[Effect of grape procyanidins on expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax in ethanol-induced liver injury in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of grape procyanidins (GPC) on the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax in the liver of mice with ethanol-induced liver injury. METHOD: The mice were orally given at the different doses of GPC (50,100 and 200 mg/kg) and 4 g/kg ethanol, and killed after 4 weeks. The proliferation activity of the hepatic cells was determined by MTT assay,the levels of Caspase-3 and Bax protein expression in the cells were measured by immunohistochemistry method. RESULTS: The expression level of Caspase-3 and Bax protein in high dose group were 19.08% and 14.06%, respectively, and those of the ethanol-injured group were 51.78% and 58.08%. The differences between the two groups were significant (P < 0.05). The cell proliferation activity of high dose and medium dose group was higher than the cell proliferation activity of ethanol-injured group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: GPC could suppressing the expression of Caspase-3 and Bax in the liver of mice with ethanol-induced liver injury.