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Propolis improved the hepatic architecture by controlling stat-3 and stat-5 phosphorylation, and survivin expression in a mouse model of liver fibrosis

Research Authors
Eman Abdo Sayed; Hanan Waly; Khadiga Abdel-Hameed Hassan;
Gamal Badr
Research Abstract

Propolis has several biological/pharmacological properties. The current study investigated the potential hepatoprotective benefits of propolis in CCl4-treated mice. Three groups of male BALB/c mice (n=15/group) were used in the current study: group I comprised control mice, groups II was intraperitoneally injected with CCl4 (1.0 mL of 10% CCl4 dissolved in olive oil/kg body weight, twice/week for six weeks) for inducing liver fibrosis, group III was treated with CCl4 as in group II and then supplemented orally with the ethanol-soluble derivative of propolis (100 mg/kg body weight/day) for additional four weeks. The antifibrotic effects of propolis were assessed by histological analysis, western blotting, flow cytometry, and ELISA. The results indicated that the CCl4-treated mice exhibited histopathological alterations in the liver architecture with an increase in the numbers of Kupffer cells, a significant increase in the lymphocytes apoptosis and in the plasma nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, C-reactive protein, and platelet derived growth factor levels, and a significant decrease in the plasma total glutathione level, as compared with the control group. The liver of CCl4-treated mice also exhibited a significant increase in the expression of collagen and survivin, upregulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation, and downregulation of STAT5 phosphorylation. Interestingly, propolis abrogated significantly the hepatic collagen deposition, inflammatory signals, and oxidative stress, and improved the hepatic architecture in CCl4-treated mice nearly to the normal architecture observed in the control mice. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate the potential hepatoprotective effects of propolis in alleviating the liver fibrosis.

Research Department
Research Journal
Egyptian Journal of Zoology
Research Member
Research Publisher
The Zoological Society of A. R. Egypt
Research Rank
2
Research Vol
NULL
Research Website
NULL
Research Year
2020
Research Pages
NULL