Combination of chlorogenic acid and salvianolic acid B protects against polychlorinated biphenyls-induced oxidative stress through Nrf2

•CGA and Sal B had the best antioxidant activities in a total of 12 CADs.•CGA plus Sal B had a synergetic protection on PCB126-induced mice liver injury.•Nrf2 signaling might be involved in the PCB126-induced oxidative stress.

Caffeic acid derivatives (CADs) are well-known phytochemicals with multiple physiological and pharmacological activities. This study aimed to investigate the combined protective effects of CADs on PCB126-induced liver damages and oxidative stress in mice. Here, we used chemiluminescence and chose chlorogenic acid (CGA), salvianolic acid B (Sal B) as the best antioxidants. Then, mice were intragastrically administered with 60 mg/kg/d CGA, Sal B, and CGA plus Sal B (1:1) for 3 weeks before exposing to 0.05 mg/kg/d PCB126 for 2 weeks. We found that pretreatment with CGA, Sal B, and CGA plus Sal B effectively attenuated liver injury and cytotoxicity caused by PCB126, but improved the expressions of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reduced (GSH), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), CGA plus Sal B especially, was found to have the best effects that indicated a synergetic protective effect. Taken together, as the Nrf2 regulates the cyto-protective response by up-regulating the expression of antioxidant genes, we suggested that CGA plus Sal B had a combined protection on PCB126-induced tissue damages and that the Nrf2 signaling might be involved.

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