Review Article
Preclinical Models for Investigation of Herbal Medicines in Liver Diseases: Update and Perspective
Table 3
Animal models of biliary fibrosis used to investigate the effect of herbal medicines.
| Model | Experiment durations | Herbal medicine | Pathological and biochemical changes; mechanism involved | Reference |
| Bile duct ligation | 3 days | Aqueous extract from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum | Blocked ALT and AST. Restored antioxidant enzymes. High dose showed lesser hepatocyte necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. | [144] | 2 weeks | Yang-Gan-wan | Reduced α1 (I) procollagen and α-SMA. | [145] | 2 weeks | Artemisia capillaris | Reduced cholestatic markers and Hyp. Blocked liver injury and collagen deposition. Reduced α-SMA, PDGF, and TGF-β. | [146] | 28 days | Green tea polyphenol | Reduced portosystemic shunting, fibrosis, intrahepatic angiogenesis, and mesenteric window vascular density. Decreased HIF-1α, VEGF, and phospho-Akt. | [147] | 4 weeks | Huangqi decoction | Reduced fibrosis degree. Increased Hyp content, CK7, and α-SMA. | [148] | 4 weeks | Huangqi decoction | Blocked collagen deposition. Reduced ALT, Tbil, and Hyp. Inhibited TGF-β1, its receptors, SMAD3, and pERK1/2. | [42] | 7 weeks | Inchinko-to | Decreased ALT and AST. Reduced TGF-β1 and α-SMA. | [149] |
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