상황버섯 배양균사체 추출물 (MCPL)이 알코올성 간 손상에 미치는 영향을 살펴보았다. Sprague-Dawley계 흰 쥐에 40% 알코올 3 ml을 MCPL (5 mg 및 15 mg/Kg)과 함께 1일 1회 10일간 투여하였다. 간 기능의 표지가 되는 혈청내 AST와 ALT값이 에탄올에 의해 현저히 증가하였으나 MCPL 투여에 의해 저하되며 특히 ALT 값이 유의성 있게 낮아졌다. 병리조직학적으로 살펴보면 알코올에 의해 염증세포의 침윤, 쿠퍼세포 반응 및 국소적 염증이 유발되나 MCPL투여에 의해 그 정도가 다소 완화되었다. 간소엽내 글리코겐 분포도 알코올에 의해 감소하나 MCPL투여에 의해 중심정맥주변 부위의 분포가 일부 회복되었다. 염증관련 단백질에 대한 Western blot 및 면역조직화학적 반응을 보면 에탄올 투여에 의해 COX-2, iNOS 및 $TNF-{alpha}$ 면역반응이 증가하나 MCPL투여에 의해 발현의 감소를 볼 수 있었다. 이상의 결과로 보아 MCPL은 알코올에 의한 간 손상에 대해 보호 기능을 가짐을 알 수 있다.
We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of mycelial culture extract from Phellinus linteus (MCPL) for suppression in the process of ethanol-induced inflammation in rat liver. Levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were significantly increased in the serum of ethanol-treated rats compared to normal. However, the level of ALT was arrested markedly in ethanol-treated rats with MCPL compared to ethanol alone treated control ones. Severe histopathological changes of liver such as cloudy swelling, inflammatory cells infiltration, Kupffer cell reaction and focal necrosis were demonstrated in the rats challenged with ethanol compared with normal. Fewer scores of these changes were observed in MCPL-treated rat with recovered glycogen in centrolobular region of hepatic lobule. The Western analysis showed that the expression of inflammatory proteins such as cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, COX-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{alpha}$ were increased in the ethanol-treated rat. But decline of COX-2 and iNOS expression were observed in MCPL-treated rat. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression of COX-2 and $TNF-{alpha}$ tended to increase in ethanol-treated rat, but decrease of these reactions were induced by MCPL treatment. These results suggest that MCPL may act as a protective agent for alcohol-induced liver injury through a regulating inflammation-related proteins.
