title: The flavonoid quercetin ameliorates liver damage in rats with biliary obstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to investigate whether the antioxidant quercetin might protect against liver injury in chronically biliary obstructed rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary biliary cirrhosis was induced by 28 days of bile duct obstruction. Animals received quercetin at 75, 150 and 300 micromol x kg body wt(-1) x day(-1) i.p. through the experimental period or at 150 micromol x kg body wt(-1) x day(-1) i.p. for the last 2 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bile duct obstruction resulted in a decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Liver oxidised/reduced (GSSG/GSH) glutathione ratio, hepatic and mitochondrial thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and collagen content were significantly increased and a marked fibrosis and bile ductular proliferation was observed. Quercetin corrected the reduction in glutathione concentration and partially prevented the increase in collagen concentration, TBARS and GSSG/GSH ratio. Treatment resulted in a significant preservation of the activities of antioxidant enzymes, a less pronounced fibrosis and a marked inhibition of bile ductular proliferation. Maximal effects were reached with the intermediate quercetin dose given for 2 or 4 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quercetin reduces liver oxidative damage, ductular proliferation and fibrosis in biliary-obstructed rats. These effects suggest that it might be a useful agent to preserve liver function in patients with biliary obstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of León, Spain.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peres
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tuñón
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Collado
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marroni
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-Gallego
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003094:Collagen; D011794:Quercetin; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005978:Glutathione