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      A Compound of Chinese Herbs Protects against Alcoholic Liver Fibrosis in Rats via the TGF- β1/Smad Signaling Pathway

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          Abstract

          Alcoholic liver fibrosis (ALF) has become a major public health concern owing to its health impacts and the lack of effective treatment strategies for the disease. In this study, we investigated the effect of a compound composed of Chinese herbs Pueraria lobata (Willd.), Salvia miltiorrhiza, Schisandra chinensis, and Silybum marianum on ALF. An ALF model was established. Rats were fed with modified Lieber–Decarli alcohol liquid diet and injected with trace CCl 4 at late stage. The rats were then treated with several doses of the compound. Biochemical and fibrosis-relevant parameters were measured from the sera obtained from the rats. Liver tissues were obtained for hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining. Matrix metalloproteinase-13 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 were determined by immunohistochemistry assays. The mRNA and protein expression levels of transforming growth factor- β1 (TGF- β1), Smad2, Smad3, and Smad7 on the livers were also measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Results showed that the compound treatment alleviated pathological lesions in the liver, decreased the serum levels of hyaluronan, laminin, and hydroxyproline, and diminished the expression of hepatic tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1. Compound treatment also increased hepatic matrix metalloproteinase-13 expression and inhibited the TGF- β1/Smad signaling pathway. In conclusion, the compound has a protective effect against ALF in rats, and an underlying mechanism is involved in the TGF- β1/Smad signaling pathway.

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          Most cited references34

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          Milk thistle (Silybum marianum ): A concise overview on its chemistry, pharmacological, and nutraceutical uses in liver diseases

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            Experimental models of liver fibrosis.

            Hepatic fibrosis is a wound healing response to insults and as such affects the entire world population. In industrialized countries, the main causes of liver fibrosis include alcohol abuse, chronic hepatitis virus infection and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. A central event in liver fibrosis is the activation of hepatic stellate cells, which is triggered by a plethora of signaling pathways. Liver fibrosis can progress into more severe stages, known as cirrhosis, when liver acini are substituted by nodules, and further to hepatocellular carcinoma. Considerable efforts are currently devoted to liver fibrosis research, not only with the goal of further elucidating the molecular mechanisms that drive this disease, but equally in view of establishing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The present paper provides a state-of-the-art overview of in vivo and in vitro models used in the field of experimental liver fibrosis research.
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              Matrix metalloproteinases and liver fibrosis (translational aspects)

              Elke Roeb (2018)
              Liver fibrosis, a reversible wound-healing response to chronic cellular injury, reflects a balance between liver repair and progressive substitution of the liver parenchyma by scar tissue. Complex mechanisms that underlie liver fibrogenesis are summarized to provide the basis for generating targeted therapies to reverse fibrogenesis and improve the outcomes of patients with chronic liver disease. This minireview presents some pathophysiological aspects of liver fibrosis as a dynamic process and elucidates matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their role within as well as beyond matrix degradation. Open questions remain, whether inhibition of fibrogenesis or induction of fibrolysis is the key mechanism to resolve fibrosis. And a point of principle might be whether regeneration of liver cirrhosis is possible. Will we ever cure fibrosis?
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
                Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
                ECAM
                Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM
                Hindawi
                1741-427X
                1741-4288
                2019
                22 April 2019
                22 April 2019
                : 2019
                : 9121347
                Affiliations
                1West China School of Public Health and West China fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
                2Food Safety Monitoring and Risk Assessment Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
                Author notes

                Academic Editor: Yoshiji Ohta

                Author information
                http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5244-5138
                http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7293-8362
                http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0519-4935
                Article
                10.1155/2019/9121347
                6500606
                3909297d-f25d-4217-90f5-a2bba675f707
                Copyright © 2019 Xiaomeng Li et al.

                This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 8 January 2019
                : 11 March 2019
                : 31 March 2019
                Categories
                Research Article

                Complementary & Alternative medicine
                Complementary & Alternative medicine

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