Protective effects of capillarisin on tert-butylhydroperoxide-induced oxidative damage in rat primary hepatocytes

Capillarisin (Cap), a main constituent of Artemisia capillaris (Compositae) , was studied for its antioxidant bioactivity. In the preliminary study, Ca p expressed a antioxidant property by its capacity for quenching the free r adicals of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). This antioxidant bioactivi ty of Cap was investigated further using a model of t-butyl-hydroperoxide ( t-BHP)-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in rat primary hepatocytes. Re sults presented here demonstrate that Cap, at concentrations of 0.01-1.00 m g/ml, significantly decreased the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) an d alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) induced by 30 min treatment of t-BHP (1.5 mM) in primary cultured rat hepa tocytes. Cap also attenuated the t-BHP-induced diminution of glutathione (G SH) and high level of DNA repaired synthesis. These results lead to specula tion that Cap presents inhibitory effects against t-BHP-caused cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in rat primary hepatocyte cultures at least via two disti nct pathways, stabilizing the GSH system and quenching free radicals.