Demethyleneberberine attenuates concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis in mice through inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK signaling

Abstract Demethyleneberberine (DMB) is a natural product which has been reported to possess mitochondria-targeting anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effect. However, the pharmacological action and molecular mechanism of DMB on autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) have not been explored. In this study, AIH was induced by intravenously injecting Con A (20 mg/kg) in mice for 8 h, and DMB protected against Con A-induced AIH, evidenced by obvious reduction of hepatic enzymes in serum and histological lesion. DMB significantly inhibited the infiltration of CD4+ T cell and Kupffer cell as well as the expression of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and IFN-γ by ELISA and qPCR analysis. Western blotting analysis illustrated that DMB remarkably inhibited Con A-induced phosphorylation of IKK, IκB, NF-κB p65, ERK, JNK, p38 MAPK and STAT3 induced by Con A. Moreover, DMB also effectively suppressed hepatic oxidative stress with reduction of MDA and elevation of GSH. Taken together, our findings indicated that DMB could prevent Con A-induced AIH by regulating NF-κB and MAPK signaling, suggesting that DMB can serve as a promising candidate for therapy of AIH.