Abstract: Objective To investigate the protective effects of hesperidin (HDN) on hepatic injury induced by concanavalin A (Con A) in mice. Methods Hesperidin was administrated to mice daily for ten days via gastric gavage and then acute liver injury model was established by intravenous administration of Con A. Liver and spleen were weighed to calculate liver and spleen index. ALT and AST in serum, MDA and SOD was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results HDN pretreatment significantly decreased liver and spleen index, serum levels of ALT and AST (P＜0.01); pathological changes in hepatic tissue were dramatically improved; the content of MDA was decreased and the activity of SOD was increased (P＜0.01); the extent of hepatic apoptosis was significantly reduced; more importanty, Bcl-2 mRNA expression was up-regulated while Bax mRNA expression was down-regulated markedly (P＜0.01). Conclusion HDN pretreatment protects mice from Con A-induced acute liver injury probably through inhibiting lipid peroxidation and hepatocyte apoptosis.

Key words: Hesperidin, Concanavalin A, Acute liver injury, Bcl-2, Bax