A polysaccharide (PNPA) from Pleurotus nebrodensis ameliorates hepatic ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats

The effects of a polysaccharide (PNPA) from the fruiting bodies of Pleurotus nebrodensis on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats were explored. Severe liver injury was shown in rats following I/R with high content of serum AST and ALT, as evidenced by histological examination, whereas less damage was noted after PNPA treatment compared to rats in the I/R group. Also, pre-treatment with PNPA (400 mg/kg) could reduce the level of MDA in liver tissue and increase the activity of ROS scavengers (T-AOC, SOD, CAT, GSH-PX), Nitric oxide synthase (T-NOS and iNOS), and GSH. Moreover, PNPA could still reduce the production of I/R-induced inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB) in liver, along with MPO. I/R-induced high level of pro-apoptotic indicators (cytochrome c, Bax, and caspase 3) and low level of anti-apoptotic indicators Bcl-2 were reversed after PNPA pretreatment. Therefore, PNPA might be a promising candidate for preventing hepatic I/R injury.