Effects of total glycosides of Cornus officinalis on antioxidant and immune function of Cyprinus carpio induced by CT

To investigate the effects of Cornus officinalis total glycosides on antioxidant properties, immune function, and serum biochemical indices in Cyprinus carpio induced by carbon tetrachloride (CT), 135 C. carpio with initial body weight of (22.15±1.15) g were randomly divided into five groups. The experimental groups (T1, T2 and T3) were fed diets supplemented with 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 300 mg/kg of C. officinalis total glycosides, respectively. The control (C) and CT groups were fed an equal volume of normal saline. After 7 days of continuous feeding, CT (5 mL/kg) was administered to the CT and the experimental groups, and samples were collected after 24 h. The morphology of hepatopancreas and kidney tissues, serum biochemical indices, antioxidant and immune related indices were assessed. Results indicated that the CT injection caused significant damage to hepatopancreas and kidney tissues. However, C. officinalis total glycosides significantly reduced the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P<0.05), and mitigated vacuolization of hepatopancreas cells, nuclear damage, and glomerular swelling. Compared to the CT group, serum levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly decreased in the T3 group (P<0.05), indicating an improvement in CT-induced dyslipidemia. Furthermore, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the hepatopancreas and kidney and of the T3 group were significantly increased, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was significantly reduced (P<0.05). Acid phosphatase (ACP) activity in the hepatopancreas of the T2 group, and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and ACP activities in the kidney of the T3 group were significantly up-regulated (P<0.05). Gene expression analysis revealed that C. officinalis total glycosides up-regulated the expression of antioxidase-related genes (cat, sod, gst, gpx) and down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory factors il-β and nf-κb p65 (P<0.05). Over all, these findings demonstrate that oral administration of 200−300 mg/kg C. officinalis total glycosides can alleviate CT-induced hepatopancreatic and renal tissue damage by enhancing tissue antioxidant and immune functions.