Protective effect of cornuside against carbon tetrachloride-induced acute hepatic injury

This study elucidated the effects of cornuside on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced hepatotoxicity. Rats were treated intraperitoneally with 0.5 mL/kg of CCl₄. Sixteen h after CCl₄ treatment, the levels of serum aminotransferases, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and lipid peroxidation were significantly elevated, whereas the hepatic antioxidative enzyme activities were decreased. These changes were attenuated by cornuside. Histological studies also indicated that cornuside inhibited CCl₄-induced liver damage. Furthermore, the contents of hepatic nitrite, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were elevated after CCl₄ treatment, while cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression was suppressed. Cornuside treatment inhibited the formation of liver nitrite, and reduced the overexpression of iNOS and COX-2 proteins, but restored the liver CYP2E1 content as compared with the CCl₄-treated rats. Our data indicate that cornuside protects the liver from CCl₄-induced acute hepatotoxicity, perhaps due to its ability to restore the CYP2E1 function and suppress inflammatory responses, in combination with its capacity to reduce oxidative stress.