Reversing Effects Of Curcumin On Rats With Hepatic Fibrosis

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of curcumin on the expression ofα-SMA, NF-кB and ERK-1mRNA in Rats with hepatic fibrosis.METHODS: The experimental model of SD male rats'hepatic fibrosis was induced by hypodermic injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCL4). Curcumin was administrated to the treatment group by rat intragastric syringe for 13 weeks (100mg/kg). The samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histopathological examination. Expressions ofα-SMA in the liver tissues were measured by SABC-immunohistochemistry method. The ratio (V/B) of integrated optical density of nuclear factor kappaB(NF -кB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK-1) mRNA to that of bata-actin mRNA was calculated by semi quantitation reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The relative expression quantity of NF-кB and ERK-1mRNA was represented by V/B.RESULTS: After 13 weeks of treatment, The expression ofα-SMA in liver tissues in normal, model, and treatment groups were 0.943±0.371,6.784±2.158,4.327±2.064, respectively (treatment group vs model group, P<0.05). The V/B of NF-кB mRNA which we measured in liver tissue of model group is more than normal control group and treatment group. (normal control group vs model group, P<0.01; treatment group vs model group, P<0.05), their V/B are 0.317±0.035,1.219±0.246,0.912±0.274, respectively. The V/B of ERK-1mRNA which we measured in liver tissue of the groups were 0.434±0.067,0.944±0.151,0.736±0.293 respectively (normal control group vs model group, P<0.01; treatment group vs model group, P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Curcumin can reverse the pathologic progression of fibrosis. The proposal that regression of liver fibrosis is mediared by inhibited activation of hepatic stellate cells ,down-regulated expression ofα-SMA, enhanced expression of NF-кB mRNA and ERK-1mRNA, inhibited the proliferation of HSC, promoted the apoptosis of activated HSC then decresed sediment of extracellular matrix in the liver tissues.