Liver Fibrosis and Mechanisms of the Protective Action of Medicinal Plants Targeting Inflammation and the Immune Response

Overview

Journal Int J Inflam

Publisher Wiley

Date 2015 May 9

PMID 25954568

Citations 17

Authors

Florent Duval

Jorge E Moreno-Cuevas

Maria Teresa Gonzalez-Garza

Carmen Maldonado-Bernal

Delia Elva Cruz-Vega

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Inflammation is a central feature of liver fibrosis as suggested by its role in the activation of hepatic stellate cells leading to extracellular matrix deposition. During liver injury, inflammatory cells are recruited in the injurious site through chemokines attraction. Thus, inflammation could be a target to reduce liver fibrosis. The pandemic trend of obesity, combined with the high incidence of alcohol intake and viral hepatitis infections, highlights the urgent need to find accessible antifibrotic therapies. Medicinal plants are achieving popularity as antifibrotic agents, supported by their safety, cost-effectiveness, and versatility. The aim of this review is to describe the role of inflammation and the immune response in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis and detail the mechanisms of inhibition of both events by medicinal plants in order to reduce liver fibrosis.

Citing Articles

Current investigations for liver fibrosis treatment: between repurposing the FDA-approved drugs and the other emerging approaches.

Mohammed O, Attia H, Mohamed B, Elbaset M, Fayed H J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2023; 26:11808.

PMID: 38022905 PMC: 10662312. DOI: 10.3389/jpps.2023.11808.

Role of TRP Channels in Liver-Related Diseases.

Liu Y, Lyu Y, Zhu L, Wang H Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(15).

PMID: 37569884 PMC: 10420300. DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512509.

Ganfule capsule alleviates bile duct ligation-induced liver fibrosis in mice by inhibiting glutamine metabolism.

Ke C, Gao J, Tu J, Wang Y, Xiao Y, Wu Y Front Pharmacol. 2022; 13:930785.

PMID: 36278176 PMC: 9585157. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.930785.

Synthesis, Antiviral, and Antibacterial Activity of the Glycyrrhizic Acid and Glycyrrhetinic Acid Derivatives.

Mohammed E, Peng Y, Wang Z, Qiang X, Zhao Q Russ J Bioorg Chem. 2022; 48(5):906-918.

PMID: 35919388 PMC: 9333650. DOI: 10.1134/S1068162022050132.

Senolytic treatment reduces cell senescence and necroptosis in Sod1 knockout mice that is associated with reduced inflammation and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Thadathil N, Selvarani R, Mohammed S, Nicklas E, Tran A, Kamal M Aging Cell. 2022; 21(8):e13676.

PMID: 35869934 PMC: 9381894. DOI: 10.1111/acel.13676.

References

Domitrovic R, Jakovac H, Blagojevic G . Hepatoprotective activity of berberine is mediated by inhibition of TNF-α, COX-2, and iNOS expression in CCl(4)-intoxicated mice. Toxicology. 2010; 280(1-2):33-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2010.11.005. View

Klune J, Dhupar R, Cardinal J, Billiar T, Tsung A . HMGB1: endogenous danger signaling. Mol Med. 2008; 14(7-8):476-84. PMC: 2323334. DOI: 10.2119/2008-00034.Klune. View

Zaldivar M, Pauels K, von Hundelshausen P, Berres M, Schmitz P, Bornemann J . CXC chemokine ligand 4 (Cxcl4) is a platelet-derived mediator of experimental liver fibrosis. Hepatology. 2010; 51(4):1345-53. DOI: 10.1002/hep.23435. View

Fallowfield J . Therapeutic targets in liver fibrosis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2011; 300(5):G709-15. DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00451.2010. View

Akashi I, Kagami K, Hirano T, Oka K . Protective effects of coffee-derived compounds on lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine induced acute liver injury in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2009; 61(4):473-8. DOI: 10.1211/jpp/61.04.0009. View

Okazaki T, Hirota S, Xu Z, Maeyama K, Nakama A, Kawano S . Increase of mast cells in the liver and lung may be associated with but not a cause of fibrosis: demonstration using mast cell-deficient Ws/Ws rats. Lab Invest. 1998; 78(11):1431-8. View

Heymann F, Hammerich L, Storch D, Bartneck M, Huss S, Russeler V . Hepatic macrophage migration and differentiation critical for liver fibrosis is mediated by the chemokine receptor C-C motif chemokine receptor 8 in mice. Hepatology. 2011; 55(3):898-909. PMC: 4533854. DOI: 10.1002/hep.24764. View

Jeong W, Park O, Radaeva S, Gao B . STAT1 inhibits liver fibrosis in mice by inhibiting stellate cell proliferation and stimulating NK cell cytotoxicity. Hepatology. 2006; 44(6):1441-51. DOI: 10.1002/hep.21419. View

Knittel T, Dinter C, Kobold D, Neubauer K, Mehde M, Eichhorst S . Expression and regulation of cell adhesion molecules by hepatic stellate cells (HSC) of rat liver: involvement of HSC in recruitment of inflammatory cells during hepatic tissue repair. Am J Pathol. 1999; 154(1):153-67. PMC: 1853435. DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9440(10)65262-5. View

10.

Mitchell C, Couton D, Couty J, Anson M, Crain A, Bizet V . Dual role of CCR2 in the constitution and the resolution of liver fibrosis in mice. Am J Pathol. 2009; 174(5):1766-75. PMC: 2671265. DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.080632. View

11.

Yuan G, Gong Z, Li J, Li X . Ginkgo biloba extract protects against alcohol-induced liver injury in rats. Phytother Res. 2006; 21(3):234-8. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.2054. View

12.

Dang S, Wang B, Cheng Y, Song P, Liu Z, Li Z . Inhibitory effects of saikosaponin-d on CCl4-induced hepatic fibrogenesis in rats. World J Gastroenterol. 2007; 13(4):557-63. PMC: 4065977. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i4.557. View

13.

Leclercq I, Farrell G, Sempoux C, Dela Pena A, Horsmans Y . Curcumin inhibits NF-kappaB activation and reduces the severity of experimental steatohepatitis in mice. J Hepatol. 2004; 41(6):926-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2004.08.010. View

14.

Wang R, Yu X, Guo Z, Wang Y, Wu Y, Yuan Y . Inhibitory effects of salvianolic acid B on CCl(4)-induced hepatic fibrosis through regulating NF-κB/IκBα signaling. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012; 144(3):592-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.09.048. View

15.

Glassner A, Eisenhardt M, Kramer B, Korner C, Coenen M, Sauerbruch T . NK cells from HCV-infected patients effectively induce apoptosis of activated primary human hepatic stellate cells in a TRAIL-, FasL- and NKG2D-dependent manner. Lab Invest. 2012; 92(7):967-77. DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2012.54. View

16.

Lv X, Chen Z, Li J, Zhang L, Liu H, Huang C . Caffeine protects against alcoholic liver injury by attenuating inflammatory response and oxidative stress. Inflamm Res. 2010; 59(8):635-45. DOI: 10.1007/s00011-010-0176-6. View

17.

Reeves H, Friedman S . Activation of hepatic stellate cells--a key issue in liver fibrosis. Front Biosci. 2002; 7:d808-26. DOI: 10.2741/reeves. View

18.

Friedman S . Liver fibrosis -- from bench to bedside. J Hepatol. 2003; 38 Suppl 1:S38-53. DOI: 10.1016/s0168-8278(02)00429-4. View

19.

Peng X, Dai L, Huang C, He C, Yang B, Chen L . Relationship between anti-fibrotic effect of Panax notoginseng saponins and serum cytokines in rat hepatic fibrosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009; 388(1):31-4. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.07.099. View

20.

Yi H, Jeong W . Interaction of hepatic stellate cells with diverse types of immune cells: foe or friend?. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013; 28 Suppl 1:99-104. DOI: 10.1111/jgh.12017. View