in the liver tissues of the mice were significantly elevated, and the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA) in the livers of the mice were significantly reduced. Meanwhile, the m RNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, interleukin(IL)-1β, interleukin(IL)-18 and interleukin(IL)-22 were significantly reduced in the livers of EGCG mice by gavage; the levels of pro-apoptosis-related protein Bax were significantly reduced in the livers, and the levels of inhibition of apoptosis proteins Bcl2 and p-AMPK were significantly elevated, and the Bcl2/Bax ratio was also significantly elevated. This suggested that EGCG might inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis and reduce the expression of inflammatory factors through activating the AMPK pathway, improve the pathological liver injury and alleviate the oxidative stress in the liver of LPS-induced mice.