Background/Aims: Liver fibrosis presents a worldwide problem. There is an increasing interest in the studying of natural compounds with free radicals scavenging capacity to protect against liver fibrosis. This study investigated the actions of resveratrol and curcumin as two natural polyphenols against CCl4-induced liver fibrosis.
Materials and Methods: Animals were divided into four groups: Normal control group; CCl4 only group; Res group (resveratrol + CCl4); Cur group (curcumin + CCl4). Serum ALT and AST were evaluated. Assessment of liver MDA, GSH and catalase was performed. Caspase-3 expression was evaluated by western blotting. Levels of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 mRNA were determined using qRT-PCR. In addition, liver histopathological sections were examined.
Results: We found that serum ALT and AST were elevated by CCl4, however, they were significantly reduced by resveratrol and curcumin. Furthermore, CCl4 induced oxidative stress, stimulated fibrosis and apoptosis. Resveratrol and curcumin significantly attenuated the state of oxidative stress, fibrosis and apoptosis.
Conclusion: We conclude that resveratrol and curcumin are natural polyphenols that can protect against liver fibrosis not only via antioxidant, but also via anti-fibrotic and anti-apoptotic potentials.