Protective effect of bicyclol against bile duct ligation-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats

Table 1 Serum, urine and bile biochemistry of bile duct ligation rats

	Sham-PBS(n = 6)	BDL-PBS(n = 6)	BDL-Bic100(n = 6)
Serum ALT (U/L)	29.3 ± 3.8	230.4 ± 69.6a	127.7 ± 72.3a,c
Serum AST (U/L)	98.3 ± 18.1	1032.6 ± 165.8a	696.8 ± 232.6a,c
Serum total bilirubin (μmol/L)	0.1 ± 0.2	161.5 ± 19.2a	152.4 ± 41.8a
Serum total cholesterol (mmol/L)	1.5 ± 0.5	3.0 ± 0.6a	3.1 ± 0.7a
Serum LDL (mmol/L)	0.2 ± 0.0	1.5 ± 0.3a	1.8 ± 0.3a
Serum HDL (mmol/L)	0.9 ± 0.2	0.3 ± 0.2a	0.3 ± 0.1a
Serum total bile acid (μmol/L)	8.0 ± 3.0	173.0 ± 38.0a	172.6 ± 39.1a
Urine total bile acid (μmol/L)	3.4 ± 1.5	247.2 ± 30.9a	246.5 ± 59.6a
Urine total bilirubin (μmol/L)	0.3 ± 0.7	100.4 ± 27.5a	105.8 ± 58.0a
Bile total bile acid (μmol/L)	Not applicable	3183.5 ± 908.6	3261.0 ± 488.8
Bile total bilirubin (μmol/L)	Not applicable	96.3 ± 35.9	126.3 ± 46.9

In the sham group, rats underwent laparotomy. In the bile duct ligation (BDL) and bicyclol groups, rats were submitted to undergo BDL operative manipulation and treated with PBS or bicyclol for two weeks. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum were expressed as U/L. The levels of total bilirubin, total bile acid in serum, urine and bile were expressed as μmol/L. The levels of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL in serum were expressed as mmol/L. Data were expressed as mean ± SD of 6 animals per group.

^aP < 0.05 vs Sham group;

^cP < 0.05 vs BDL group.

Table 2 Bile duct ligation-induced pathways reversed by bicyclol treatment

Pathway	Relate genes	P value
ECM-receptor interaction	Lamc1, Col4a2, Spp1, Col3a1, Col1a1, Lamb2, Col4a1, Agrn, Itgb4, Thbs1	0.0000003
Fatty acid metabolism	Acadsb, Ehhadh, Cyp4a3/4a2, Acsl1, Cpt1a, Acaa1b	0.00012
PPAR signaling pathway	Ehhadh, Scd, Cyp4a3/4a2, Acsl1, Cpt1a, Acaa1b	0.00017
Focal adhesion	Lamc1, Col4a2, Spp1, Col3a1, Col1a1, Lamb2, Col4a1, Itgb4, Thbs1	0.00192
Biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids	Scd1, Acot2, Scd, Acaa1b	0.00267
Oxidation reduction	Acadsb, Dhcr24, Gpx3, Scd, Rdh2, Akr1b1, Cyp4a3/4a2, Steap4, Cyp3a23/3a1, Loxl1, Ehhadh, Scd1, Aldh1a2, Hsd17b6	0.00575
Integrin signaling pathway	Lamc1, Col4a2, Col3a1, Col1a1, Lamb2, Col4a1, Itgb4, Col12a1	0.00793
Retinol metabolism	Cyp3a23/3a1, Ugt2a3, Cyp4a3/4a2, Aldh1a2	0.03196

ECM: Extracellular matrix.