Title: Effects of losartan on TIMP-1 and PAI-1 expression in rat hepatic fibrosis
Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effect of losartan on the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and plasminogen activator inhibition-1 (PAI-1) in the liver of rat with hepatic fibrosis. METHODS: Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, model group, losartanprevention group, losartan-treatment group. Except rats in control group, all rats were given subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride. Rats in prevention and treatment (from the 5th wk) groups were also given losartan via gastrogavage. At the end of 12 weeks, rats were sacrificed. HE and VG stains were used to evaluate the degree of fibrosis; Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of TIMP-1 and PAI-1 in the liver tissue, respectively. RESULTS: Losartan could greatly attenuate the degree of liver fibrosis (P <0.05) . Intensity score (IS) of TIMP-1 and PAI-1 in prevention (1.6 900 0.4 228 1.8 900 0.5 127) and treatment (1.9 000 0.5 925, 2.0 540 0.4 251) groups was weaker than that in model group (2.5 111 0.3 919, 2.8 500 0.2 013) (P <0.05).