The Mechanism And Effect Of Curcumin On Schistosomiasis Liver Fibrosis In Mice

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of curcumin in the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis liver fibrosis.METHODS: 1. To establish the model of hepatic fibrosis in mice with Schistosoma japonicum. s. cercariae. 2. Histochemical staining: The mice were killed at the end of experience, their liver were cut off and embedded with 4% paraform, then the pathological changes and the deposition of collagen in liver were observed by HE, VG staining. 3. The indexes about hepatic fibrosis were detected through MDA, SOD, Hyp, GSH-px. 4. Immunohistochemistry staining: The protein expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 position cells during the formation of schistosomal hepatic fibrosis was examined. 5. RT-PCR: Cytoplasmic RNA from liver homogenate from the livers of mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum cercariae was extracted by the Trizol method and mRNA levels of MMP-1, TIMP-1 were assayed by reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method respectively. 6. Imaging analysis system: the protein content and gene content of MMP-1, TIMP-1 were quantitated by medical imaging analysis system. 7. Statistics analysis: Compare between two different groups at the same phase by one-way ANOVA. All statistical analyses were performed using the software SPSS 13.0.RESULTS: 1. Murine schistosomal hepatic fibrosis model was built successfully.2.The liver was damaged, and deposition of collagen increased after infection. The content of Hyp in liver in CUR groups were lower than those in infection control group significantly (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). The content of MDA in serum in CUR groups were lower than those in infection control group significantly (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).3. The degree of hepatic fibrosis is lower in CUR group, the levels of SOD, GSH-px in serum and liver were higher than those in infection control group. 4. The significance increased expression of MMP-1 protein and decreased expression of TIMP-1 protein were observed. 5. RT-PCR results show that the expression of MMP-1mRNA was enhanced, the expression of TIMP-1 mRNA was decreased significantly.CONCLUSION: 1. In a certain extent, CUR can lessen the content of the damage of liver and cut down the degree of hepatic fibrosis. 2. One of the possible mechanisms is to raise the activity of SOD, GSH-px and reduce the content of MDA in liver and serum. CUR has the function of protecting liver cells and anti-hepatic fibrosis induced by Schistosoma japonicum in mice. 3. CUR can reverse the hepatic fibrosis. This may be related to lower the content collagen, higher expression of MMP-1mRNA and lower expression TIMP-1mRNA and higher the ratio of MMP-1/TIMP-1.