title: Artemisia capillaris extract protects against bile duct ligation-induced liver fibrosis in rats.
abstract: Artemisia capillaris has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine in the treatment of liver diseases. However, no previous study has investigated whether A. capillaries alone is effective in treating pathological conditions associated with cholestatic liver injury. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-hepatofibrotic effects of A. capillaris (aqueous extract, WAC) in a bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced cholestatic fibrosis model. After BDL, rats were given WAC (25 or 50 mg/kg) or urosodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, 25 mg/kg) orally for 2 weeks (once per day). The serum cholestatic markers, malondialdehyde, and liver hydroxyproline levels were drastically increased in the BDL group, while administering WAC significantly reduced these alterations. Administering WAC also restored the BDL-induced depletion of glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase activity. Cholestatic liver injury and collagen deposition were markedly attenuated by WAC treatment, and these changes were paralleled by the significantly suppressed expression of fibrogenic factors, including hepatic alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). The beneficial effects of WAC administration are associated with antifibrotic properties via both upregulation of antioxidant activities and downregulation of ECM protein production in the rat BDL model.
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Institute of Traditional Medicine and Bioscience of Daejeon University, 22-5 Daeheung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon 301-724, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hyeong-Geug
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min-Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jong-Suk
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin-Suk
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jing-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hye-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seung-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Seock-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Chang-Gue
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid
keywords: Artemisia capillaris Thunb; Bile duct ligation; Cholestasis; Liver fibrosis