Abstract: 【Objective】 This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of astaxanthin (AST) on the expression of antioxidation and inflammation related genes and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) proteins in liver of Channa argus induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).【Method】 500 healthy Channa argus (23.40 g±0.53 g) were selected and randomly divided into 5 groups, with 5 replicates in each group, and 20 in each replicate.The control group was fed with basic feed, and the test groups were fed with test feed containing 0 (LPS group), 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg astaxanthin, respectively.The test period was 56 days.At the end of the test period, the test group was intraperitoneally injected with 4 mg/kg BW LPS the next day, and the control group was injected with the same volume of PBS.After 24 h, liver samples were collected to detect the expression of antioxidant and inflammatory genes and glucocorticoid receptor(GR) protein.【Result】 ① Compared with the control group, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and nuclear factor-κB p65(NF-κB p65) genes in the liver of Channa argus were significantly upregulated in LPS group (P<0.05).Compared with LPS group, the liver IL-6 and NF-κB p65 genes expression levels were significantly downregulated in the 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg astaxanthin groups (P<0.05), while IL-10 and IκBα genes expression were significantly upregulated (P<0.05).② Compared with the control group, the relative expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT) and glutathione sulfotransferase (GST) genes in the liver of Channa argus in the LPS group were significantly lower (P<0.05).Compared with the LPS group, the expression levels of SOD, CAT, GST and GPx genes in the 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg astaxanthin groups increased, except for the non significant difference in relative expression levels of SOD gene in the 50 mg/kg astaxanthin group, all other differences were significant (P<0.05).③The expression level of phosphorylated NF-κB p65(p-NF-κB p65) protein in the liver of Channa argus in LPS group was significantly higher than that of control group (P<0.05).Compared with LPS group, the expression of p-NF-κB p65 protein in 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg astaxanthin group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the expression of phosphorylated glucocorticoid receptor (p-GR) protein was significantly increased (P<0.05).【Conclusion】 During the process of LPS induced liver inflammation and oxidative damage in Channa argus, astaxanthin exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects through the GR-NF-κB pathway at a dose of 50-200 mg/kg.

Key words: astaxanthin; Channa argus; glucocorticoid receptor; inflammation; antioxidant