Correlation between anti-fibrotic effect of baicalin and serum cytokines in rat hepatic fibrosis

Table 1 Level of liver index and serum AST, ALT in different treatment groups (mean ± SD)

Group	n	Liver index	ALT (U/L)	AST (U/L)
Normal	9	0.026 ± 0.004	114.50 ± 8.16	183.09 ± 26.70
Model	7	0.049 ± 0.009b	193.58 ± 24.35b	404.37 ± 68.29b
Baicalin	9	0.033 ± 0.005bd	143.88 ± 14.55bd	263.66 ± 44.23bd
Colchicine	9	0.031 ± 0.004ad	167.60 ± 21.66bc	325.61 ± 52.83bc

^aP < 0.05,

^bP < 0.01 vs normal control group;

^cP < 0.05,

^dP < 0.01 vs model group. AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase.

Table 2 Degree of liver fibrosis in different treatment groups

Group	n	Degree of hepatic fibrosis					Average
		0	I	II	III	IV
Normal	9	9	0	0	0	0	0
Model	7	0	0	0	4	3	3.43b
Baicalin	9	0	3	4	2	0	1.89bd
Colchicine	9	0	3	5	1	0	1.78bd

^bP < 0.01 vs normal control group;

^dP < 0.01 vs model group.

Table 3 Comparison of collagen area and collagen area percentage in liver tissue from rats of different treatment groups (mean ± SD)

Group	n	Collagen area (μm2)	Collagen area percentage
Normal	9	993.54 ± 145.31	1.97 ± 0.30
Model	7	2599.99 ± 488.32b	10.15 ± 2.87b
Baicalin	9	1407.74 ± 284.49bd	4.54 ± 2.08bd
Colchicine	9	1396.00 ± 276.07bd	4.65 ± 2.11bd

^bP < 0.01 vs normal control group;

^dP < 0.01 vs model group.

Table 4 Serum levels of TGF-β1, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 in rats in the different treatment groups (mean ± SD) (pg/mL)

Group	n	TGF-β1	TNF-α	IL-6	IL-10
Normal	7	199.78 ± 18.92	157.62 ± 11.77	187.98 ± 51.97	700.52 ± 138.63
Model	7	375.49 ± 57.47b	260.04 ± 37.70b	606.47 ± 130.73b	316.95 ± 62.74b
Baicalin	7	260.21 ± 31.01bd	193.40 ± 15.18bd	339.87 ± 72.95bd	506.22 ± 112.07ad

^aP < 0.05,

^bP < 0.01 vs normal control group;

^dP < 0.01 vs model group.