This article is part of the supplement: 11th International Symposium on the Cells of the Hepatic Sinusoid and their Relation to Other Cells

Proceedings

Suppression of Rat Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis by a Japanese Herbal Medicine, Inchinko-to (TJ135)

Yukihiro Imanishi¹ , Naoto Maeda¹ , Hiroko Matsui¹ , Tokuko Takashima¹ , Shuichi Seki¹ , Tetsuo Arakawa² and Norifumi Kawada¹

¹Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan

²Department Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Asahimachi, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan

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Comparative Hepatology 2004, 3(Suppl 1):S11doi:10.1186/1476-5926-2-S1-S11

Published:	14 January 2004

First paragraph (this article has no abstract)

Herbal medicine has been recognized as one of useful treatments for chronic liver diseases. Inchinko-to (TJ135) consists of Artemisia Capillaris Spike, Gardenia Fruit and Rhubarb Rhizome. Artemisia Capillaris Spike and Gardenia Fruit promote bile secretion [1,2]. Rhubarb Rhizome is used for constipation. Rhubarb Rhizome contains anthraquinone derivatives, such as aloe emodin and emodin. TJ135 is used for cholestasis, primary biliary cirrhosis [3] and hepatitis C [4] in Japan. Although therapeutic benefit of TJ135 was recently reported on acute liver injury induced by Fas-induced apoptosis of hepatocytes [5], its effect on liver fibrosis has never been studied so far. In the present study, we investigated the effect of TJ135 and its component on the activation of rat hepatic stellate cells in primary culture [6]. In vivo effect of TJ135 on an experimental liver fibrosis caused by thioacetamide (TAA) administration was also studied.