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Dietary zerumbone, a sesquiterpene, ameliorates hepatotoxin‐mediated acute and chronic liver injury in mice
Author(s) -
Kim JongWon,
Yang Daram,
Jeong Hyeneui,
Park Il Song,
Lee MinHo,
Lim Chae Woong,
Kim Bumseok
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.6346
Subject(s) - hepatotoxin , liver injury , pharmacology , medicine , apoptosis , inflammation , in vivo , traditional medicine , toxicity , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology
Acute liver injury (ALI) is a life‐threatening clinical syndrome. Long‐lasting liver injury can lead to chronic hepatic inflammation and fibrogenic responses. Zerumbone (ZER), the main constituent of rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet Smith, has a variety of functions including anticancer activity. We investigated the role of ZER on the progression of hepatotoxin‐induced liver injury. Single or repeated injection of CCl 4 was used to induce acute or chronic liver injury, respectively. Mice were orally administered with ZER (10, 50 mg/kg) during the experimental period. Histopathologic analysis and serum biochemical levels revealed that ZER had hepatoprotective activities against ALI. Similar effects of ZER on injured livers were confirmed by analyses of inflammation and apoptosis‐related genes. Western blot analysis showed that protein levels of apoptotic molecules were decreased, whereas antiapoptotic protein levels were conversely increased in injured livers treated with ZER. Furthermore, chronic liver injury and its associated fibrogenesis in mice were reduced by ZER treatment. These findings from our in vivo experiments further indicate that ZER could alleviate hepatocellular toxicity and inhibit activation of primary hepatic stellate cells. Our results suggest that ZER might have potential as a safe and prophylactic alternative to prevent acute and chronic liver injury.