J Nutr Health.  2013 Jun;46(3):207-217.

Effects of Artemisia capillaris extract on disorders of hepatic functions and lipid metabolism in rats treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

• Lee JH
• Zhang CL
• Bi SC
• Hwang SY

Abstract

This study was conducted in order to investigate the effects of Artemisia capillaris (AC) extract on disorders of hepatic functions and lipid metabolism induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an endocrine disrupter, using male rats (SD, five weeks old) for a period of three weeks. These 37 animals were divided into four groups. AC extract was added as 1.5% or 3% levels to basal diets, respectively. TCDD (40 ug/kg B.W) was administered by intraperitoneal injection into rats after a week from the beginning of the experiment. AC extract alleviated the increase of rat's relative liver weights induced by TCDD. Thymuses of all rats treated with TCDD were apparently shrunken by approximately 80%. Levels of white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrits were significantly increased by treatment with TCDD, however, WBC tended to decrease by AC extract diets. In hepatic function, the elevation of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase activities by TCDD treatment was diminished by AC extract diets. Serum HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly elevated by AC extract diets. The apparent increase of triglyceride levels of rat livers induced by TCDD was significantly suppressed in the AC extract diet groups. Hepatic cytosolic catalase activities significantly decreased by treatment with TCDD showed a recovering trend by AC extract diets. In histochemical observation, the fat droplets and apoptosis of hepatocytes treated with TCDD were markedly alleviated by AC extract diets. These results indicated that AC could exert recovering effects on some disorders of hepatic functions, lipids metabolism, and antioxidant activities resulting from TCDD treatment.

Keyword

Artemisia capillaris; TCDD; hepatic functions; lipids

MeSH Terms

Animals
Apoptosis
Artemisia
Catalase
Cytosol
Diet
Erythrocytes
Hematocrit
Hemoglobins
Hepatocytes
Humans
Injections, Intraperitoneal
Leukocytes
Lipid Metabolism
Liver
Male
Rats
Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin
Thymus Gland
Weights and Measures
Catalase
Hemoglobins
Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Effects of Artemisia capillaris on liver lipids in rats treated 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Control: basal diet, TCDD: basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-1.5T: 1.5% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-3.0T: 3.0% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment. Mean ± SD of 9-10 rats per group. Values in a column with different superscripts are significantly different (p < 0.05).

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  Fig. 2 Effects of Artemisia capillaris on hepatic cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in rats treated 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Control: basal diet, TCDD: basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-1.5T: 1.5% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-3.0T: 3.0% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment. Mean ± SD of 9-10 rats per group. Values in a column with different superscripts are significantly different (p < 0.05).

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  Fig. 3 Effects of Artemisia capillaris on hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) in rats treated 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Control: basal diet, TCDD: basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-1.5T: 1.5% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-3.0T: 3.0% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment. Mean ± SD of 9-10 rats per group. Values in a column with different superscripts are significantly different (p < 0.05).

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  Fig. 4 Effects of Artemisia capillaris on ethoxycoumarine-o-deethylase (ECOD) and Benzphetamine N-demethylase (BPND) in rats treated 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Control: basal diet, TCDD: basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-1.5T: 1.5% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-3.0T: 3.0% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment. Mean ± SD of 9-10 rats per group. Mean ± SD of 9-10 rats per group. Values in a column with different superscripts are significantly different (p < 0.05).

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  Fig. 5 Effects of Artemisia capillaris in micrograph of hepatic histology in rats treated 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)(×200). Control: basal diet, TCDD: basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-1.5T: 1.5% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment, AC-3.0T: 3.0% Artemisia capillaris was added to basal diet and TCDD treatment.

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