Abstract
This study focused on the preventive effects of the extracts of Rhus chinensis Mill. (RCM) fruits on cholestasis induced by 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) in mice. The results showed that RCM extracts could significantly ameliorate DDC-induced cholestasis via multiple mechanisms, including (1) alleviating liver damage via enhancing antioxidant capacity, such as increasing the contents of glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase and inhibiting the levels of malondialdehyde; (2) preventing liver inflammation by suppressing NF-κB pathway and reducing proinflammatory cytokines secretion (e.g., tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6); (3) inhibiting liver fibrosis and collagen deposition by regulating the expression of transforming growth factor-β and α-smooth muscle actin; (4) modulating abnormal bile acid metabolism through increasing the expression of bile salt export pump and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2. This study was the first to elucidate the potential preventive effect of RCM extracts on DDC-induced cholestasis in mice from multiple pathways, which suggested that RCM fruits could be considered as a potential dietary supplement to prevent cholestasis.