Abstract
Renal dysfunction could be developed as the secondary disease of liver cirrhosis. Delayed or suppresed lipid peroxidation by the treatment with physiological active substances could be explained as the antioxidative and protective effect in tissue damage. In this study, we investigated an antioxidative effect and renal function improvement of Hovenia dulcis in liver fibrosis(cirrhosis) induced rats. The female Sprague-Dawley rats (180∼210 g) were divided into 3 groups (Normal, AC: CCl₄ mixture treated group, AC-HV: CCl₄ mixture+ Hovenia dulcis treated group) and renal damage was developed by CCl₄ mixture administration in 4 weeks (0.8 ㎖/rat). The tissue of kidney and liver and sera were used for quantitative measurement of enzyme activity, MDA and Hyp. The histological change and gene expression of collagen α1(III) mRNA and a1(IV) mRNA were observed by Masson's trichrome staining and RT-PCR. As a result, the clinical biochemical parameters of liver function (AST and ALT) in sera of AC-HV group showed significantly 46.4% and 104.8% lower (p<0.005), and the level of ALP and BUN as the parameter of protein urine and azotemia showed 17.8 % and 25.8 % lower than in AC group. In AC-HV group, the concentration of MDA in kidney and liver was decreased significantly 15.8% and 21.3% when compared with AC group (p<0.01 -0.005). The content of Hyp in kidney of AC-HV group is merely higher than in AC group, in contrast to liver tissue. The expression of collagen α1(III) mRNA and collagen α1(IV) mRNA was decreased in AC, but both of collagen mRNA in normal and AC-HV group expressed fast similar. More massive lipid droplets, thicker collagen fiber bundles in portal triads and more formation of portal central septum were observed in the liver of AC group than in AC-HV group. In conclusion, CCl₄ mixture intoxication could be developed not only liver fibrosis(cirrhosis) but also renal dysfunction by the massive lipid peroxidation and suppression of interstitial collagen and basement membrane collagen synthesis. And the water extract of Hovenia dulcis may be possessed the antioxidative and protective effect and improvement of kidney function in renal dysfunction induced rats.
