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Curcumin protects mice against concanavalin A-induced hepatitis by inhibiting intrahepatic intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and CXCL10 expression

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Abstract

The effect of curcumin on liver injury caused by Concanavalin A (Con A) has not been carefully examined. This study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of curcumin on Con A-induced hepatitis in mice. Liver injured mice received curcumin by gavage at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight before Con A intravenous administration. Curcumin was effective in reducing the elevated plasma levels of aminotransferases and the incidence of liver necrosis compared with Con A-injected control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that curcumin suppressed proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, and interleukin (IL)-4 production in Con A-injected mice. The reduced severity of hepatitis in curcumin pretreated mice correlated with decrease in numbers of liver CD4+ T cells but not CD8+ T cells by immunohistochemical analysis. Furthermore, the expression levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and the interferon-inducible chemokine CXCL10 in hepatic tissue were significantly decreased by curcumin pretreatment. In conclusion, curcumin pretreatment protects against T cell-mediated hepatitis in mice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 FengLin Road, Shanghai, 200032, People’s Republic of China

    Chuan-tao Tu, Bing Han, Hong-chun Liu & Shun-cai Zhang

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  1. Chuan-tao Tu
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  2. Bing Han
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  3. Hong-chun Liu
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  4. Shun-cai Zhang
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Correspondence to Shun-cai Zhang.

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Chuan-tao Tu and Bing Han contributed equally to this work.

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Tu, Ct., Han, B., Liu, Hc. et al. Curcumin protects mice against concanavalin A-induced hepatitis by inhibiting intrahepatic intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and CXCL10 expression. Mol Cell Biochem 358, 53–60 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-011-0920-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-011-0920-4

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