Protective effects of Cordyceps sinensis powder on liver injury induced by DEN in rats and the effect of TGF-β1/Smads pathway

doi:10.12092/j.issn.1009-2501.2018.09.002

Abstract

Abstract:

AIM: To investigate the protective effects of fermented Cordyceps Sinensis powder (CS) on Diethylnitro-samine (DEN) induced liver injury in rats and its effect on TGF-β1/Smads pathway. METHODS: Forty-eight male SD rats［SPF, weighing (180±20) g］ were randomly divided into four groups (12 rats in each group): control group, model group, CS treatment group and CS solvent group; model group were gavaged with DEN (10 mg/kg), 5 times a week for 8 weeks to build a model of chronic liver injury; control group were gavaged with saline with the same volume of the model group; CS treatment group: after 4 weeks of modeling, CS treatment group were gavaged with CS (80 mg/kg), 5 times a week for 8 weeks; CS solvent group were gavaged with 5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution (CMC-Na) with the same volume of the CS group. At the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed by spinal dislocation, blood was collected, and the serum AST and ALT were detected by UV spectrophotometry to reflect the liver function; H&E staining was used to observe the morphological changes of liver tissue; Masson staining was used to observe collagen deposition; primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were isolated by modified Nycodenz method; the expression of α-SMA, TGF-β1, Smad3 and Smad7 mRNA in liver tissue and HSC were detected by RT-qPCR; expression of Smad3 and Smad7 protein in liver tissue were detected by Western blot. RESULTS:Compared with the control group, the levels of AST and ALT in the serum of the model group were significantly increased, the morphology of the liver was significantly changed by H&E staining, and Masson staining showed that collagen deposition increased; compared with the model group, CS treatment could significantly reduce serum AST and ALT levels, improve liver pathological damage and reduce collagen deposition in the liver. RT-qPCR results showed that CS could reduce the expression of α-SMA, TGF-β1, Smad3 mRNA and increase expression of Smad7 mRNA in liver tissue and HSC of rats with liver injury. In addition, Western blot results showed that CS could reduce the expression of Smad3 protein and increase Smad7 expression in the liver tissue of rats with liver injury. CONCLUSION:CS can significantly improve DEN induced hepatic injury in rats, which may be related to the up-regulation of Smad7 by CS and the inhibition of TGF-β1/Smads pathway.

Key words: fermented Cordyceps Sinensis powder, chronic liver damage, TGF-β1/Smads pathway, hepatic stellate cell

CLC Number:

R965.2

HE Yang, SONG Liying, PENG Xiangdong, FANG Weijin, WANG Chunjiang, DENG Zhenzhen, LIU Shikun. Protective effects of Cordyceps sinensis powder on liver injury induced by DEN in rats and the effect of TGF-β1/Smads pathway[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2018, 23(9): 974-982.

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