title: [Study on the effect of ursolic acid (UA) on the myocardial fibrosis of experimental diabetic mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of ursolic acid (UA) on the alloxan-induced myocardial fibrosis in mice and discuss the possible mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes was produced by a single injection of alloxan (70 mg/kg, i.v.) in mice. The mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, model group, ursolic acid group (UA, 35 mg/kg, p.o.) and benazepril group (5 mg/kg, p. o.), and continuous administrated for 8 weeks. The blood glucose was measured 24 hours after the last administration. Detected the specific biochemical of myocardial tissue: superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydroxyproline(HYP). Using masson staining to observe the morphology of the myocardial tissue. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the protein levels of TGF-beta1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to normal group, the blood glucose, heart index, myocardial tissue MDA, HYP level were increased, and SOD activities were decreased in the diabetic mice, Masson stain showed that myocardial cells disarranged, myocardial collagen fibrosis hyperplasia. Meanwhile, the protein expression of TGF-beta1 was increased in model group. The UA group improved all the above significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UA improves the myocardial collagen fibrosis in diabetic mice induced by alloxan, its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the expression of TGF-beta1 and antioxidation.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Min-You
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Qi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005355:Fibrosis; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000097245:Ursolic Acid
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D003094:Collagen; D006909:Hydroxyproline; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014315:Triterpenes; D000097245:Ursolic Acid; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse