Protective effect of Alhagi sparsifolia against acetaminophen-induced liver injury in mice

Purpose: To investigate the hepatoprotective effects of Alhagi sparsifolta extract against acetaminophen (APAP)-mduced liver injury in mice. Methods: Three doses of Alhagi sparsifolta (600, 300 and 150 mg/kg) were were administered to separate groups of mice orally once a day for three days. One-hour after the last dose, APAP (300 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected. Liver tissue was taken and tested for levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) as biomarkers of liver injury; malonaldehyde (MDA); hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), glutathione (GSH) as an indicator of liver redox; and antioxidant enzyme activity using super oxide dismutase (SOD) assay. Additionally, western blotting was used to measure the expression of protein cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) as the key enzyme of APAP metabolism. Results: Blood serum of ALT and AST and levels of CYP2E1 were markedly reduced, while the levels of MDA, H2O2, and SOD were elevated in a dose-dependent manner in mice treated with Alhagi sparsifolia compared to control group treated with APAP alone. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that Alhagi sparsifolta protects mice liver tissue against APAP-induced hepatic injury partly via decreased oxidative stress and inhibition of CYP2E1 expression.