Studies On Protective And Therapeutic Effect Of Hovenia Eulcis Thunb On Hepatic Fibrosis

Objective: To investigate the protective and therapeutic effect of Hovenia dulcis Thunb extract on carbon tetrachloride(CCl₄)-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats.Methods: CCl₄ was used to induce experimental liver fibrosis in Wistar Rats. In the protective study, liver pathological and untrastructure changes were studied. Immunohische- mistry was used to detect the expressions of collagen I, III and TGF- β₁. In the therapeutic study, the levels of MDA and SOD in liver homogenate were determined. The expressions of collagen I, III, TGF-β₁ and TIMP-1 were detected in tissue.Results: In prevented groups, the degeneration and necrosis of hepatic cells were in slight extent, fibroplasia was much less than the ones in the model groups, and pseudolobular partly disappeared. The expressions of collagen I, III and TGF- β₁ in prevented groups were significantly reduced(p<0.05), compared to which in model groups. As in therapeutic groups, the levels of MDA and SOD in homogenate were much less than those in the model groups, and the expressions of collagen I &III, TGF-β₁ and TIMP-1 were predominantly reduced.Conclusions: Getting rid of the injury is most important in the therapy of fibrosis. Hovenia dulcis Thunb can reduce the severity of liver fibrosis in rats by depressing lipid peroxidation and the expression of TGF- β₁ and TIMP-1 significantly. The possible mechanism is to reduce hepatotoxic respones, anti-peroxidation of lipid, and stabilization of cell membrane, and probably by depressing the activation of HSC and improving the apoptosis of HSC. We found that in fibrosis the earlier we took measures, the better effect we would get. With the concentration of 15%, Hovenia dulcis Thunb would be the best for the therapy. The mechanism would accelerate the apoptosis of HSC, inhibit the deposition of ECM, and then accelerate the degradation of collagen.