Effect of tanshinone IIA on oxidative stress and apoptosis in a rat model of fatty liver

Yang,Guan‑Lin; Jia,Lian‑Qun; Wu,Jin; Ma,Yi‑Xin; Cao,Hui‑Min; Song,Nan; Zhang,Ni

doi:10.3892/etm.2017.5162

Effect of tanshinone IIA on oxidative stress and apoptosis in a rat model of fatty liver

Authors:
- Guan‑Lin Yang
- Lian‑Qun Jia
- Jin Wu
- Yi‑Xin Ma
- Hui‑Min Cao
- Nan Song
- Ni Zhang
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Affiliations: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for TCM Viscera‑State Theory and Applications, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, Liaoning 110847, P.R. China
Published online on: September 21, 2017 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.5162
Pages: 4639-4646
Copyright: © Yang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Oxidative stress is a crucial factor associated with fatty liver disease, which raises the possibility of using antioxidants to improve liver steatosis. Tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been reported to have antioxidant effects in vitro. The present study aimed to investigate whether TSIIA possesses antioxidant effects in vivo and whether TSIIA was able to improve liver steatosis. Hence, the ability of TSIIA to protect rats from liver disease was explored, particularly in regard to antioxidant activity. Rats were fed a high‑lipid diet for 90 days, causing severe liver steatosis, both morphologically and biochemically. An increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the liver was exhibited in addition to significantly elevated serum lipids and malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, hepatocyte apoptosis was measured by Hoechst staining, reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis and an increase in hepatocyte apoptosis rate was indicated in mice on a high‑fat diet. Following intraperitoneal injection of TSIIA (10 mg/kg/day), liver steatosis was significantly inhibited. In rats receiving TSIIA treatment, less ROS were indicated in the liver and significantly decreased levels of MDA (P<0.05) in serum were exhibited, whereas significantly increased activities of total superoxide dismutase (T‑SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‑PX) were observed (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). In addition, the rate of hepatocyte apoptosis was significantly decreased in the TSIIA group (P<0.01). However, TSIIA elicited no effect on serum lipid profiles. These results suggest that TSIIA attenuates oxidative stress by decreasing ROS and MDA production and enhancing the activity of T‑SOD and GSH‑PX, which may contribute to the inhibition of apoptosis and amelioration of liver steatosis.

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