Antifibrotic effects of the methanol extract of Polygonum aviculare in fibrotic rats induced by bile duct ligation and scission

The antifibrotic effect of the methanol extract from Polygonum aviculare (P A), Artemisia capillaris (AC) and an aqueous solution of biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylate (DDB) on liver fibrosis were studied. Liver fibrosis was indu ced ba a bile duct ligation and scission (BDL/S) operation, duration of 4 w eeks in rats. In BDL/S rats, the levels of aspartate transaminase (AST). al anine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin in se rum and hydroxyproline content in liver were dramatically increased. The PA treatment in BDL/S rats reduced the serum AST, ALT and ALP levels signific antly (p<0.01). Liver hydroxyproline content in PA treated BDL/S group was also reduced to 40% that of BDL/S control group (p<0.01). The morphological characteristics of fibrotic liver, which appeared in BDL/S control group w ere improved in the PA treated BDL/S group. But neither AC nor DDB treatmen t improved any parameters in fibrotic rats induced by BDL/S. These results indicate that PA has an antifibrotic effect on fibrotic rats induced by BDL /S.