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

Aim of the studyto evaluate the anti-fibrotic effects of BJ-JN (a traditional Chinese formulation) in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats.Materials and methodsBJ-JN (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g/kg) was administrated via gavage once a day starting from the fifth weeks after the CCl4 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 3H-TdR and 3H-Pro uptake assay, respectively.ResultsBJ-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 CCl4-treated rats. The histopathological analysis suggested that BJ-JN obviously alleviated the degree of liver fibrosis induced by CCl4. The proliferation and collagen synthesis of HSC isolated from BJ-JN (2.0 g/kg) treatment rats were remarkably inhibited.ConclusionsThose results suggest BJ-JN has a protective and therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis induced by CCl4, which might be associated with its anti-oxidative activity, inhibitory activity on HSC proliferation and collagen synthesis.