Potential therapeutic effects of a traditional Chinese formulation, BJ-JN, on liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats

AIM OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the anti-fibrotic effects of BJ-JN (a traditional Chinese formulation) in CCl(4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

BJ-JN (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g/kg) was administrated via gavage once a day starting from the fifth weeks after the CCl(4) treatment for subsequent 9 weeks. Evaluated with liver and spleen index, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hyaluronic acid (HA), nitric oxide (NO), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, as well as with histopathologic changes of liver. The proliferation and collagen synthesis of primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) from normal, model and BJ-JN (2.0 g/kg) treatment rats were examined with (3)H-TdR and (3)H-Pro uptake assay, respectively.

RESULTS

BJ-JN (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g/kg) effectively reduced the elevated levels of liver and spleen index, serum ALT, AST, NO, HA, and hepatic MDA contents, enhance the reduced hepatic SOD activity in CCl(4)-treated rats. The histopathological analysis suggested that BJ-JN obviously alleviated the degree of liver fibrosis induced by CCl(4). The proliferation and collagen synthesis of HSC isolated from BJ-JN (2.0 g/kg) treatment rats were remarkably inhibited.

CONCLUSIONS

Those results suggest BJ-JN has a protective and therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis induced by CCl(4), which might be associated with its anti-oxidative activity, inhibitory activity on HSC proliferation and collagen synthesis.