title: [The anti-portal hypertension effect of oleanolic acid in CCl4-induced cirrhosis rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the anti-portal hypertension effect of oleanolic acid (OA) in CCl4-induced cirrhosis rats and its mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were induced to portal hypertension by CCl4. After treatment with low dose of OA (30 mg/kg) and high dose of OA (60 mg/kg) by intragastrically for a month, the parameters in serum or liver tissue including ALT, AST, MDA, GSH-Px, NOx, eNOS, cGMP and type I collagen were measured. The MAP, PP and HR were determined by hameodynamic method and the eNOS expression in liver was measured by western blot. The pathological changes of liver tissue were also tested by Masson dye. The normal group and model group were given 0.25% of CMC-Na solution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the model group, treatment with 30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg OA significantly decreased the levels of ALT, AST, ALP, gamma-GT and MDA and enhanced the level of GSH-Px in liver (P<0.05). Moreover, the collagen content also notably lowered in CCl4-induced cirrhosis rats, thus decreasing the portal pressure (PP). However, the MAP and HR were not affected by OA treatment. In addition, the expression of eNOS in liver markedly increased after one mouth treatment of OA, hereof enhancing the level of cGMP and NOx in the CCl4-induced portal hypertensive rats (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OA could inhibit the progress of fibrosis and lower the PP in CCl4-induced portal hypertensive rats and the anti-portal hypertension effect might be related to increasing the expression of eNOS and enhance the NOx level in liver.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China. realliuch@gmail.com
authors.forename: Chang-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-Tao
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ying-Yi
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Neng
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Sui-Qing
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Mi
authors.forename: Ning-Sheng
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009828:Oleanolic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D020011:Protective Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496316:Nos3 protein, rat