Chunggan extract, a traditional herbal formula, ameliorated alcohol-induced hepatic injury in rat model

Figure 1 Fingerprint analysis of chunggan extract. Chunggan extract (CGX) and its main compounds were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Histograms of the reference compounds mixture (A) and the CGX sample using HPLC (B) was constructed, and quantitative analysis was performed for each reference compounds in CGX (C).

Figure 2 Histopathological examinations and contents of hydroxyproline and malondialdehyde. Rats were orally administered 30% alcohol (10 mL/kg) with or without Chunggan extract (CGX; 100 or 200 mg/kg) for 4 wk. The removed liver tissues were examined using haematoxylin and eosin (A) and Masson’s trichrome (B) staining under an optical microscope (× 200 magnifications). Hydroxyproline (C) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (D) contents in the liver tissue and serum MDA concentrations (E) were measured. Data are expressed as means ± SD (n = 6-9). ^aP < 0.05 vs normal group, ^bP < 0.01 vs normal group, ^cP < 0.05 vs control group.

Figure 3 Changes in hepatofibrosis-associated cytokines in protein and gene expression. Rats were orally administered 30% alcohol (10 mL/kg) with or without Chunggan extract (CGX; 100 or 200 mg/kg) for 4 wk. The levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) were determined in liver homogenates by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (A), and their gene expressions were determined by real-time polymerase chain reactions (B). Data are expressed as means ± SD (n = 6-9). ^aP < 0.05 vs normal group, ^bP < 0.01 vs normal group, ^cP < 0.05 vs control group, ^dP < 0.01 vs control group. ¹Only TGF-β was expressed as ng/100 μg protein. Others were according to the mg/protein, but TGF-β1 was only according to the 100 μg/mg protein.

Figure 4 Effects of Chunggan extract on collagen production and pro-fibrogenic cytokines in T6 cells. HSC-T6 cells (2 × 10⁶ cells) were pre-treated with CGX (50 or 100 μg/mL) 2 h before acetaldehyde (ALD) treatment (100 μmol/L) for 24 h. The intracellular collagen type 1 level was measured using Sidney’s method, and levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in media were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (A). The gene expressions for collagen type 1a1, TGF-β, PDGF-β and CTGF were measured using real-time polymerase chain reactions (B). The results are expressed as the fold-change relative to the normal group. Data are expressed as means ± SD (n = 4). ^aP < 0.05 vs normal group; ^bP < 0.01 vs normal group; ^cP < 0.05 vs ALD-only group, ^dP < 0.01 vs ALD-only group.