title: The herbal medicine Inchinko-to reduces hepatic fibrosis in cholestatic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several studies have reported the herbal medicine Inchinko-to (ICKT) to have an antifibrotic effect which thus leads to an improvement of hepatic injury. However, there are still few reports of its use in the treatment of cholestatic liver disorder. The aim of this study was to clarify whether the administration of ICKT will ameliorate hepatic fibrosis and injury in cholestatic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed bile duct ligation on 7-week-old male cholestatic Wistar rats and assigned them to one of three groups according to the method of treatment: (1) the SHAM group, (2) the NT-group (non-treatment group), and (3) the T-group (treatment-group). Rats in the T-group were orally administered ICKT (TJ-135) at a dose of 1 g/kg/day and were killed on the 17th postoperative day. We subsequently investigated the levels of fibrosis and various clinical markers through measurement of the following: serum levels of AST and ALT; tissue transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1); tissue inhibitor metalloprotease-1 mRNA (TIMP-1 mRNA) through real-time PCR analysis; and Azan staining and immunohistochemical staining of alfa-smooth muscle actin (alfa-SMA) to evaluate the degree of fibrosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of serum AST, serum ALT, and TGF-bata1 in the T-Group were significantly lower than those in the NT-Group. In addition, staining of Azan and alfa-SMA in the T-Group was significantly lower than those in the NT-Group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ICKT may help reduce hepatic fibrosis and injury by controlling stellate cell activation.
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahimachi, Kurume, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan. monmon@ka3.so-net.ne.jp
authors: Takahiro
authors: T
authors: Asakawa
authors: Minoru
authors: M
authors: Yagi
authors: Yoshiaki
authors: Y
authors: Tanaka
authors: Kimio
authors: K
authors: Asagiri
authors: Hidefumi
authors: H
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Hideaki
authors: H
authors: Egami
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Tanikawa
authors: Masayoshi
authors: M
authors: Kage
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C078038:inchinko-to