Praziquantel ameliorates CCl₄ -induced liver fibrosis in mice by inhibiting TGF-β/Smad signalling via up-regulating Smad7 in hepatic stellate cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Praziquantel is a schistosomicide, which has been used for more than 30 years due to its efficiency, safety, and mild side effects. Previous studies showed that prolonged treatment with praziquantel suppressed the development of liver fibrosis in mice with schistosomiasis. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the antifibrotic effects of praziquantel.

Experimental approach

To avoid the effect of schistosomicidal activity of praziquantel against liver fibrosis induced by Schistosoma japonicum infection, we established a mouse model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄ )-induced liver fibrosis for in vivo studies and used TGF-β1-stimulated human hepatic stellate cell line (LX-2) in addition to other fibroblast-like cell l

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6965681 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature