Protective effect of the Aralia continentalis root extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in mice

The root of Aralia continentalis Kitagawa has been used in traditional Korean medicine to relieve pain and to treat inflammation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of the extract of A. continentalis roots (AC) against hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and the mechanism of its hepatoprotective effect. In mice, pretreatment with AC prior to the administration of CCl₄ significantly prevented the increased serum enzymatic activity of ALT and AST as well as the formation of hepatic malondialdehyde. Histopathological evaluation of the livers also revealed that AC reduced the incidence of liver lesions induced by CCl₄. In addition, pretreatment with AC significantly prevented both the depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) content and the decrease in glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in the liver of CCl₄-intoxicated mice. Hepatic GSH levels and GST activity were increased by treatment with AC alone. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is known to be induced by oxidative stress and to confer protection against oxidative tissue injuries. Interestingly, AC markedly upregulated hepatic HO-1 expression in CCl₄-treated mice, which might provide anti-oxidative activity in the liver. These results indicate that AC plays a critical protective role in CCl₄-induced acute liver injury by promoting anti-oxidative protein expression.