Therapeutic efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine 319 recipe on hepatic fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats

Background/aims

Hepatic fibrosis is a consequence of severe liver damage that occurs in many patients with chronic liver diseases. TCM 319 recipe is a Chinese Medicine formula which consists of six Chinese herbs. In this study, we investigated the anti-fibrotic efficacy and mechanisms of TCM 319 recipe.

Methods

Hepatic fibrosis in rats was induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). 34 male adult SD rats were allocated into five groups (group 1—concomitant CCl₄ and TCM 319 recipe for 8 weeks; group 2—CCl₄ for 4 weeks and then CCl₄ and TCM 319 recipe for 4 weeks; group 3—CCl₄ alone for 8 weeks; group 4—TCM 319 recipe only for 8 weeks; group 5—untreated controls). After 8 weeks of treatment, serum ALT assay, liver tissue histological examination and immunostaining were carried out to examine the liver function and fibrosis degree. The expression levels of platelet derived growth factor (PDGF-B), PDGF-Rβ, and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) were measured by quantitative RT-PCR and western blot.

Results

TCM 319 recipe reduced liver injury and attenuated hepatic fibrosis in group 1 compared with that in group 3. TCM 319 recipe suppressed the mRNA expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1). In addition, treatment with TCM 319 recipe significantly down-regulated mRNA expression of PDGF-B and PDGF-Rβ, and it also suppressed protein expression of PDGF-Rβ and TGF-β1.

Conclusions

TCM 319 recipe extracts could attenuate hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl₄ in rats. The anti-fibrotic effect of TCM 319 recipe is associated with the down-regulation of mRNA expression of TIMP-1, PDGF-B and PDGF-Rβ, and with the suppression of protein expression of PDGF-Rβ and TGF-β1.