Mechanism of antihepatotoxic activity of wuweizisu C and gomisin A1.

The mechanism of inhibitory action of wuweizisu C and gomisin A in carbon tetrachloride (CCl (4))-induced liver damage was investigated by determining the effects of these substances on the steps of the series of events leading to liver lesion. Although wuweizisu C and gomisin A exerted no inhibition in CCl (3) radical formation, both lignans inhibited CCl (4)-, ADP/Fe (3+)- and ascorbate/Fe (2+)-induced lipid peroxidation, and wuweizisu C elicited stronger effects than gomisin A which is parallel with the results on antihepatotoxic effects in CCl (4)-induced cytotoxicity, indicating that anti-oxidative action plays an important part in the antihepatotoxic activity of wuweizisu C and gomisin A.