[The study of therapeutic effects of curcumin on hepatic fibrosis and variation of correlated cytokine].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate therapeutic effects of curcumin on hepatic fibrosis and the variation of correlated cytokine.


METHODS
Rat models of hepatic fibrosis were made by carbon tetrachloride. Curcumin of 10, 20, 40 mg per 100 gram weight of rat were given to these rats of curcumin group respectively from ninth week. Normal, dissolvent, model and Salvia miltiorrhiza groups were made as controls. Serum levels of ALT, AST, HA, LN, PC-III were detected; Serum levels of TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha were detected by ELISA method; Serum levels of NO were detected by chemical method. HE and Masson staining were conducted in hepatic tissues to observe pathological variations. Grades of hepatic fibrosis were evaluated according to SSS system. Immunohistochemical staining was executed for detecting PDGF-BB in liver, and professional software for image analysis was used.


RESULTS
Curcumin could decrease serum levels of ALT, AST, HA, LN, PC-III obviously, P < 0.05, which were increased in fibrotic group. Curcumin could decrease cytokine levels of NO, TGF-beta1, TNF-alpha, P < 0.05. Curcumin could obviously improve liver pathological variations of fibrotic rats. The score of hepatic fibrosis in curcumin group reduced significantly, P < 0.05. Curcumin treatment could reduce the expression of PDGF-BB, P < 0.05. These effects were dose-dependent.


CONCLUSIONS
Curcumin can heal rat hepatic fibrosis. Effects of reducing the expression of correlated cytokines may be mechanisms of therapeutic effects of curcumin on hepatic fibrosis.
Shu
Jian-chang
JC
Affiliated Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of the Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510220, China. shujc62@hotmail.com
Wang
Hong-li
HL
Ye
Guo-rong
GR
He
Ya-jun
YJ
Lu
Xia
X
Fang
Li
L
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000077214:Becaplermin; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza / Q000737:chemistry; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D016207:Cytokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000077214:Becaplermin; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003474:Curcumin