关键词: 促红素衍生肽, 刀豆蛋白A, 急性肝损伤, 炎症, 凋亡

Abstract: Objective To investigate the protective effects of helix B surface peptide (HBSP) on concanavalin A (Con A)-induced acute liver injury (ALI) in mice.Methods ALI mice was induced with Con A administration. Two hours later, intravenous injection of HBSP was carried out every 6 h with the dose of 8 nmol·kg^-1. Serum and liver tissue samples were collected at 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h after Con A administration for evaluating liver function and histopathology. Inflammatory cell infiltration and cytokines were examined at 12 h, and hepatocytes apoptosis was measured using TUNEL analysis and immunohistochemistry (cleaved caspase-3). .Results Compared with Con A administration without HBSP treatment mice, HBSP treatment group showed significantly decreased levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in serum and pro-inflammatory cytokines in liver tissues, as well as less hepatocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, HBSP improved the survival among those mice with ALI induced by Con A. Immunohistochemical staining indicated that HBSP relieved hepatocyte necrosis with the significantly decreased expression of cleaved caspase-3 in liver tissues, which was confirmed in TUNEL analysis.Conclusion HBSP is a potential therapeutic agent against Con A induced ALI, which might be associated with the inhibition of liver inflammation and hepatocyte apoptosis.

Key words: Helix B surface peptide, Concanavalin A, Acute liver injury, Inflammation, Apoptosis.