Potential protective effects of a traditional Chinese herb, Litsea coreana Levl., on liver fibrosis in rats.
OBJECTIVE
It was found that total flavonoids from Litsea coreana Levl. (TFLC), which is a traditional Chinese medicine, had a preventive effect against hepatic steatosis in our previous study. This study was designed to evaluate whether TFLC could improve liver fibrosis in rats.


METHODS
The liver fibrosis model rats were treated with composite factors of high-fat emulsion (10 ml/kg) via gavage accompanied by a subcutaneous injection of low-dose CCl(4). Thirty rats were given composite factors plus TFLC (100, 200, 400 mg/kg), respectively, for 8 weeks.


RESULTS
The results showed that TFLC (200 and 400 mg/kg) treatment significantly reduced the elevation of liver index (liver weight/body weight) and spleen index (spleen weight/body weight), alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, hyaluronic acid, laminin, procollagen III N-terminal peptide, procollagenase IV and hydroxyproline. In addition, TFLC treatment improved the morphologic changes of hepatic fibrosis, suppressed expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin, collagen I, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 and TGFbeta receptor (TGFbetaR)1, and increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma expression in the liver of hepatic fibrosis rats.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, TFLC is able to ameliorate liver injury and protect rats from liver fibrosis. This process may be related to inhibiting the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 and increasing the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma.
Huang
Cheng
C
Department of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Hong Kong, China.
Ma
Taotao
T
Meng
Xiaoming
X
Lv
Xiongwen
X
Zhang
Lei
L
Wang
Jianqing
J
Li
Jun
J
D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D015151:Immunoblotting; D032862:Litsea / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005419:Flavonoids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride