Effect and mechanism of baicalin on acute liver injury in mice

ZOU Xiang; MAO Zhancun; WANG Xing

doi:10.13506/j.cnki.jpr.2025.08.004

Abstract：Objective To study the effect and mechanism of baicalin on acute liver injury(ALI)in mice induced by carbon tetrachloride(CCl4).Methods Male C57BL/6JNifdc mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group,positive drug group,and baicalin low,medium,and high dose groups.The ALI model of mice was prepared by intraperitoneal injection of 0.1％CCl4 peanut oil solution.Each group was given orally for 7 days.The mouse NCTC1469 cells were randomly divided into normal group,model group,baicalin group,TAK-242 group and baicalin+TAK-242 group.The in vitro ALI model was established with CCl4 of the final concentration of 10 mmol·L-1.The contents of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alkaline phosphatase(ALP)in serum and the contents of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in serum and cell supernatant were determined.The protein expressions of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4),inhibitor-κB kinase ε(IKKε)and tank-binding kinase 1(TBK1)were detected in liver tissues and cells.Results The contents of ALT,AST and ALP,IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in serum of ALI mice,and the expression of TLR4,TBK1 and IKKε in liver tissue were significantly increased compared with the normal group.Besides,liver cell necrosis,inflammatory cell infiltration and hepatic cord arrangement disorder were observed in liver of ALI mice.Baicalin could significantly reverse the abnormal expression of the above indexes;In cell experiments,it was found that CCl4 induced significantly increased contents of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in the supernatant of NCTC1469 cells,as well as the expression of TLR4,TBK1 and IKKε proteins in the cells.Baicalin,TAK-242 and baicalin+TAK-242 significantly decreased the contents of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α as well as the expression of TLR4,TBK1 and IKKε in the cells,and there was no significant difference in the above indexes in TAK-242 and baicalin+TAK-242 groups.Conclusion Baicalin may regulate inflammation and improve CCl4-induced ALI through TLR4-TBK1-IKKε axis.