The Hepatotprotective and Antioxidative Effects of Onion (Allium cepa) Extracts in Rat Hepatocyte Primary Culture

양파(Allium cepa) 추출물의 간보호 및 항산화 효과

The objectives of present study were to investigate the hepatoprotective and antioxidative effects of onion extracts. Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were incubated with 1.5 mM tert-butyl hydroperoxide(t-BHP), potent oxidizing agent for liver injury for 1 hr in the presence or absence of various concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1 or 0.3 mg/ml) of onion extract. Cytotoxicity and cell viability were determined by measuring glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(GOT) activity, lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) activity and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide(MTT) value. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) assay. Effects on antioxidant system were determined by measuring catalase, glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px), glutathione reductase(GSH-Rd) activities as well as DNA strand breaking assay. Incubation with t-BHP alone increased GOT and LDH activities and TBARS concentration but decreased MTT reduction. Onion extracts at the concentration of 0.05 mg/ml began to decrease GOT and LDH activities induced by 1.5 mM t-BHP. Decreased MTT reduction began to be increased by onion extract at the concentration of 0.01 mg/ml. Onion extracts at the concentration of 0.01 mg/ml began to decrease TBARS concentration induced by t-BHP. Taken together, onion extracts prevented t-BHP-induced hepatocyte injury and lipid peroxidation. Catalase, GSH-Px and GSH-Rd activities of hepatocytes were significantly decreased by 1.5 mM t-BHP for 1 hr incubation. Onion extracts, on the other hand, at the concentration of 0.1 mg/ml began to prevent t-BHP-induced decrease in catalase, GSH-Px and GSH-Rd activities. Onion extracts prevented hydroxyl radical-induced single-strand breakage in dose-dependent manner when plasmid DNA was incubated with various concentrations of onion extracts in the presence of Fenton regents producing hydroxyl radical. These results demonstrate that onion extracts suppressed t-BHP-induced cytoctoxicity, decreased viability and lipid peroxidation and increased GSH-Px, GSH-Rd and catalase activities. Thus hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of onion extract seem to be due to, at least in part, the increase in antioxidant enzyme activities as well as prevention from hydroxyl radical-induced oxidation, followed by inhibition in lipid peroxidation.

본 연구의 목적은 양파추출물의 간보호 및 항산화 효과를 조사하기 위함이다. 간 손상을 유발시키는 t-BHP (1.5mM) 존재하에 간세포를 0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1 및 0.3 mg/ml의 다양한 농도의 양파추출물로 1시간 동안 일차배양하였다. 간세포 독성과 생존율은 배양액의 GOT와 LDH 활성 및 MTT 값으로 결정하였고, 지질과산화는 TBARS 농도로 측정하였다. 항산화에 미치는 효과는 catalase, GSH-Px, GSH-Rd 활성 및 DNA strand breaking assay로 결정하였다. t-BHP는 GOT와 LDH 활성 및 TBARS 농도를 증가시켰으며 MTT값은 감소시켰다. 0.05 mg/ml 이상 농도의 양파추출물 첨가는 1.5 mM 농도의 t-BHP에 의해 증가된 GOT 및 LDH 활성을 감소시켰으며 0.01 mg/ml 이상 농도의 양파추출물은 t-BHP에 의해 감소된 MTT 값을 증가시켰다. 또한 0.01 mg/ml 이상 농도의 양파추출물 첨가는 t-BHP에 의해 증가된 TBARS 농도를 감소시켜 양파추출물이 t-BHP에 의해 유발된 간손상과 지질과산화를 억제시켰다. 1시간 동안 1.5 mM 농도의 t-BHP 처리는 간세포의 catalase, GSH-Px 및 GSH-Rd 활성을 현저히 감소시켰다. 그러나 0.01 mg/ml 이상 농도의 양파추출물 첨가는 t-BHP에 의해 감소된 catalase, GSH-Px 및 GSH-Rd 활성을 증가시켰으며 특히 catalase 활성은 t-BHP 무첨가군 수준까지 증가시켰다. 또한 hydroxyl radical을 생성하는 Fenton 시약의 존재하에 plasmid DNA를 양파추출물과 함께 배양하였을 때양파추출물은 농도 의존적으로 hydroxyl radical에 의해 유도된 single-strand 절단을 억제하였다. 이상과 같이 간세포 일차배양에서 양파추출물은 t-BHP에 의해 유발된 간독성, 간세포 생존율 감소, 지질과산화를 농도 의존적으로 억제시켰고 또한 t-BHP에 의해 억제된 GSH-Px, GSH-Rd 및 catalase의 활성을 증가시켰다. 이와 같이 양파추출물의 간보호 및 항산화 효과는 항산화 효소, 특히 catalase의 활성 증가와 hydroxyl radical에 의해 유도된 산화억제 및 이에 따른 지질과산화 억제에 기인하는 것으로 사료된다.