title: Anti-fibrotic effects of neferine on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice.
abstract: The effects of neferine, a bisbenzylisoquinline alkaloid extracted from the seed embryo of the Chinese traditional medicine Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice were evaluated. Adult male Kunming mice were administered with CCl4 1 ml/kg via intraperitoneal injection twice a week for 8 weeks. At the beginning of the 9th week, mice were treated with normal saline, colchicine (0.1 mg/kg), and neferine (5, 10, 20 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection once a day for 2 weeks. The liver index and histological examination, plasma ALT/AST levels, hydroxyproline and TGF-β1 content of liver tissue were examined. In the model group, the liver index, the hydroxyproline content of liver tissue and plasma ALT/AST levels were increased, and a high expression of TGF-β1 was observed. The abnormal changes could be improved by neferine in a dose-dependent manner. Our data showed that neferine had an antifibrosis effect on CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice, possibly partly due to the decreased expression of TGF-β1 in the liver.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, P. R. China.
authors: Mo-Si
authors: MS
authors: Chen
authors: Jia-Hua
authors: JH
authors: Zhang
authors: Jia-Ling
authors: JL
authors: Wang
authors: Lu
authors: L
authors: Gao
authors: Xiao-Xu
authors: XX
authors: Chen
authors: Jun-Hua
authors: JH
authors: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D031653:Nelumbo / Q000737:chemistry; D008517:Phytotherapy; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C057222:neferine; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride
keywords: Carbon Tetrachloride; Colchicine; Hepatic Fibrosis; Neferine; TGF-β1