Background/objective: Inchin-ko-to (ICKT) is an herbal medicine used in Japan to treat jaundice and liver fibrosis.We investigated the effect of oral ICKT supplementation on endotoxin-induced cholestasis in the rat.
Material and methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection (1 mg/kg body weight i.p.) was used as a model of sepsis-induced cholestasis. Bile flow, biliary bile salt secretion, biliary glutathione secretion and protein expression of the main hepatobiliary transporters Na(+)-taurocholate-cotransporting peptide (Ntcp), multidrug resistance protein 2 (Mrp2) and bile salt export pump (Bsep) were analyzed by conventional techniques in ICKT treated and non-treated animals.
Results: Injection of LPS induced a significant decrease of bile flow (-24%), biliary bile salts (-40%) and glutathione excretion (-70%) as well as a significant decrease in Ntcp (-90%) and Mrp2 (-80%) protein levels. ICKT supplementation partially prevented the effects of LPS determining a less intense reduction in bile flow (-10%), a normalization of glutathione excretion as well as a significant increase in Mrp2 protein levels to 60% of the levels observed in control animals. ICKT administration did not modify the effects of LPS on BS secretion or Ntcp protein levels.
Conclusion: Our data show that oral supplementation of ICKT partially prevents LPS-induced cholestasis by increasing Mrp2 protein levels and biliary glutathione excretion thus increasing bile salt-independent flow.