| Summary: | 碩士 === 中原大學 === 生物科技研究所 === 97 === In the western world, the major causes of liver fibrosis include alcohol, chronic hepatitis C infection and NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis). This contrasts with Asia and Africa where chronic viral liver disease (hepatitis B and C) causes a massive burden of liver disease and cirrhosis. Furthermore, rates of hepatocellular carcinoma are high in these areas as cirrhosis predisposes to liver cancer. Liver fibrosis is characterized by excess deposition of collagens, resulting in an impairment of liver function and finally organ failure. Liver fibrosis is characterized by an activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Quiescent HSCs become an activated phenotype which is characterized by alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) upregulation, increase in cell growth, and extracellular matrix secretion.
The freshwater clam (Corbicula fluminea) is a widely-consumed shellfish and is used as a remedy for liver injury and anti-alcoholic toxicity in Asia. The purpose of this study would like to determine the roles of hepatoprotective effect of clam extracts. We have set up the intragastric infusion Tsukamoto-French rat model for approach in human liver fibrosis. According to our results of in vivo experiments, the clam extracts have ability to repair the injured by carbon tetrachloride in liver. In vitro assay, clam extracts significantly decreased activated HSC proliferation and induced an increase in the number of activated HSC in the G0/G1 phase by flow cytometry. In addition, clam extracts manifestly decreased α-SMA and collagen type I expression by Western blot assay in activated HSC. These results suggest clam extracts could inhibit activation of HSC.
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