OBJECTIVETo investigate the dynamic changes of the hepatic proteome during the formation and resolution of rat liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride and the effect of Fuzheng Huayu Decoction on it.

METHODSLiver fibrosis in Wistar rats was induced by subcutaneous injection of 40% CCl4 in olive oil while the rats in the treatment group received Fuzheng Huayu Decoction. Pathological examination, hydroxyproline content determination and protein extraction of the rats livers were performed at four time points, i.e. at the end of 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks. After 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), the gels were analyzed using the PDQUEST 2-DE image analysis software and differentially expressed proteins were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).

RESULTS(1) The 2-DE examination showed that the model group-specific proteins and differentially expressed proteins presented started at 4 weeks and reached their peaks at 12 weeks, and this was conformed by MALD-TOF-MS identification. (2) In addition, 18 proteins were present at all time points and another 19 proteins were absent in the model group among those identified by MALD-TOF-MS. (3) Fuzheng Huayu Decoction down-regulated proteins and their expressions increased at 4 and 8 weeks, whereas it up-regulated those which decreased at 8, 12 and 16 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS(1) The changes in protein expressions, which effect metabolism, neuroendocrine function and cell proliferation, are the basis of liver fibrosis. (2) The anti-fibrotic effect of Fuzheng Huayu Decoction is holistic, specifically because it can decrease the abnormal cell proliferation and can increase the synthesis of normal proteins.