| Twenty-four adult healthy Pekingese weighed about 5kg were used as experimental animals, and were randomly divided into 3 groups, the model group (Group A), the colchicines group (Group B) and the Chinese herb group (Group C). Hepatic fibrosis in dogs was induced by mixture of carbon tetrachloride and colza oil. During a period of 8 weeks, the dogs of Group B and C were given colchicines and Chinese herbs respectively to observe the effects of colchicines and Chinese herbs on the formation of hepatic fibrosis. The results were as follows:1. After administration of carbon tetrachloride, the WBC of Group A showed significant increase, but the WBC of Group B showed no significant changes during the first 6 weeks and of Group C for the whole 7 weeks. The results indicate that Chinese herbs have remarkable anti-inflammatory effect, which is more powerful and longer -lasting than that of colchicines.2. During the period of experiment, the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of both Group B and C was significantly higher than that of Group A, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was significantly lower than that of Group A, indicating that both Chinese herbs and colchicines have the action of antiperoxidation of lipid induced by carbon-tetrachloride.3. Five weeks after administration of Chinese herbs, the serum albumin of Group C reduced markedly and began to increase at the 6th week, then returned to the same level of pre-experiment, while no statistical changes in ALT and AST activity were found. This suggests that the herbal formula can relieve the liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride and improve the canine liver function.4. From the fifth week on, the serum hydroxyproline concentration in Group A is significantly higher than that of Group C (P<0.05). At the end of the trial, the collagen content in liver tissues in group A is significantly higher than that of Group C (P<0.01). Liver biopsy of the Group A showed that hepatocyte degeneration, necrosis and fibrous tissue hyperplasia, while no fibrogenesis in the dogs of Group C were found, showing that herbal formula may be effective in slowing progression of hepatic fibrosis.5. During the experiment, the dogs treated with herbal formula were energetic with good appetite, no other obvious side effect except for seldom vomiting, while the dogs in Group A and B showed listless, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea with blood in stool. Those results mean that herbal formula can improve the clinical signs of dogs with hepatic fibrosis and has remarkably preventive and therapeutic effects on canine hepatic fibrosis. |
