Ecklonia cava polyphenol protects the liver against ethanol-induced injury in rats.

Background: The development of alcoholic liver disease is a complex process that involves both the parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells of the liver. We examined the effect of an Ecklonia cava extract on ethanol-induced liver injury.

Methods: Isolated hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were incubated with ethanol. Ecklonia cava polyphenol (ECP) was added to the cultures that had been incubated with ethanol. Male Wistar rats were fed a diet that included 0.02% or 0.2% ECP or no ECP. For a period of 3 weeks, the animals were given drinking water containing 5% ethanol and were also treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) (0.1 ml/kg of body weight).

Results: In the cultured hepatocytes, the ECP treatment suppressed the ethanol-induced increase in cell death by maintaining intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels. In HSCs, ECP treatment suppressed the ethanol-induced increases in type I collagen and α-smooth muscle actin expression by maintaining intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species and GSH. We examined the effects of ECP on serum AST and ALT activity, as well as the progression of liver fibrosis in rats treated with ethanol and CCl4. ECP treatment suppressed plasma AST and ALT activities in the ethanol- and CCl4-treated rats. ECP treatment fully protected the rats against ethanol- and CCl4-induced liver injury.

General Significance: ECP may be a candidate for preventing ethanol-induced liver injury.