%A Jin-xing Du, Ping Liu, Ming-yu Sun, Qing Tao, Li-jun Zhang, Gao-feng Chen, Yi-yang Hu, Cheng-hai Liu, Lie-ming Xu %T Chinese herbal medicine Xiayuxue Decoction inhibits liver angiogenesis in rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis %0 Journal Article %D 2011 %J Journal of Integrative Medicine %R 10.3736/jcim20110810 %P 878-887 %V 9 %N 8 %U {http://www.jcimjournal.com/CN/abstract/article_561.shtml} %8 2011-08-20 %X

Objective: To evaluate the effects of Xiayuxue Decoction, a compound traditional Chinese medicine, on liver angiogenesis in rats with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis.
Methods: Liver cirrhosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 50% CCl4-olive oil solution at the dose of 1 mL/kg body weight, twice per week for 9 consecutive weeks. After 3- and 6-week injection, 6 rats in the normal group and 6 rats in the model group were randomly sacrificed for dynamic observation. The survival rats of model group were randomly divided into model group (n=15) and Xiayuxue Decoction group (n=11). Six normal rats were used as a normal control. Xiayuxue Decoction was administered orally starting from the 7th week for 3 weeks. At the end of the ninth week, animals were sacrificed and liver tissues were harvested to measure histological changes, activities of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 and protein expressions of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31), von Willebrand factor (vWF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2), complement decay-accelerating factor (DAF) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the liver tissues.
Results: Compared with the normal group, liver injury, fatty degeneration and collagen deposition were evidently observed in the model group and protein expressions of CD31, vWF, VEGF, VEGFR2, DAF and α-SMA were gradually increased. In addition, the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in liver tissues were enhanced in the model group (P<0.01). Compared with 9-week model group, liver injury, fatty degeneration and collagen deposition were markedly inhibited by Xiayuxue Decoction; protein expressions of CD31, vWF, VEGF, VEGFR2, α-SMA and DAF and activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the liver tissues were decreased in the Xiayuxue Decoction group (P<0.01).
Conclusion: The angiogenesis is evident and aggravating gradually during the progression of liver cirrhosis induced by CCl4. Xiayuxue Decoction inhibits the angiogenesis by decreasing the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9, inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells, and damaging the new vessel integrality.