Protective effect of Ecklonia cava polyphenol against ethanol‐induced liver injury in rat hepatocytes

Abstract

IntroductionAlcoholic liver disease is characterized by a pathological process with progressive liver damage leading to steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis and finally cirrhosis. Ethanol metabolism‐associated oxidative stress contributes to be the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. Here, we examined the effect of the extract of Ecklonia cava, brown algae, on ethanol‐induced liver injury in rat primary hepatocytes.MethodsIsolated hepatocytes were cultured with or without 100 mM ethanol. Ecklonia cava polyphenol (ECP) was dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide. ECP (0~25 μg/ml) was added to culture medium with ethanol simultaneously. The cells were cultured for 0~24 hrs.ResultsIn the cultured hepatocytes, ECP treatment suppressed the ethanol‐induced increase in cell death by inhibiting cytochrome p450 2E1(CYP2E1) expression and activity, which is related to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when large quantities of ethanol are oxidized. On the other hand, ECP treatment increased the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase.ConclusionThese results suggest that ECP protects against ethanol‐induced liver injury via regulating alcoholic metabolizing enzymes and then suppressing ROS production.