Lignans from Seeds of Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall.Protect Against Alcoholic Liver Injury via TGF-β/Smads Pathway in Rats

[Objectives]This study aimed to investigate the effects of lignans from seeds of Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall.(SHC)on expression of TGF-β/Smads in liver tissue of hepatic alcohol-injuried rats,and to explore its protective mechanism.[Methods]A total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups.The rats in all the groups except those in the normal group were given with white spirit by gavage for 8 weeks to establish alcoholic liver injury models.After rat models were established successfully,they were administered intragastrically with 400,200 and 100 mg/kg of lignans,respectively.The rats in the normal group were administered intragastrically with 50 mg/kg of silymarin.The administration lasted for 8 weeks,once a day.The changes in the general state,liver tissue pathology and collagen deposition of the rats were observed.The expression of TGF-β,TGF-β1 receptor 1(TβR-I),TGF-β1 receptor 2(TβR-II),Smad2/p-Smad2 and Smad3/p-Smad3 in the hepatic tissue was detected.[Results]The expression levels of TGF-β1,Smad2,p-Smad2,and p-Smad3 significantly declined,and the expression levels of TβR-I,TβR-II and Smad3 did not change significantly in the liver tissue of rats in the lignans groups and the expression levels of TGF-β,Smad2,and p-Smad3 significantly declined.Meanwhile,the expression levels of TβR-I,TβR-II,p-Smad2 and Smad3 did not change significantly in the silymarin group.[Conclusions]The lignans from SHC have significant intervention effects on alcoholic livery injury.The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of hepatic stellate cell(HSC)activation,TGF-βsecretion and p-Smad2,p-Smad3 expression in the signaling pathway.

Study on the Protective Effect and Mechanism of Tibetan Medicine Ershiwuwei Songshi Pill on Acute Alcoholic Liver Injury in Rats

[Objectives]To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Ershiwuwei Songshi Pill on acute alcoholic liver injury in rats.[Methods]Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group,model group,polyene phosphatidylcholine(82.08 mg/kg)positive control group and Ershiwuwei Songshi Pill high(180 mg/kg),medium(90 mg/kg)and low(45 mg/kg)dose groups.The rats in each group were given corresponding drugs by intragastric administration for 3 d and fed normally.From the 4th d,all groups except the normal control group were fed with 15 mL/kg liquor(56%vol)for 7 d after 2 h of administration.After the last modeling,the levels of AST,ALT,TC,TG,SOD,GSH in serum and IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-αin liver tissue were measured.The protein expressions of Bax,Bcl-2 and Caspase3 were determined by Western blotting.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue under light microscope.[Results]Compared with the model group,the body weight and the levels of SOD and GSH in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the model group;liver index,serum ALT,AST,TC,TG,IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-αlevels decreased significantly(P<0.01 or P<0.05);HE staining showed that there was a small amount of collagen proliferation and lymphocyte infiltration in connective tissue around the hepatic portal area in the model group,multiple inflammatory foci could be seen in the lobules,and round fat vacuoles could be seen in the cytoplasm;in each administration group,the pathological condition of the liver was mild.[Conclusions]Ershiwuwei Songshi Pill had a certain protective effect on acute alcoholic liver injury in rats,and its mechanism might be related to reducing enzyme,promoting lipid metabolism and anti-inflammation.