[Suppressive effects of antioxidant DA-9601 on hepatic fibrosis in rats]

Oxidative stress is one of the important underlying mechanisms of hepatic fibrosis. DA-9601, the ethanol extracts of Artemisia asiatica, has been reported to possess strong antioxidative and cytoprotective actions. We tried to evaluate whether antioxidant can ameliorate dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced hepatic fibrosis.

Rat hepatic fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal administrations of 10 mg DMN six times. Additionally, rats of one group were started daily with DA-9601 30 mg/kg containing diets and another group was fed a pellet diet containing DA-9601 100 mg/kg. The immunohistochemical studies for collagen, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), and fibronectin, the measurements of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and collagens, and the changes of liver function profiles were performed. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) were isolated and in vitro effects of DA-9601 on HSC activations were measured.

DA-9601 significantly attenuated the loss of body weights (p<0.05), the reduction of liver wet weights (p<0.05), and the elevation of liver enzymes provoked by DMN administrations. DMN injections caused the severe fibrosis of portal tract, hepatic inflammation, and significant oxidative damages, but DA-9601 treatment significantly reduced the mean scores of hepatic fibrosis, the amounts of hepatic collagens, and hepatic MDA levels. The prominent decreases in the expressions of collagens type I & III, alpha-SMA, and fibronectin or hepatic inflammations were observed in DA-9601-treated groups dose-dependently and similar efficacy was also proven in in vitro HSC experiment.

DA-9601 effectively protected rat liver tissues against the DMN-induced hepatic fibrosis. Antioxidant could be considered as a supplementary therapeutic for alleviating the hepatic fibrosis.