Effects of Chinese herbs compound Qishenyiqi pills on expression of TIMP-1 in fibrotic liver induced by dimethylnitrosamine in rats

AIM:To investigate the effect of Chinese herbs compound Qishenyiqi pills on expressions of TIMP-1 in the fibrotic liver induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in rat model.METHODS:Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group,6-wk model group,Qishenyiqi pills intervened group, 10-wk model group,and Qishenyiqi pills therapeutic group.The rat models of liver fibrosis were induced by in- traperitoneal injection of DMN.According to 6 staging classification,liver fibrosis grades were evaluated on the liver tissue sections performing with HE and Reticulation's stain.Semi-quantitive RT-PCR was performed to de- termine mRNA levels of TIMP-1 in liver tissues.Immunohistochemical staining was utilized to show the positive expression of TIMP-1 in liver tissues.RESULTS:Comparing with 6-wk model group,grade of liver fibrosis in Qishenyiqi pills intervened group was obviously lower (P＜0.01);furthermore comparing with 10-wk model group,the liver fibrosis was significantly reduced after therapy of Qishenyiqi pills (P＜0.01).In intervened and therapeutic groups,the liver tissue mRNA levels of collagen TIMP-1 were all obviously lower than those in 6-wk model and 10-wk model groups respectively (P＜0.01) and the positive expressions of TIMP-1 in liver tissues were much weaker than those in 6-wk model and 10-wk model groups respectively (P＜0.05,P＜0.01). CONCLUSION:Qishenyiqi pills has positively preventive and therapeutic effects on the experimental liver fibro- sis induced by DMN in rats.Inhibiting the expression of TIMP-1 in liver tissue is one of the anti-fibrosis mecha- nisms of Qishenyiqi pills.