Volume :
4
Issue :
2
Abstract :
To investigate the antifibrotic effects of naringenin on liver fibrosis induced on exposure to ethanol in rats. Rats were divided into four groups, groups 1 and 2 received isocaloric glucose and 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC); groups 3 and 4 received 20% ethanol equivalent to 6g/kg body weight every day for the total experimental period of 60 days. In addition, groups 2 and 4 were supplemented with naringenin (50mg/kg p.o) every day for the last 30 days of the experiment. The results showed significantly elevated levels/activities/expression of serum aspartate and alanine transaminases, matrix metallo proteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metallo proteinases (TIMPs) in ethanol fed rats as compared to those of the control. Ethanol administration caused liver damage and fibrosis as evidenced by liver histology and various fibrogenic factors. Supplementation with naringenin for the last 30 days of the experiment to ethanol-fed rats significantly decreased the activities/expression of serum aspartate and alanine transaminases, MMP2, MMP9 and TIMP1 in the liver as compared to the control rats. These findings suggest that naringenin has protective effect on liver injury and can inhibit liver fibrosis induced by ethanol in rats. Naringenin improved the histological changes of fibrosis. The mechanism possibly involves its anti-inflammatory activity associated with its effect on inhibiting MMP2, MMP9 and TIMP1and suppressing the activation of hepatic stellate cells.