Calycosin's Hepatoprotective Action Against Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury

Liver fibrosis is the consequence of the wound-healing response of the liver to frequent injury. Calycosin is a flavonoid with documented hepatoprotective properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate calycosin's action in a model of ethanol-induced liver injury (EILI) in rats. For mechanistic insights, researchers measured tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) protein levels in liver samples and evaluated calycosin's ability to bind these pathologic molecules. The study used network pharmacology and molecular docking for target protein discovery, and 40 male rats were assigned into five groups: vehicle, calycosin per se, EILI control, and EILI + calycosin (5 or 10 mg/kg). Liver homogenates were used for ELISA measurement of TNF-α, NF-κB, and HIF-1α, while liver specimens were used for histopathological and ultrastructural investigations. The results showed that calycosin attenuated histopathological changes, reduced collagen accumulation, and prevented increases in liver enzyme activities. These findings confirm the hepatoprotective effect of calycosin against EILI in rats and provide mechanistic insights through TNF-α/NF-κB/HIF-1α signaling.