title: Gardenia jasminoides attenuates hepatocellular injury and fibrosis in bile duct-ligated rats and human hepatic stellate cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the anti-hepatofibrotic effects of Gardenia jasminoides in liver fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent common bile duct ligation (BDL) for 14 d and were treated with Gardenia jasminoides by gavage. The effects of Gardenia jasminoides on liver fibrosis and the detailed molecular mechanisms were also assessed in human hepatic stellate cells (LX-2) in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with Gardenia jasminoides decreased serum alanine aminotransferase (BDL vs BDL + 100 mg/kg Gardenia jasminoides, 146.6 ± 15 U/L vs 77 ± 6.5 U/L, P = 0.0007) and aspartate aminotransferase (BDL vs BDL + 100 mg/kg Gardenia jasminoides, 188 ± 35.2 U/L vs 128 ± 19 U/L, P = 0.005) as well as hydroxyproline (BDL vs BDL + 100 mg/kg Gardenia jasminoides, 438 ± 40.2 μg/g vs 228 ± 10.3 μg/g liver tissue, P = 0.004) after BDL. Furthermore, Gardenia jasminoides significantly reduced liver mRNA and/or protein expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), collagen type I (Col I) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Gardenia jasminoides significantly suppressed the upregulation of TGF-β1, Col I and α-SMA in LX-2 exposed to recombinant TGF-β1. Moreover, Gardenia jasminoides inhibited TGF-β1-induced Smad2 phosphorylation in LX-2 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gardenia jasminoides exerts antifibrotic effects in the liver fibrosis and may represent a novel antifibrotic agent.
authors: The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China.
authors: Ying-Hua
authors: YH
authors: Chen
authors: Tian
authors: T
authors: Lan
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Chun-Hui
authors: CH
authors: Qiu
authors: Teng
authors: T
authors: Wu
authors: Hong-Ju
authors: HJ
authors: Gou
authors: Min-Qiang
authors: MQ
authors: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000187:drug effects*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D032062:Gardenia / Q000737:chemistry*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; C497782:SMAD2 protein, human; D051899:Smad2 Protein; C497784:Smad2 protein, rat; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
keywords: Collagen type I; Gardenia jasminoides; Liver fibrosis; Transforming growth factor-β1/Smad2 pathway; α-smooth muscle actin