LIVER FIBROSIS PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF HOVENIA DULCIS FRUIT

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the fruit extract from Hovenia dulcis (HD) on liver fibrosis in rats. In these experiments, liver fibrosis was induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) treatment. Forty rats were randomly divided into four groups: Normal group (corn oil subcutaneous injection), CCl4 group (CCl4-induced liver fibrosis group; 50% CCl4 1.0 mL/kg), Normal + HD group (20% HD, 4.0 mL/kg), CCl4 + HD group (20% HD, 4.0 mL/kg). To study the effect of extracts from HD fruit on the liver fibrosis in rats, which was induced by CCl4, enzyme activities such as Alanine aminotranferase (ALT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured in the serum. Bilirubin concentration in the serum and expression of collagen I and III in liver tissue were also analyzed. In addition the pathology of the liver tissue was evaluated Tetrazolium-based colorimetric (MTT) and Sulforhodamin B (SRB) were used to analyze the effect of treatment on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) proliferation. In the present study, the ALI; AST and Bilirubin levels and expression volume of collagen land III in the CCl4 + HD group were found to be lower than in the CCl4 group. In addition, HD treatment reduced the accumulation of collagen in liver tissue and inhibited HSC proliferation. These results indicated that the extracts from HD fruit may inhibit liver fibrosis and thus could be used as a therapeutic agent to prevent liver fibrosis.