title: Herbal supplement attenuation of cardiac fibrosis in rats with CCl₄-induced liver cirrhosis.
abstract: Previously we found carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) induced cirrhosis associated cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis. The purpose of this study is to determine whether further CCl₄ treatment would induce cardiac cell fibrosis. The cardiac tissues were analyzed by H&E. histological staining, Trichrome Masson staining and Western blotting. The results showed that the CCl₄-treated-only group exhibits more trichrome staining, meaning that more fibrosis is present. Moreover, CCl₄ could further induce cardiac-fibrosis via TGF-β-p-Smad2/3-CTGF pathway. However, our data showed that the CCl₄- indcued cardiac abnormalities were attenuated by Ocimum gratissimum extract (OGE) and silymarin co- treatments. In conclusion, our results indicated that the OGE and silymarin may be a potential traditional herb for the protection of cardiac tissues from the CCl4 induced cirrhosis associated cardiac fibrosis through modulating the TGF-β signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Chuan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yung-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Yueh-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ray-Jade
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Fuu-Jen
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chang-Hai
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yu-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Jer-Yuh
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chih-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology; D005355:Fibrosis; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D031339:Ocimum; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012838:Silymarin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012838:Silymarin; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride