Abstract
Context: Date fruits have protective effects against liver fibrosis; however their anti-apoptotic effects have not been investigated.
Objective: To investigate the modulating effects of date fruits on pro- and anti-apoptotic markers, cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in liver fibrosis. Materials and methods: Liver fibrosis was induced by injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for eight weeks. Date flesh extract (DFE) and pits extract (DPE) were taken daily concomitant with CCl4. Hepatocyte apoptosis was determined by measuring the expression of Fas, caspase-3, Bax, Bcl2 and hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1). Hepatic levels of HGF and CYP2E1 were determined.
Results: Treatment with DFE and DPE significantly attenuated the elevated levels of Fas, caspase 3, Bax and CYP2E1 induced by CCl4. In addition, they alleviated the reduction in Bcl2, HGF and HO-1, the cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic factors in liver. Conclusions DFE and DPE treatment can ameliorate liver fibrosis by inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis.
Declaration of interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this article.
Funding
This work was funded by the National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (MAARIFAH), King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Award number (11-MED- 2084–02).
Supplementary material available online