Luteolin Alleviates Methamphetamine-Induced Hepatotoxicity by Suppressing the p53 Pathway-Mediated Apoptosis, Autophagy, and Inflammation in Rats

Misuse of the psychostimulant methamphetamine (METH) could induce serious hepatotoxicity. Our previous study revealed the effects of luteolin on alleviating METH-induced hepatotoxicity, however, the detailed mechanisms have not been elucidated. In this study, rats were orally pretreated with 100 mg/kg luteolin or sodium dodecyl sulfate water, and then METH (15 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.]) or saline was administered. Histopathological and biochemical analyses were used to determine the alleviative effects of luteolin. Based on the RNA-sequencing data, METH induced 1859 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in comparison with the control group, which were enriched into 11 signaling pathways. Among these DEGs, 497 DEGs could be regulated through luteolin treatment and enriched into 16 pathways. The p53 signaling pathway was enriched in both METH administered and luteolin pretreated rats. Meanwhile, luteolin significantly suppressed METH-induced elevation of p53, caspase9, caspase3, cleaved caspase3, the ratio of Bax/Beclin-2, as well as autophagy-related Beclin-1, Atg5, and LC3-II. Luteolin also relieved METH-induced hepatotoxicity by decreasing inflammation factors, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18. Moreover, the levels of PI3K, p-Akt, and the normalized ratio of p-Akt/Akt declined after METH administration, whereas luteolin pretreatment failed to reverse these effects. Our results suggest that luteolin alleviates METH-induced hepatic apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation through repressing the p53 pathway. It further illustrates the protective mechanisms of luteolin on METH-induced hepatotoxicity and provides a research basis for clinical treatment.