Abstract: Objective To explore the restraining effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on endoplasmic
reticulum stress route of hepatocyte apoptosis in rats with acute liver failure. Methods Acute liver failure rat
model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of D-Gal. Total of 60 model rats were randomly divided into two
groups (group A and group B), 30 rats in each group. Group A was the ursodesoxycholic acid group and group
B was blank control group. The survival rate and liver function of rats were detected at different time points.
Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to observe hepatocyte DNA apoptosis band and semi-quantitative reverse
transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression level of Caspase-12 mRNA in liver
tissues. Results Acute liver failure rat model was successfully induced by D-Gal. No death occurred in both
groups within 24 h, most deaths occurred in 24～48 h, and no death occurred after 96 h. In the DNA gradient
analysis for liver tissues of group B, typical apoptosis band appeared at 24 h, which did not attenuated at 48 h,
began to attenuate at 72 h and disappeared after 7 d. ALT reached a peak at 48 h, with no significant changes in
TBil and no changes in ALB. The expression of Caspase-12 mRNA also reached a peak at 48 h, and gradually
decreased later. In the DNA gradient analysis for liver tissues of group A, atypical apoptosis band appeared at
24 h, the apoptosis band at 48 h was similar to that at 24 h, and no obvious apoptosis band was present after 72 h.
Compared with group B, the differences of ALT and Caspase-12 mRNA levels were statistically significant (P ＜
0.05). Conclusion UDCA has obvious restraining effect on the endoplasmic reticulum stress route of hepatocyte
apoptosis in rats with acute hepatic failure.