title: Antifibrotic effects of Artemisia capillaris and Artemisia iwayomogi in a carbon tetrachloride-induced chronic hepatic fibrosis animal model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Artemisia capillaris and Artemisia iwayomogi, both members of the Compositae family, have been indiscriminately used for various liver disorders as traditional hepatotherapeutic medicines in Korea for many years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, the anti-hepatofibrotic effects of Artemisia capillaris and Artemisia iwayomogi were comparatively analyzed using a carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver fibrosis rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatic fibrosis was induced via a 10-week course of intraperitoneal CCl(4) injections (50% dissolved in olive oil, 2mL/kg, twice per week). Water extract of Artemisia capillaris (AC) or Artemisia iwayomogi (AI) was orally administered six times per week from the 5th to the 10th week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AI (50mg/kg) significantly attenuated the CCl(4)-induced excessive release of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in serum (p<0.05), and hydroxyproline and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in liver tissue (p<0.05). Further, AI markedly ameliorated the depletion of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver tissue (p<0.01). Unexpectedly, AC did not exert any effects on the above parameters. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that AI drastically reduced inflammation, necrosis, fatty infiltration, collagen accumulation, and activation of hepatic satellite cells in liver tissue. These changes were not observed with AC treatment. Several critical genes of fibrosis-related cytokines including transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth factor beta (PDGF-β), and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were more prominently downregulated by AI compared to AC treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that AI exerts greater hepatoprotective and anti-fibrotic effects as compared with AC via enhancing antioxidant capacity and downregulating fibrogentic cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Daejeon Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, 22-5 Daeheung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon 301-704, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jing-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Min-Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jang-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Seock-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Chang-Gue
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019306:Artemisia; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D007723:Korea; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D003094:Collagen; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000637:Transaminases; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D005978:Glutathione; D006909:Hydroxyproline