An In-vivo Study into the Effects of Schisandrin B in the Liver, Spleen, Kidney, and Brain of Acute Thioacetamide-intoxicated Mice

Currently, there are no effective treatments for liver diseases. Treatment usually involves controlling complications and supportive care. As liver injuries also affect other organs such as the spleen, kidney, and brain due to their anatomical and physiological relationships, finding an effective treatment is urgently needed. This research aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Schisandrin B (Sch B) in the liver and other organs in thioacetamide (TAA)-intoxicated mice. In this study, mice were exposed to a single intraperitoneal injection of 200 mg/kg TAA to induce hepatitis. Following Sch B (20 mg/kg/day, 28 consecutive days) treatment, biochemistry analysis and histopathological examination of different organs were performed, in addition to western blotting and flow cytometry to evaluate the involvement of inflammasomes and apoptotic proteins. Our results showed that administration of Sch B protected against TAA-induced damages, and it disparately affected inflammasome activation and apoptosis in different organs. Furthermore, Sch B treatment improved organ function, as indicated by the improvement of serum biochemical parameters. Collectively, our findings reveal a beneficial effect of Sch B on different organ damages in mice intoxicated with TAA.