Abstract: In this study,the mechanism of triptolide(TP)-induced liver injury was investigated.A total of 20 female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into two groups.Serum alanine aminotransaminase(ALT) levels and hepatic pathological change were used to explore the degree of liver damage,and hepatitic interleukin(IL)-17,IL-6 were detected through RT-PCR and ELISA.The mRNA expression of hepatic retinoid related orphan receptor(ROR-γt) was also examined by RT-PCR.The expression of hepatic Toll-like receptor4(TLR4) was examined by Western blot.Data showed that TP effectively increased serum ALT levels(P<0.005, vs control group) and promoted hepatic pathological damage.Meanwhile,TP also significantly promoted the expression of IL-17,IL6,ROR-γt mRNA and IL-17,IL-6 protein in mouse liver(P<0.005).Furthermore,the protein expression of TLR4 was obviously increased,compared with control group(P<0.005).Taken together,the result suggested that TP induced liver injury through activating the TLR4 signal,increasing the expression of IL-17,IL-6 and Th17 specific transcription factor ROR-γt,and promoting the activation of Th17 cells and enhancing the inflammatory function.

Key words: triptolide, liver injury, cytokines, C57BL/6 mouse