[Effects of Yiguanjian Decoction on liver cirrhosis formation:a differential proteomics study in rats]

To investigate the effects of Yiguanjian Decoction, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on rats with cirrhosis based on the method of differential proteomics.

Wistar male rats (n=48) were randomly divided into normal control group (n=12) and model-making group (n=36). Rat cirrhosis model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 50% carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) plus olive oil solution (1 mL/kg, twice weekly for 9 weeks). After 3- and 6-week injection, 6 rats each time were sacrificed for dynamic observation before medicine intervention, and the 24 remained rats were randomly divided into untreated group (n=12) and Yiguanjian Decoction group (n=12) at the first day of the 7th week. All animals were sacrificed by the end of the 9th week, and total protein of liver tissue was isolated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE); some differentially expressed protein spots were analyzed and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization two-stage time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS) and database querying. Protein expressions of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and DJ-1 were validated by Western blot and immunohistochemical methods.

2-DE maps with high resolution and good repeatability were obtained. In all 50 protein spots identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS and database querying, there were 5 protein spots related to oxidative stress named Cu/Zn SOD, DJ-1, glutathione synthetase, glutathione S-transferase Yb-1 subunit and aldo-keto reductase family 7, A2 respectively. Compared with the normal control group, expressions of Cu/Zn SOD, DJ-1, glutathione S-transferase Yb-1 subunit and aldo-keto reductase family 7, A2 in the untreated group were decreased significantly. Expressions of Cu/Zn SOD and aldo-keto reductase family 7, A2 were decreased time-dependently. Compared with the untreated group in 9th week, protein expressions of Cu/Zn SOD, DJ-1, glutathione S-transferase Yb-1 subunit and aldo-keto reductase family 7, A2 in the Yiguanjian Decoction groups were increased significantly while expression of glutathione synthetase was decreased notably. Western blot and immunohistochemical results of Cu/Zn SOD and DJ-1 expressions coincided with proteomics results.

Anti-oxidative depression is a key pathological change of cirrhosis induced by CCl4 in rats, and increasing expression of proteins related to anti-oxidative stress may be a major mechanism of Yiguanjian Decoction in treating cirrhosis induced by CCl4 effectively.