<i>Ecklonia cava</i> polyphenol prevents ethanol‐induced liver injury in rats

<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction</jats:title><jats:p>The development of alcoholic liver disease is a complex process involving both the parenchymal and non‐parenchymal cells in the liver. Here, we examined the effect of the extract of <jats:italic>Ecklonia cava</jats:italic>, a brown algae, on ethanol‐induced liver injury.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>1) Isolated hepatocytes or hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were cultured with or without 100 mM ethanol. The cells were cultured with <jats:italic>Ecklonia cava</jats:italic> polyphenol (ECP) (0~25 μg/ml) for 0~24 hrs. 2) Male Wistar rats were fed a diet with or without 0.02 or 0.2% ECP. Animals were given drinking 5% (v/v) ethanol with two doses of CCl<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> (0.1 ml/kg BW, i.p.) weekly for 3 weeks.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>In cultured hepatocytes, the treatment of ECP suppressed ethanol‐induced increase in cell death via the protecting the levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH). In HSCs, the treatment with ECP suppressed ethanol‐induced increase in expression of type I collagen and α‐SMA via the remaining the levels of intracellular ROS and GSH. It has been reported that hepatic histological changes in ethanol‐CCl<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> induced fibrosis model were similar to those found in human alcoholic cirrhosis. Therefore, we examined the effect of ECP on serum AST and ALT activities and liver fibrosis in rats treated with ethanol plus CCl<jats:sub>4</jats:sub>. The treatment of ECP suppressed the leakage of AST and ALT in the ethanol plus CCl<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> treated rats. The collagen accumulation in the liver and hepatic necrosis was observed in ethanol plus CCl<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> treated rats, but ECP treatment totally protected against ethanol plus CCl<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> induced liver fibrosis and necrosis.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>These results suggest that ECP may be a candidate for preventing ethanol‐induced liver injury.</jats:p></jats:sec>