Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Aug 9;130(3):569-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.05.046. Epub 2010 Jun 2.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has been traditionally used in the treatment of various liver disorders. The present study was aimed to assess the efficacy of dandelion root water-ethanol extract (DWE) in carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatic fibrosis.
The mice were treated with CCl(4) dissolved in olive oil (20%, v/v, 2 ml/kg) intraperitoneally (i.p.), twice a week for 4 weeks. DWE was administered i.p. once daily for next 10 days, in doses of 200 and 600 mg/kg of body weight. The degree of hepatic fibrosis was determined by hydroxyproline content and Mallory trichrome staining. Oxidative stress was determined by measuring hepatic superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) activity. The expression and specific tissue distribution of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), and metallothionein (MT) I/II in the liver were determined by immunohistochemistry.
Hepatic Cu/Zn SOD activity has been decreased in intoxicated mice and normalized in DWE treated groups. MT I/II immunopositivity was strongly reduced in the CCl(4) group. DWE treatment successfully decreased hepatic fibrinous deposits, restored histological architecture, and modulate the expression of GFAP and alpha-SMA. Concomitantly, MT I/II expression increased in the DWE treated groups.
Our results suggest the therapeutic effect of DWE on CCl(4)-induced liver fibrosis by the inactivation of hepatic stellate cells and the enhancement of hepatic regenerative capabilities. The present results provide scientific evidence to substantiate the traditional use of Taraxacum officinale root in hepatic disorders.
蒲公英（Taraxacum officinale）传统上用于治疗各种肝脏疾病。本研究旨在评估蒲公英根水-乙醇提取物（DWE）对四氯化碳（CCl 4 ）诱导的肝纤维化的疗效。
将小鼠用橄榄油（20%，v/v，2ml/kg）中的 CCl 4 腹膜内（ip）注射，每周两次，共 4 周。DWE 以 200 和 600mg/kg 体重的剂量 ip 每天一次给药，持续 10 天。羟脯氨酸含量和马氏三色染色法测定肝纤维化程度。通过测量肝超氧化物歧化酶（Cu/Zn SOD）活性来测定氧化应激。通过免疫组化测定 GFAP、α-平滑肌肌动蛋白（α-SMA）和金属硫蛋白（MT）I/II 在肝中的表达和特定组织分布。
中毒小鼠肝 Cu/Zn SOD 活性降低，DWE 治疗组正常化。CCl 4 组 MT I/II 免疫阳性明显减少。DWE 治疗成功减少了肝纤维状沉积物，恢复了组织学结构，并调节了 GFAP 和 α-SMA 的表达。同时，DWE 治疗组 MT I/II 的表达增加。
我们的结果表明，DWE 通过灭活肝星状细胞和增强肝再生能力对 CCl 4 诱导的肝纤维化具有治疗作用。本研究结果为蒲公英根在肝脏疾病中的传统应用提供了科学依据。
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