Protective Effects of Bear Bile against Hepatotoxicity Induced by 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in Mice

마우스에서 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin(TCDD)에 의해 유발된 간독성에 대한 웅담의 방어효과

The effect of bear bile on 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced hepatotoxicity was investigated in 6-week-old C57BL/6 male mice. Bear bile (100 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg) was administered orally daily for 4 weeks, respectively. From the second week, $10\;{\mu}g/kg$ of TCDD was administered to the bear bile-treated animals orally once a week for 3 weeks (a total of $30\;{\mu}g/kg$). There were no specific clinical findings and significant body weight changes in all groups. Although the livers in TCDD-treated mice appeared a severe hypertrophy and many necrotic foci, and changed to yellow-brown color in gross findings, these lesions were remarkably reduced by bear bile administration. The elevated serum activities of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase due to TCDD were significantly decreased by bear bile treatment (P<0.05). The lipid peroxidation induced by TCDD was significantly prevented by bear bile administration (P<0.05). In histological examinations, there were a moderate necrosis of hepatic cells around central veins, severe cytoplasmic vacuolizations, inflammatory cell infiltrations, and remarkable fatty changes in the liver of TCDD-treated animals. However, the lesions were dose-dependently inhibited by the bear bile treatments. These findings indicate that bear bile may have a protective effect against TCDD-induced hepatotoxicity in mice.