Anti-oxidant ebselen causes the resolution of experimentally induced hepatic fibrosis in rats.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic fibrosis occurs because of injury to the liver parenchyma and biliary system. We have investigated the effect of an organic selenium anti-oxidant, ebselen, in the resolution of experimentally induced hepatic fibrosis, and evaluated its effect on various paradigms involved in hepatic fibrosis.
METHODS: Following pretreatment with phenobarbitone, liver fibrosis was induced in male Fischer 344 rats by using carbon tetrachloride treatment for 10 weeks. Carbon tetrachloride-treated rats were randomly assigned into two groups: (i) no ebselen; and (ii) ebselen administered for 3 weeks following a 10-week carbon tetrachloride treatment period. Normal controls were: (i) neither carbon tetrachloride nor ebselen treated; or (ii) ebselen treated for 13 weeks. Liver sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Masson trichrome and stained for reticulin by using silver impregnation. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the steady-state levels of gene(s) involved in: (i) hepatic fibrosis, namely, transforming growth factor-beta1, procollagen I and III, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-13; (ii) oxidative stress, namely, cytochrome P4502E1; and (iii) preneoplastic liver foci, namely, the placental form of glutathione-S-transferase.
RESULTS: Histological staining showed that ebselen resolves carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis. Treatment with ebselen reduced steady-state levels of transforming growth factor-beta1, procollagen I and III, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, cytochrome P4502E1 and placental form glutathione-S-transferase transcripts, and increased transcripts of matrix metalloproteinase-13.
CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that ebselen significantly causes the resolution of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats.