Objective  To investigate the effect of astaxanthin (AST) treatment on acute liver injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mouse.

Method  Forty healthy male ICR mice were randomly allocated into four groups including control group(CK), AST group, LPS group and AST preprotection group (AST+LPS group). Body weight and liver index of mice were recorded. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) level in serum was measured by ELISA. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and catalase(CAT) were measured by biochemical methods. The relative mRNA expression levels of antioxidant enzymes including SOD, GSH-Px, CAT and glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) were measured by fluorescence quantitative PCR. HE staining was used to observe the histopathological changes.

Result  The initial weight of mice in each group was 18 g. The final weight was 9−11 g higher than the initial weight, and there was no significant difference among groups(P>0.05). Compared with LPS group, the liver index (0.054), serum MPO level (10.20 ng·mL^–1), and MDA content (2.83 μmol·g^–1) in liver tissue were significantly reduced in AST+LPS group (P<0.05). Astaxanthin increased the activities of SOD(512.14 U·mg^–1), GSH-Px(848.91 U·mg^–1) and CAT (61.53 U·mg^–1) as well as the relative mRNA expression levels of tested antioxidases. In addition, the damage degree of liver in AST+LPS group was low, and hepatocyte structure was perfectly aligned.

Conclusion  Astaxanthin treatment can protect the morphology of hepatocyte, increase antioxidant level and the mRNA expression of antioxidase in liver, and thereby relive liver oxidative stress and alleviate LPS-induced acute liver injury in mice.