Intervention of Grape Seed Procyanidin Extract (GSPE) on Liver Toxicity of Mice Induced by Arsenic

Objectives To observe the intervention of grape seed procyanidin extract (GSPE) on liver toxicity in mice induced by arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) and to evaluate the antioxidant mechanism of GSPE.

Methods Fifty healthy male KM mice were randomly divided by body weight i nto 5 groups:a control group (saline, 0.9% NaCl), a As₂O₃ (4 mg/kg·bw) group, and three As₂O₃ (4 mg/kg·bw)+GSPE groups with high dose (400 mg/kg·bw), middle dose (200 mg/kg·bw) and low dose (100 mg/kg·bw) of GSPE.The 10 mice in each group were treated by gastric perfusion for 5 weeks; and the body weight, liver weight and liver index were measured.The activities and levels of AST, ALT, T-AOC, MDA and GSH in liver tissue were measured by test kits.

Results The content of GSH, the body weight, the level of T-AOC in As₂ O₃ treated groups were significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.05).The liver weight, the liver index, the activities of ALT and AST, the content of MDA in As₂O₃ treated groups were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05).The body weight of As₂O₃+GSPE groups with high and middle dose of GSPE was significantly higher than the As₂O₃ group (P < 0.05).The liver weight, the liver index, the activities of ALT and AST, the content of MDA in all As₂O₃+GSPE groups were significantly lower than the As₂O₃ group (P < 0.05).The content of GSH, the level of T-AOC in all As₂O₃+GSPE groups were significantly higher than the As₂O₃ group (P < 0.05).The body weight of As₂O₃+low GSPE dose group was significantly lower than the As₂O₃+middle GSPE dose group (P < 0.05);The content of GSH in As₂ O₃+high GSPE dose group was significantly higher than the As₂ O₃+low and middle dose GSPE group(P < 0.05).

Conclusions The liver toxicity induced by arsenic trioxide might be reduced by GSPE in the way of antioxidant mechanism.Higher dose of GSPE was more effective in the inhibition of liver toxicity.