Chlorogenic acid from sunflower meal regulates the number of immunocompetent cells in animals with toxic liver fibrosis

Summary: The inflammatory process is associated with oxidative stress and the immune system hyperactivity and is aimed at inducing the restoration of damaged biological structures. However, with prolonged persistence of the immune system hyperactivity, various pathologies can form. The essence of the problem is to bring the immune system hyperactivity back to “normal” after starting the process of restoring damaged structures. On an experimental model of Cu-induced liver fibrosis (Wistar rats), we studied the possibility of eliminating the cellular immunity hyperactivity by oral and intraperitoneal injection of chlorogenic acid (CGA) to animals in comparison with the action of retinol. The effect of retinol or CGA on anatomical and histological changes in the liver, the number of immunocompetent cells (leukocytes, lymphocytes, granulocytes and monocytes), erythrocytes and platelets, and their characteristics in the peripheral blood of rats with Cu-induced fibrosis were determined. It was shown that in animals with liver fibrosis there is hyperactivity of the cellular immunity. The administration of retinol to animals with liver fibrosis three times at a dose of 300 IU/100 g of body weight did not affect to immunocompetent cells number. At the same time the number of erythrocytes in these animals decreased, their volume and anisocytosis increased, i.e. the initial stages of anemia development were manifested. Platelet counts, which were elevated in animals with fibrosis, were restored to normal after retinol addition. At the same time, the administration of CGA per os at the initial stages of the liver fibrosis development was accompanied by a decrease in the cellular immunity hyperactivity (the number of leukocytes, granulocytes decreased to the control level, and the number of monocytes remained somewhat elevated), the number of platelets also decreased to control values, i.e. CGA showed an anti-inflammatory effect. If CGA was injected intraperitoneally, it showed effects similar to retinol. CGA can be used as a biologically active substance that can eliminate the immune system hyperactivity in animals with fibrosis, and it depends on the method of administration CGA into the body.