Anti-fibrotic effects of the Masson pine pollen aqueous extract on hepatic fibrosis rat model

• Published in: International journal of clinical and experimental pathology 2015-01, Vol.8 (5), p.4651-4661
• Main Authors: Cong, Tao, Jin, Xue-Yuan, Zhao, Lin, Ma, Long, Li, Rui-Sheng, Zhao, Ping, Guo, Chang-Jiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants - isolation & purification; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biomarkers - blood; Carbon Tetrachloride; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - blood; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - genetics; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - pathology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - prevention & control; Collagen - metabolism; Cytokines - genetics; Cytokines - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation; Hepatic Stellate Cells - drug effects; Hepatic Stellate Cells - metabolism; Hepatic Stellate Cells - pathology; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - blood; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - chemically induced; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - genetics; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - pathology; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - prevention & control; Male; Matrix Metalloproteinases - metabolism; Original; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Phytotherapy; Pinus - chemistry; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plants, Medicinal; Pollen; Powders; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Signal Transduction - drug effects
• ISSN: 1936-2625

To observe the antifibrotic effects of Masson Pine Pollen aqueous extract. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (CG), hepatic fibrosis model (MG), MPPAE low dose (LG), MPPAE high dose (HG), and MPP original powder (MPPOP; OG) groups. Each group was treated with specific protocols and sacrificed 8 weeks later. Multiple indicators such as serum transaminase, HE staining of the liver tissue, and relevant indexes to fibrosis were determined. Severe hyperplasia of fibrous connective tissues was observed in livers of the MG group rats, while aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels and collagen content obviously increased, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and MMPs expression decreased, malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine concentrations increased, while mRNA expressions of hepatic stellate cell (HSC)-related cytokines such as transforming growth factor-β1 and platelet-derived growth factor, transcription factors such as nuclear factor-κB p65, and signaling protein α-smooth muscle actin were all increased significantly. MPPAE effectively inhibited the fibrotic process in this CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis rat model. It may be associated with synergic functions of antioxidant activity, inhibitory activity on HSC proliferation, collagen synthesis, and MMPs expression induction.