Ameliorative effects of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF) from Schisandra chinensis on alcoholic liver oxidative injury in mice

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2015-01, Vol.16 (2), p.2446-2457
• Main Authors: Li, Wei, Qu, Xin-Nan, Han, Ye, Zheng, Si-Wen, Wang, Jia, Wang, Ying-Ping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 5-HMF; Alanine Transaminase - blood; alcohol liver injury; Animals; Antioxidants; Apoptosis - drug effects; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Biochemistry; Catalase - metabolism; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Enzymes; Furaldehyde - analogs & derivatives; Furaldehyde - chemistry; Furaldehyde - pharmacology; Furaldehyde - therapeutic use; Glutathione Peroxidase - metabolism; Interleukin-1beta - metabolism; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver diseases; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic - drug therapy; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic - metabolism; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic - pathology; Male; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Protective Agents - chemistry; Protective Agents - pharmacology; Protective Agents - therapeutic use; Rodents; Schisandra - chemistry; Schisandra - metabolism; Schisandra chinensis; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Triglycerides - blood; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms16022446

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the protective effect of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF) on acute alcohol-induced liver oxidative injury in mice. 5-HMF, a maillard reaction product, was isolated from the fruits of Schisandra chinensis for animal experiments. Experimental ICR mice were pretreated with different doses of 5-HMF (7.5, 15, and 30 mg/kg) for seven days by gavage feeding. Biochemical markers and enzymatic antioxidants from serum and liver tissue were examined. Our results showed that the activities of ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate transaminase), TC (total cholesterol), TG (triglyceride), L-DLC (low density lipoprotein) in serum and the levels of MDA (malondialdehyde) in liver tissue, decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the 5-HMF-treated group compared with the alcohol group. On the contrary, enzymatic antioxidants CAT (catalase), GSH-Px (glutathione peroxidase), and GSH SOD (superoxide dismutase) were markedly elevated in liver tissue treated with 5-HMF (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the hepatic levels of pro-inflammatory response marker tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were significantly suppressed (p < 0.05). Histopathological examination revealed that 5-HMF (30 mg/kg) pretreatment noticeably prevented alcohol-induced hepatocyte apoptosis and fatty degeneration. It is suggested that the hepatoprotective effects exhibited by 5-HMF on alcohol-induced liver oxidative injury may be due to its potent antioxidant properties.