Andrographolide impairs alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate-induced cholestatic liver injury in vivo

To investigate if andrographolide impairs cholestatic liver injury. All rats were randomly divided into six groups(1) control (n=6), (2) control+200mg/kg andrographolide (n=6), (3) alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-control (n=6), (4) ANIT+50mg/kg andrographolide (n=6), (5) ANIT+100mg/kg andrographolide (n=6), and (6) ANIT+200mg/kg andrographolide (n=6). We gavaged 50mg/kg ANIT to mimic cholestatic liver injury in rats. Seven days after treatment, all the rats were killed. Serum biochemistry and hepatic histopathological assays were performed to evaluate liver injury. We observed that 200mg/kg andrographolide significantly decreased the level of alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, -glutamyltranspeptidase, total bilirubin, and total bile acid in the blood. It also markedly decreased hepatic interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor . Furthermore, 200mg/kg andrographolide significantly decreased malondialdehyde but increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase. Moreover, 200mg/kg andrographolide effectively increased the accumulation of sirtuin 1 and nuclear erythroid 2-related factor-2. It also attenuated the level of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B and cyclooxygenase-2. These data suggest that andrographolide may impair cholestatic liver injury via anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress.