[Effect and mechanism of Tanshensu on fibrotic rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect and mechanism of Tanshensu on experimental fibrotic rats.


METHODS
Pigs serum was used to induce liver fibrosis in Wistar rats. The rats in Tanshensu-treated group were injected peritoneally with Tanshensu solution at the dose of 300 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), and the rats in model-control group and normal-control group received the same volume of double distill water. At the end of the twelfth week, the hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were isolated from the liver of one rat in model-control group using in-situ perfusion with pronase and collagenase, then density gradient centrifugation, and the other rats were killed to take the serum and liver samples. MTT colorimetric assay was used for detecting the proliferation of HSCs and flow cytometry was used for observing the cell cycles of HSCs under different concentrations of Tanshensu. The hyaluronic acid (HA) level in serum was detected and the morphological changes of liver tissue were observed.


RESULTS
There was a decline of serum HA level in Tanshensu-treated group compared to that of the model-control group (231.4 ng/ml +/- 41.1 ng/ml vs. 398.7 ng/ml +/- 54.5 ng/ml, F =154.796, P < 0.05). Both HE and VG stain showed a decline of liver fibrosis degree in Tanshensu-treated group. And Tanshensu had an inhibition effect on the proliferation of HSCs at the concentrations of 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 200 mg/L (1.60x10(-2) +/- 8.17x10(-4), 1.10x10(-2) +/- 1.41x10(-3), and 6.75x10(-3) +/- 3.30x10(-3) vs. 7.18x10(-2) +/- 1.71x10(-3), F =1154.221, P <0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Tanshensu shows a therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis in rats induced by pig's serum through inhibiting the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells.
Zheng
Yuan-yi
YY
Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing 400010, China.
Dai
Li-li
LL
Wang
Wen-bing
WB
Jia
Li-ping
LP
Zhou
Xian
X
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood; D007773:Lactates / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007773:Lactates; C035055:3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid