Emodin alleviates CCl4 ‑induced liver fibrosis by suppressing epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and transforming growth factor‑β1 in rats.

Emodin alleviates CCl4‑induced liver fibrosis by suppressing epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and transforming growth factor‑β1 in rats. Mol Med Rep. 2018 Jul 26;: Authors: Liu F, Zhang J, Qian J, Wu G, Ma Z Abstract Liver fibrosis is a chronic disease that exhibits a complicated pathophysiology. It is characterized by the deposition of the extracellular matrix. Emodin, an active constituent isolated from rhubarb, has antibacterial, immunosuppressive and anti‑inflammatory effects. In the present study, the mechanism through which emodin alleviates liver fibrosis in rats was investigated. A rat model of liver fibrosis was generated by administering CCl4 via subcutaneous injection twice a week for 12 weeks. Emodin or sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), as the vehicle, were intragastrically administered daily. After 12 weeks, the liver function index was examined by blood analysis, histopathological scores of fibrosis was determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining and level of collagen deposition was examined by Masson staining. In addition, protein and RNA samples were collected for further analysis. The results of the present study revealed that emodin significantly reduced the liver function index and level of collagen deposition in a dose‑dependent manner. Furthermore, emodin reduced the expression of transforming growth factor‑β1 (TGF‑β1) and the phosphorylation levels of mothers against decapentaplegic homol...
Source: Molecular Medicine Reports - Category: Molecular Biology Tags: Mol Med Rep Source Type: research