Efficacy of Curcumin in Protecting the Rat Liver from CCI4-Induced Injury and Fibrogenesis. Histological and Immunohistochemical Study

Introduction: Liver fibrogenesis occurs as a wound-healing process after many forms of chronic or toxic hepatic injury. Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of curcumin from CCl4-induced injury and fibrosis in rats and to assess the role of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2). Materials and methods: Rats were equally divided into three groups. Group A; was the vehicle control, Group B: rats were intraperitoneally injected with CCl4 (0.1 ml/100 gram body weight), without curcumin treatment. Group C: rats were injected with similar doses of CCl4 and given curcumin by oral gavage at a dose of 200 mg/kg. After four weeks, liver specimens from all groups were processed and prepared to be stained with H&E, Mallory trichrome and immunohistochemically for demonstration of MMP-2. Results: CCl4 resulted in many forms of hepatocytes degeneration; hydropic degeneration, fatty change, apoptosis and necrosis, associated with significant increase in hepatic collagen deposition. These histopathological changes were apparently ameliorated in the curcumin-treated rats. Additionally, curcumin significantly decreased the elevated MMP-2 expression in both hepatocytes and sinusoidal cells following CCl4 injections. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the effect of curcumin on matrix metalloproteinase-2 might be considered as one of its mechanisms to improve hepatic injury and fibrogenesis after CCL4 administration. Based on these results, the oral use of curcumin is recommended to improve hepatic injury and fibrosis.