Effect of Oxymatrine on the TGFbeta-Smad signaling pathway in rats with CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis

Figure 1 Subcutaneous injection of CCl₄ caused severe hepatic injury such as significant hepatic cell necrosis and excessive collagen deposition. With Masson staining, the collagen fiber was shown blue and hepatic cells were red. ( A: Masson, × 200). Oxymarine treated livers showed less hepatic cell necrosis and less collagen deposition ( B: Masson, × 200).

Figure 2 Expression of Smad 7 protein in liver tissue of model rats was increased when detected with immunohistochemistry ( A: IH, × 200) when compared to the control group. However, the expression of Smad 7 protein in the livers of the Oxymatrine-treated group was even more significantly increased ( B: IH, × 200). The positive rate of Smad 7 protein expression was 1.9% and 4.3% in the model group and the treated group, respectively (data obtained from statistical software, P < 0.05).

Figure 3 In the control group, the expression of CBP mRNA was at a very low level, the A (optical densit) value of it was nearly 0. After CCl₄ injection, the expression of CBP mRNA in the liver of fibrotic rats was significantly enhanced ( A: ISH, × 200). However, in the livers of the Oxymatrine-treated rats, the expression of CBP was also increased compared to the control group ( B: ISH, × 200), but it was significantly reduced compared to the model group. The A value of CBP mRNA in model group and treated group were 0.235 ± 0.025 and 0.065 ± 0.049, respectively (P < 0.05).