Treatment of pig serum-induced rat liver fibrosis with Boschniakia rossica, oxymatrine and interferon-alpha.

AIM To investigate the effect of Boschniakia rossica (BR), oxymatrine (OM) and interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) 1b on the therapy of rat liver fibrosis and its mechanism. METHODS By establishing a rat model of pig serum-induced liver fibrosis, liver/weight index and serum alanine transaminase (ALT) were observed to investigate the therapeutic effect of BR,OM and IFN-alpha. Radioimmunoassay was utilized to measure procollagen type III (PCIII) and collagen type IV (CIV). RT-PCR was used to assay the expression of liver transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1) mRNA. Immunohistochemistry of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and pathologic changes of liver tissues were also under investigation. RESULTS Serum PCIII and CIV in BR, OM and IFN-alpha groups were significantly declined compared with those in model group, and their RT-PCR revealed that TGF-beta1 mRNA expression was also reduced more than that in model group. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that alpha-SMA also declined more than that in model group. Serum ALT in IFN-alpha, control and model groups was within normal level. Serum ALT in BR group had no significant difference from those of IFN-alpha, control and model groups. Serum ALT in OM group was significantly higher than those in BR, IFN-alpha, model, and control groups. CONCLUSION BR, OM and IFN-alpha can prevent pig serum-induced liver rat fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells and synthesizing collagen. OM has hepatotoxicity to rat liver fibrosis induced by pig serum.