Basic Research
Copyright ©2006 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 14, 2006; 12(38): 6142-6148
Published online Oct 14, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i38.6142
An herbal formula, CGX, exerts hepatotherapeutic effects on dimethylnitrosamine-induced chronic liver injury model in rats
Jang-Woo Shin, Jin-Young Son, Se-Mi Oh, Seung-Hyun Han, Jing-Hua Wang, Jung-Hyo Cho, Chong-Kwan Cho, Hwa-Seung Yoo, Yeon-Weol Lee, Myong-Min Lee, Xiao Ping Hu, Chang-Gue Son
Jang-Woo Shin, Jin-Young Son, Se-Mi Oh, Jing-Hua Wang, Jung-Hyo Cho, Chong-Kwan Cho, Hwa-Seung Yoo, Yeon-Weol Lee, Myong-Min Lee, Xiao Ping Hu, Chang-Gue Son, East-West Cancer Center, Dunsan Oriental Hospital of Oriental medical College of Daejeon University, 1136 Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon 302-122, South Korea
Seung-Hyun Han, Department of Oromaxillofacial Infection and Immunity and Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, 28 Yongon-Dong, Chongno-Gu, Seoul 110-749, South Korea
Supported by the Oriental Medicine R and D Project, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea, No. B050018
Correspondence to: Dr. Chang-Gue Son, East-West Cancer Center, Dunsan Oriental Hospital of Oriental medical College of Daejeon University, 1136 Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon 302-122, South Korea. ckson@dju.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-42-4709481 Fax: +82-42-4709005
Received: July 3, 2006
Revised: July 8, 2006
Accepted: July 22, 2006
Published online: October 14, 2006
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Chunggan extract (CGX), a modified traditional Chinese hepatotherapeutic herbal, on the dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced chronic liver injury model in rats.

METHODS: Liver injuries were induced in Wistar rats by injection of DMN (ip, 10 mg/mL per kg) for 3 consecutive days per week for 4 wk. The rats were administered with CGX (po, 100 or 200 mg/kg per day) or distilled water as a control daily for 4 wk starting from the 15th d of the DMN treatment. Biochemical parameters (serum albumin, bilirubin, ALP, AST and ALT), lipid peroxides, hydroxyproline, as well as histological changes in liver tissues were analyzed. In addition, gene expression of TNF-α, TGF-β, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, PDGF-β, and MMP-2, all of which are known to be associated with liver fibrosis, were analyzed using real-time PCR.

RESULTS: CGX administration restored the spleen weight to normal after having been increased by DMN treatment. Biochemical analysis of the serum demonstrated that CGX significantly decreased the serum level of ALP (P < 0.05), ALT (P < 0.01), and AST (P < 0.01) that had been elevated by DMN treatment. CGX administration moderately lowered lipid peroxide production and markedly lowered hydroxyproline generation caused by DMN treatment in accordance with histopathological examination. DMN treatment induced a highly up-regulated expression of TNF-α, TGF-β, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, PDGF-β, and MMP-2. Of these, the gene expression encoding PDGF-β and MMP-2 was still further enhanced 2 wk after secession of the 4-wk DMN treatment, and was remarkably ameliorated by CGX administration.

CONCLUSION: CGX exhibits hepatotherapeutic proper-ties against chronic hepatocellular destruction and consequential liver fibrosis.

Keywords: Dimethylnitrosamine, Hepatotherapeutic, Herbal medicine, PDGF-β, Chunggan extract