"BACKGROUND:Hepatic fibrosis is characterised by a progressive . accumulation of fibrillar extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including collagen. that occurs in chronic liver diseases. Transforming growth factor-beta1. (TGF-beta)\/Smad3 signalling plays a major role in tissue fibrogenesis acting as a. potent stimulus of ECM accumulation. . AIM:To evaluate the effects of a combined therapy with. anti-inflammatory Boswellia and anti-fibrotic Salvia extracts on the course of. chronic hepatitis-associated fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in. mice, as well as on the hepatic expression of TGF-beta1 and Smad proteins.. METHODS:Chronic hepatitis-associated fibrosis was induced in mice by. intraperitoneal DMN administration. Mice were assigned to 5 groups: controls; DMN. without any treatment; DMN treated orally with Boswellia extracts (50 mg\/kg\/day);. DMN treated orally with Salvia extracts (150 mg\/ kg\/day); DMN treated orally with. both Boswellia (50 mg\/kg\/day) and Salvia extracts (150 mg\/kg\/ day). The liver was. excised for macroscopic examination and histological, morphometric and. immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses. For IHC, alpha-smooth muscle actin. (alpha-SMA), collagen types I-III, TGF-beta1, connective tissue growth factor. (CTGF), Smad3, Smad7, CD3, PCNA and TUNEL antibodies were used.. RESULTS:The combined oral administration of Boswellia and Salvia. extracts improved the course and macroscopic findings of DMN-induced chronic. hepatitis-associated fibrosis. The histological severity of the hepatic fibrosis . showed a marked improvement following treatment and was associated with a. reduction in the hepatic expression of alpha-SMA, collagen I-III, CTGF,. TGF-beta1, Smad3, and Smad7.. CONCLUSIONS:These data demonstrate that co-treatment of Boswellia plus. Salvia extracts is effective in preventing hepatic fibrosis in DMN-induced. chronic hepatitis. The anti-fibrotic properties are mainly related to Salvia. extracts and appear to be mediated by the inhibition of the TGF-beta1\/Smad3. pathway."
Boswellia serrata and Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts reduce DMN-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice by TGF-β1 downregulation
SFERRA, ROBERTA;VETUSCHI, ANTONELLA;POMPILI S;LATELLA, GIOVANNI;FRIERI, Giuseppe
2012-01-01
Abstract
"BACKGROUND:Hepatic fibrosis is characterised by a progressive . accumulation of fibrillar extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including collagen. that occurs in chronic liver diseases. Transforming growth factor-beta1. (TGF-beta)\/Smad3 signalling plays a major role in tissue fibrogenesis acting as a. potent stimulus of ECM accumulation. . AIM:To evaluate the effects of a combined therapy with. anti-inflammatory Boswellia and anti-fibrotic Salvia extracts on the course of. chronic hepatitis-associated fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in. mice, as well as on the hepatic expression of TGF-beta1 and Smad proteins.. METHODS:Chronic hepatitis-associated fibrosis was induced in mice by. intraperitoneal DMN administration. Mice were assigned to 5 groups: controls; DMN. without any treatment; DMN treated orally with Boswellia extracts (50 mg\/kg\/day);. DMN treated orally with Salvia extracts (150 mg\/ kg\/day); DMN treated orally with. both Boswellia (50 mg\/kg\/day) and Salvia extracts (150 mg\/kg\/ day). The liver was. excised for macroscopic examination and histological, morphometric and. immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses. For IHC, alpha-smooth muscle actin. (alpha-SMA), collagen types I-III, TGF-beta1, connective tissue growth factor. (CTGF), Smad3, Smad7, CD3, PCNA and TUNEL antibodies were used.. RESULTS:The combined oral administration of Boswellia and Salvia. extracts improved the course and macroscopic findings of DMN-induced chronic. hepatitis-associated fibrosis. The histological severity of the hepatic fibrosis . showed a marked improvement following treatment and was associated with a. reduction in the hepatic expression of alpha-SMA, collagen I-III, CTGF,. TGF-beta1, Smad3, and Smad7.. CONCLUSIONS:These data demonstrate that co-treatment of Boswellia plus. Salvia extracts is effective in preventing hepatic fibrosis in DMN-induced. chronic hepatitis. The anti-fibrotic properties are mainly related to Salvia. extracts and appear to be mediated by the inhibition of the TGF-beta1\/Smad3. pathway."Pubblicazioni consigliate
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