Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects of the proprietary Chinese Medicine "anti-hepatic-fibrosis 268" on hepatic fibrosis and the related mechanisms. Methods: The model of CCl4-induced hepatic damage was established in SD rats. 54 male rats were divided into four groups, namely high dose and low dose "anti-hepatic-fibrosis 268" groups, colchicine control group, and model control group. Using Masson stain and light microscope, the authors examined the rats' hepatic tissues and counted the hepatic fiber components, then examined and counted TGF-β1, α-SMA, FN, Type I, III collagen by means of immunohistochemical technique. The groups were compared and the internal relationships of the data were analyzed. Results: The levels of FN, LN, Type I and III collagen, TGF-β1, and α-SMA of the CCl4 damaged rats increased (P < 0.01). After 3 weeks of high dose "anti-hepatic-fibrosis 268" treatment, the levels of TGF-β1, α-SMA, FN, LN, Type I and III collagen decreased (P < 0.01) and the degree hepatic fibrosis took a favorable turn significantly (P < 0.05) as compared with the model control. In the rats of the low dose group, the levels of TGF-β1, α-SMA, FN, Type III collagen significantly decreased (P < 0.05), the levels of LN, Type I collagen were not different from the model control; The hepatic fibrosis improved to a certain extent (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The mechanism of reversing hepatic fibrosis by "anti-hepatic-fibrosis 268" in this experiment is that the medicine regulates TGF-β1 and further affects α-SMA, thus resulting in the decline of FN, Type I, III collagen levels in liver extracellular matrix.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 528-531 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Science Edition) |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - Jul 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- "Anti-hepatic-fibrosis 268"
- Hepatic fibrosis
- Transforming growth factor-β(TGF- β)
- α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)