Gooseberry anthocyanins protect mice hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting TGF-β/Smad pathway

Liver disease is usually caused by oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to an overproduction of extracellular matrix (ECM), which in turn develops into hepatic fibrosis. Gooseberry anthocyanins (GA) are flavonoids with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. In this study, We evaluated the anti-fibrotic efficacy of GA in mice model of CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis and explored its underlying mechanisms. Compared with the model group, the treatment group significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) content; reduced liver tissue damage; and reduced the TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, COX-2 functions as a marker of inflammation at the transcriptional level; the expression of α-SMA protein and collagen I in mice with hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl4 was also inhibited.In terms of mechanism, GA inhibit hepatic fibrosis by the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study showed that GA is an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of liver fibrosis, it also provided a theoretical basis for the anti-fibrosis effect of GA. In the future GA should be considered as promising and important candidates for the treatment of various liver diseases.