Abstract:

Objective: The preventive and protective effect of fermented Chaenomeles speciosa juice against liver injury was
studied at the morphological and molecular levels in a mouse model of acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride.
Methods: Kunming mice were randomly grouped. Mouse models of acute liver injury were established by intraperitoneal
injection of CCl4 in mice. Three different (high, medium and low) concentrations of fermented Chaenomeles speciosa
juice were used to treat the mice by intragastrical mode at a dose of 20 mL/(kg·d) body weight once a day for eight
consecutive days. Then the mice were killed and blood samples were collected and measured for the activities of alanine
aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum. Hepatic pathological changes were examined by
HE staining method. The mRNA expression of TGF-β, IL-1β and TLR4 in hepatic tissues were analyzed with RT-PCR.
Results: The activities of AST and ALT revealed an obvious increase in serum, and TGF-β, TLR4 and IL-1β were overexpressed
in the hepatic tissues of mouse models of liver injury. Compared with the model group, the activities of ALT
and AST in serum and mRNA expression of TGF-β, IL-1β and TLR4 in the treatment groups were decreased. HE staining
indicated that the hepatic pathological injury in the treatment groups was improved in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion:
Fermented Chaenomeles speciosa juice has a protective effect on acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride, and
promising potential to be developed into a new drug against liver injury.

Key words: acute liver injury, carbon tetrachloride, fermented Chaenomeles speciosa juice, immune protection