Preventive effect of halofuginone on concanavalin A-induced liver fibrosis

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 16;8(12):e82232. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082232. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Halofuginone (HF) is an active component of extracts derived from the plant alkaloid febrifugine and has shown therapeutic promise in animal models of fibrotic disease. Our main objectives were to clarify the suppressive effect of HF on concanavalin A (ConA)-induced liver fibrosis. ConA injection into the tail vein caused a great increase in the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, while orally administration of HF significantly decreased the levels of the transaminases. In addition, the levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen III (PCIII) and TGF-β1 in the serum and collagen I, α-SMA, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2) and Smad3 in the liver tissue were significantly lowered with the treatment of HF. Histological examination also demonstrated that HF significantly reduced the severity of liver fibrosis. Since ConA-induced liver fibrosis is caused by the repeated activation of T cells, immunomodulatory substances might be responsible for the suppressive effect of HF. We found that the production of nuclear factor (NF)-kB in the serum was increased in ConA-treated group, while decreased significantly with the treatment of HF. The changes of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), IL-6 and IL-1β in the serum followed the same rhythm. All together, our findings indicate that orally administration HF (10ppm) would attenuate the liver fibrosis by suppressing the synthesis of collagen I and inflammation-mediated liver injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alanine Transaminase / blood
  • Animals
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases / blood
  • Concanavalin A*
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / pharmacology
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / therapeutic use*
  • Interleukin-1beta / blood
  • Interleukin-6 / blood
  • Liver Cirrhosis / blood
  • Liver Cirrhosis / chemically induced
  • Liver Cirrhosis / prevention & control*
  • Male
  • Piperidines / pharmacology
  • Piperidines / therapeutic use*
  • Quinazolinones / pharmacology
  • Quinazolinones / therapeutic use*
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / blood

Substances

  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Interleukin-6
  • Piperidines
  • Quinazolinones
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1
  • Concanavalin A
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases
  • Alanine Transaminase
  • halofuginone

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grant-in-aids for The National Natural Science Foundation of China (81072398). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.