Schisandra chinensis polysaccharide protects against cyclosporin A-induced liver injury by promoting hepatocyte proliferation

• Schisandra chinensis Polysaccharide protects liver damage induced by CsA. • SCP alleviates liver injury by increasing cells proliferation. • BNDF is related to cell proliferation and significantly reduced in CsA-induced cells. • SCP protects cell proliferation may be by affecting Nrf2 and increasing BDNF. Schisandra chinensis polysaccharide (SCP) is a natural plant ingredient protecting liver and kidney. However, the protection mechanism of SCP is unknown. Cyclosporine A (CsA) is an immunosuppressive drug used after organ’s transplantation. The adverse effects on kidney or liver may limit its application. The purpose of this study was to extract and purify SCP to further explore its potential mechanism of action on liver injury induced by CsA. Results showed that SCP prevented CsA-induced liver cells and function injury. Furthermore, SCP promoted the proliferation of LX-2 cells with increasing expression of Ki67 and EdU. Mechanistically, SCP promoted CsA-induced Nrf2 activation and consequently affected the downstream brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)increasing. The findings in this study suggest that SCP is a potentially safe drug for ameliorating liver injury induced by CsA.