[Regulatory effects of Qinggan Huoxue Recipe on matrix metalloproteinases of alcoholic liver fibrosis rats].
OBJECTIVE
To study the action mechanism of Qinggan Huoxue Recipe (QGHXR) and its disassembled recipes for treatment of alcoholic liver fibrosis (ALF) by observing their regulation on the expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and type 1 tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1).


METHODS
130 male SD rats were randomly divided into the blank control group (n=10), the CCI4 group (n=10), and the modeling group (n=110). Rats in the modeling group were intervened by complex factors dominated as alcohol. Eight weeks later they were randomly divided into 4 subgroups, i.e., the model group (n=25), the QGHXR group (n= 15), the Qinggan Recipe (QGR) group (n=15), and the Huoxue Recipe (HXR) group (n=15). Eight model rats were selected for pathological analysis to monitor the development of the modeling at the 4th, 8th, and 10th week of the experiment. The rest rats died during the modeling. Corresponding medicines were given to these treatment groups (at the dose of 4.75 g/kg, 1.50 g/kg, and 3.25 g/kg). All rats were killed at the end of the 12th week. The protein and mRNA expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 were detected using Western blotting, fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immunofluorescence method.


RESULTS
Compared with the blank control group, the expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 significantly increased in the model group (1.81 +/- 0.28 versus 0.53 +/- 0.04, 1.60 +/- 0.16 versus 0.45 +/- 0.05, 1.20 +/- 0.02 versus 0.35 +/- 0.07, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, QGHXR and its disassembled recipes all could decrease the protein and mRNA expressions of TIMP-1 (0. 56 +/- 0.05, 0.67 +/- 0.02, 0.70 +/- 0.02 versus 1.20 +/- 0.02, P < 0.05), increase the expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 (4.18 +/- 0.53, 2.70 +/- 0.40, 2.38 +/- 0.22 versus 1.81 +/- 0.28, 3.31 +/- 0.06, 2.56 +/- 0.20, 1.87 +/- 0.05 versus 1.60 +/- 0.16, P < 0.05, P < 0.01). QGHXR was superior to its disassembled recipes (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The action mechanisms of QGHXR and its disassembled recipes might possibly be correlated with regulating MMPs.
Department of Chinese Medicine, Sixth People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai (200233).
Jun-ming
JM
Chen
Lei
L
Wang
Lian-jun
LJ
Xing
D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000378:metabolism
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C576839:TIMP1 protein, rat; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; C527179:qinggan huoxue; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; C522363:Mmp2 protein, rat; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; C572337:Mmp9 protein, rat