中藥對肝硬化的治療效果：動物模式的研究

李宣書醫師 
國立台灣大
肝硬化是目前肝病防治中仍無法突破的一環。除了本身就會造成死亡，它還是肝癌的最重要危險因子。目前西醫仍無可行的藥物治療出現，因此在中藥裡找尋有效的方劑變得刻不容緩。

本計劃是以現代科學的方法來篩選數種單味及複方中藥，試驗其對於肝硬化回復的功效，並進一步探討此功效的分子機制。本實驗擬以四氯化碳引發小白鼠肝纖維化後，再以中藥治療八週觀察血清白蛋白的濃度肝組織中膠原纖維減少的程度，並測量組織中各種金屬蛋白分解酵素的活性及各種細胞間素、趨化素的表現程度，以瞭解中藥在膠原纖維分解過程中的角色。

關鍵字：肝纖維化/肝硬化, 膠原纖維，膠原纖維分解酵素

Therapeutic effects of herbal medicines on liver cirrhosis: studies on an animal model

Hsuan-Shu Lee M.D. 
Department of Internal Medicine,National Taiwan University Hospital
Liver cirrhosis can not only result in death by complications but also result in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. In modern medicine, there is still no successful treatment towards liver cirrhosis. Therefore seeking for treatment in herbal medicine is mandatory.

This study, using methods of modern biology, is trying to screen several herb medicines for the reversal of liver cirrhosis, and investigate the molecular mechanisms for the effects. In this study, liver fibrosis will be induced in mice by CCl4 injection. Oral therapy with 24 kinds of herb medicine will be started thereafter and continued for 8 weeks. Liver hydroxyproline determination, histological evaluation, and serum albumin levels are the major end points. Besides, various MMP activities and expression of various cytokines and chemokines in the liver tissues will be determined to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the therapeutic effects.

關鍵字：liver fibrosis/cirrhosis, collagens, collagenases, cytokines