Inhibition of quercetin on expressions of c-fos, c-jun mRNA, and TGF-?1 in liver tissue of hepatic fibrosis mice infected by schistosome / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the therapeutical effects and mechanisms of quercetin on hepatic fibrosis in schistosome-infected mice and compare the effects with praziquantel. Methods Eighty mice were divided into four groups among them three groups were infected by Schistosoma japonica. After 8 weeks, one group was treated with quercetin 30 mg/(kg?d) for 8 weeks, one group was treated with praziquantel 500 mg/(kg?d) for 2 d and the other was taken as model group without any treatment. The fourth group was taken as normal group. HE staining, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemical technique were used to observe the expression of hepatic c-fos and c-jun mRNA, and the changes of hepatic TGF-?1, type Ⅰ, and type Ⅲ collagen in mice infected by S. japonica before and after treatments. Results Quercetin obviously relieved the degree of hepatic fibrosis, significantly reduced the expression of c-fos, c-jun mRNA, TGF-?1, type Ⅰ, and type Ⅲ collagen compared to the model group (P