Bamboo salt attenuates CCl₄-induced hepatic damage in Sprague-Dawley rats

Abstract

Bamboo salt, a Korean folk medicine, is prepared with solar salt (sea salt) and baked several times at high temperatures in a bamboo case. In this study, we compared the preventive effects of bamboo salt and purified and solar salts on hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in Sprague-Dawley rats. Compared with purified and solar salts, bamboo salts prevented hepatic damage in rats, as evidenced by significantly reduced serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05). Bamboo salt (baked 9×) triggered the greatest reduction in these enzyme levels. In addition, it also reduced the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Histopathological sections of liver tissue demonstrated the protective effect of bamboo salt, whereas sections from animals treated with the other salt groups showed a greater degree of necrosis. We also performed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses of the inflammation-related genes iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-1β in rat liver tissues. Bamboo salt induced a significant decrease (~80%) in mRNA and protein expression levels of COX-2, iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-1β, compared with the other salts. Thus, we found that baked bamboo salt preparations could prevent CCl4-induced hepatic damage in vivo.

Insect tea extract attenuates CCl4-induced hepatic damage through its antioxidant capacities in ICR mice

“…This index is a key parameter for hepatic injury (12). ITE could reduce the liver weight and hepatic injury index in hepatic injury of mice, and ITE could also ease the CCl 4 -induced liver injury by decreasing the hepatic injury index.…”

“…ALT is mainly distributed in hepatic cytosol, and AST in hepatic cytosol and hepatic cell's chondriosome (15). When hepatic cell gets injured, AST and ALT are released to blood (12). ALP is widely distributed in bone, liver, intestine, muscles etc.…”

“…Twenty-four hours later, the mice were euthanized. Blood plasma and livers were collected, and hepatic index was determined by the formula: hepatic index (hepatic injury indicator)=(mouse' s hepatic weight/mouse's weight)×100 (12). Experiments followed a protocol approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Chongqing Medical University (Chongqing, China).…”

“…The alcohol in the tissue was exchanged by dimethylbenzene. The tissue was then embedded in paraffin and sectioned after cooling (12). After H&E staining, the tissue was sealed by gum and observed under a light microscope (BX41; Olympus, Tokyo, Japan).…”

“…The nitrocellulose filters were sealed for 3 h in sealing fluid and then washed with TBS 3 times and incubated in primary antibody working solution for 2 h; then washed with TBS for 3 times and incubated in secondary antibody working solution marked by horseradish peroxidase for 2 h. After being washed with TBS for three times, super ECL plus was used for chromogenic reaction. The protein levels of SOD, GSH, CAT, NF-κB, IκB-α, iNOS and COX-2 (Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc., Dallas, TX, USA) were determined, and β-actin was used as loading control (12).…”