Regulatory Effect of Gandou Decoction on Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway in Liver of Wilson Model Copper-loaded Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect of Gandou decoction (GDD) on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in hepatic tissue of Wilson disease model copper-loaded rats and its potential mechanism. Method: One hundred and fifteen SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group (n=20) and modeling group. Modeling group was given copper sulfate feed (1 g·kg-1·d-1) and 0.185%copper sulfate solution (0.02 mL·g-1·d-1) for 12 weeks after one week's adaptive feeding, so as to build the copper loaded rats model. After modeling, 95 model rats were randomly divided into model group (n=45), which were fed by modeling method for continuously four weeks; GDD group and penicillamine (PCA) group (n=25 per group). GDD group and PCA group were given GDD(0.4 g·kg-1·d-1) and PCA (0.09 g·kg-1·d-1) by gavage for four weeks. The hepatic tissues of rats in each group were removed after final medication for further research:inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry(ICP-AES) was used to detect the content of Cu element in rat livers. Htoxylin eosin(HE) staining was used to detect the pathological changes of rat liver. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expression of oxidative stress. Western blot was used to detect protein expressions in Wnt/β-catenin of rat livers. Result: Compared with model group, content of Cu element in GDD group was less (PPPβ-catenin, p-glycogen synthase kinase-3β(p-GSK3β),cellular myelocytomatosis oncogene (c-Myc) in GDD and PCA group increased, while p-β-catenin, Dishevelled3, GSK3β protein expressions reduced (PConclusion: GDD can relieve liver damage by promoting excessive copper discharge. GDD decoction can promote the compensatory self-healing of the injured liver tissue by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the hepatic tissue of Wilson disease model copper-loaded rats, so as to reduce the therapeutic effect of hepatocellular injury induced by high copper.