Protective effects of kaempferol on CCl_4-induced acute liver injury in mice

Objective To study the protective effects and mechanism of kaempferol on carbon tetrachloride(CCl4)-induced liver injury in mice.Methods Kunming male mice were randomly divided into blank control group,model group,positive control group,and low-and large-dose kaempferol groups.The first two groups were given distilled water and the other groups were given silybin at 0.1g/kg body weight/d,and kaempferol at 6 and18mg/kg body weight/d for 7 consecutive days,respectively.The blank control group was intraperitoneally injected with peanut oil,and the other groups were intraperitoneally given 0.15% CCl4 peanut oil solution at 2 h after the last administration in order to prepare acute liver injury mice models.The levels of serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST),and malondialdehyde(MDA)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in liver tissue in all groups were determined and compared.Meanwhile,liver histopathology was investigated.Results Compared with model group,kaempferol could significantly decrease ALT and AST activities in the mice serum(P0.05 or P0.01)and MDA in the liver tissue(P0.01),and increase the activity of SOD in liver tissue(P0.05 or P0.01).Silybin had the similar actions.The pathologic examination showed that compared with those in model group,the range and degree of liver cell necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in silybin and kaempferol groups were significantly reduced,with high-dose kaempferol group having the strongest effects.Conclusion Kaempferol has a protective effect on CCl4-induced acute liver injury in mice.The mechanisms may be related to reducing the generation of free radicals.