ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:To study the protective effects and the mechanism of Rabdosia serra water extract(RWE)on hepatic fibrosis(HF)induced by carbon tetrachloride(CCl4)in rats. METHODS:Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,colchicine group(0.12 mg/kg),and RWE low-dose,medium-dose and high-dose groups(4,8,16 g/kg,by crude drug),with 10 rats in each group. Except for intraperitoneal injection of olive oil for normal group,other groups were given 40% CCl4olive oil solution intraperitoneally to induce HF model. Since the first day of modeling,each treatment group was given relevant medicine (10 mL/kg) intragastrically, while normal group and model group were given constant volume of water intragastrically,once a day,for consecutive 6 weeks. After medication,biochemical process or ELISA were used to determine the contents of ALT,AST,HA,LN,PCⅢ and Ⅳ-C in serum,the activities or contents of SOD,GSH-Px,MDA,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β in liver tissue. Pathological changes of liver tissue in rats were observed by HE staining. The expression of α-SMA and TGF-β1 in liver tissue were detected by Western blot. RESULTS:Compared with normal group,the contents of ALT,AST,LN,HA,PCⅢ and Ⅳ-C in serum,the contents of MDA,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β in liver tissue were all increased significantly in model group (P＜0.01);the activities of SOD and GSH-Px in liver tissue were decreased significantly(P＜0.01). Liver fibrosis was obvious, and the relative expression of α-SMA and TGF-β 1were increased significantly (P＜0.01). Compared with model group,the contents of ALT,AST,HA,LN,PCⅢ and Ⅳ-C in serum as well as the contents of MDA,TNF-α and IL-6 in liver tissue in colchicines group and RWE groups,the contents of IL-1 β in liver tissue of rats in colchicines group,RWE medium-dose and high-dose groups were all decreased significantly (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). The activities of SOD and GSH-Px in liver tissue of rats were increased significantly in colchicines group and RWE groups(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). The fibrosis degree of liver tissue was significantly reduced, while the relative expression of α-SMA and TGF-β 1decreased significantly (P＜0.01). CONCLUSIONS:RWE can protect CCl4-induced HF model rats,the mechanism of which may be associated with regulating lipid metabolism,relieving liver lipid peroxidation injury and anti-oxidative stress response,inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors and the expression of TGF-β1.