Protective effects of dihydroquercetin on an APAP-induced acute liver injury mouse model

Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) is a flavonoid in the Chinese traditional herbal medicine Ramulus Euonymi, which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer bioactivity. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of DHQ on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury in a mouse model for the first time. The mice received an intraperitoneal dose of APAP for model establishment. After 1 h, they were treated with DHQ at various concentrations. After 48 h of treatment, the mice were sacrificed to determine serum ALT and AST levels and the liver index, examine histopathological changes in the liver through H&E and TUNEL staining, and evaluate TNF-α and IL-6 levels using an ELISA. We also evaluated TNF-α, IL-6, Nrf2 and SOD2 mRNA expression by RT-PCR and Bcl-2, Bax and Pro-caspase-3 expression by Western blot. DHQ treatment significantly attenuated serum ALT and AST levels as well as rescued hepatomegaly. It also down-regulated TNF-α and IL-6, increased Nrf2 and SOD2 mRNA expression, down-regulated Bax, overexpressed Bcl-2 and Pro-caspase-3. Our datas suggest that DHQ treatment can effectively attenuate APAP-induced liver injury by down-regulating inflammatory factors, improving antioxidant capacity and inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis. DHQ could be a beneficial hepatoprotective agent for the prevention and amelioration of APAP-induced acute liver injury.