Protective effects of maslinic acid against alcohol-induced acute liver injury in mice

Protective effects of maslinic acid (MA) at 10, 15 or 20 mg/kg body weight/day against alcohol-induced acute hepatotoxicity in mice were examined. Mice were administrated by MA for 3 weeks, and followed by alcohol treatment. Results showed that MA pre-intake at three doses resulted in its accumulation in the liver; and dose-dependently lowered cytochrome P450 2E1 activity and protein expression at 23.5-51.2% and 21.4-62.3%, respectively (P < 0.05). MA pre-intake decreased subsequent alcohol-induced reactive oxygen species, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, nitric oxide and prostaglandin E₂ production; retained glutathione content; maintained catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities; and declined cyclooxygenase-2 and total nitric oxide synthase activities in the liver (P < 0.05). Furthermore, MA pre-intake suppressed 17.3-51.7% nuclear factor kappa (NF-κ)B p50, 23.5-58.8% NF-κB p65, 25.6-62.4% p-p38 and 24.1-63.0% p-JNK expression in the liver (P < 0.05). Histological data indicated that MA intake at test doses attenuated hepatic inflammatory infiltrate. These findings support that maslinic acid is a potent preventive agent against acute alcoholic liver disease.