Aim: To study the effects of transmitters ET, AgII, PGI(2), CGRP and GG on experimental rat hepatic fibrosis and the antifibrogenic effects of IL-10.
Methods: One hundred SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (N): intraperitoneal injection with saline 2 ml.kg(-1) twice a week; the fibrogenesis group (C): intraperitoneal injection with 50 % CCl(4) 2 ml.kg(-1) twice a week; IL-10 treated group (E): besides same dosage of CCl(4) given, intraperitoneal injection with IL-10 4 ug.kg(-1) from the third week. In the fifth, the seventh and the ninth week, rats in three groups were selected randomly to collect plasma and liver tissues. The levels of ET, AgII, PGI(2), CGRP and GG were assayed by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The liver fibrosis was observed with silver staining.
Results: The hepatic fibrosis was developed with the increase of the injection frequency of CCl(4). The ET, AgII, PGI(2), CGRP and GG levels in serum of group N were 71.84+/-60.2 ng.L(-1), 76.21+/-33.3 ng/L, 313.03+/-101.71 ng/L, 61.97+/-21.4 ng/L and 33.62+/-14.37 ng/L, respectively; the levels of them in serum of group C were 523.30+/-129.3 ng/L, 127.24+/-50.0 ng/L, 648.91+/-357.29 ng/L, 127.15+/-62.0 ng/L and 85.26+/-51.83 ng/L, respectively; the levels of them in serum of group E were 452.52+/-99.5 ng/L, 90.60+/-44.7 ng/L, 475.57+/-179.70 ng/L, 102.2+/-29.7 ng/L and 38.05+/-19.94 ng/L, respectively. The histological examination showed that the degrees of the rats liver fibrosis in group E were lower than those in group C.
Conclusion: The transmitters ET, AgII, PGI(2), CGRP and GG play a significant role in the rat hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl(4). IL-10 has the antagonistic action on these transmitters and can relieve the degree of the liver fibrosis.