At present, there are no effective antifibrotic drugs for patients with chronic liver disease; hence, the development of antifibrotic therapies is urgently needed. Here, we performed an experimental and translational study to investigate the potential and underlying mechanism of quercetin treatment in liver fibrosis, mainly focusing on the impact of quercetin on macrophages activation and polarization. BALB/c mice were induced liver fibrosis by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for 8 weeks and concomitantly treated with quercetin (50 mg/kg) or vehicle by daily gavage. Liver inflammation, fibrosis, and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation were examined. Moreover, massive macrophages accumulation, M1 macrophages and their related markers, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in livers were analyzed. In vitro, we used Raw 264.7 cells to examine the effect of quercetin on M1-polarized macrophages activation. Our results showed that quercetin dramatically ameliorated liver inflammation, fibrosis, and inhibited HSCs activation. These results were attributed to the reductive recruitment of macrophages (F4/80+ and CD68+) into the liver in quercetin-treated fibrotic mice confirmed by immunostaining and expression levels of marker molecules. Importantly, quercetin strongly inhibited M1 polarization and M1-related inflammatory cytokines in fibrotic livers when compared with vehicle-treated mice. In vitro, studies further revealed that quercetin efficiently inhibited macrophages activation and M1 polarization, as well as decreased the mRNA expression of M1 macrophage markers such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and nitric oxide synthase 2. Mechanistically, the inhibition of M1 macrophages by quercetin was associated with the decreased levels of Notch1 expression on macrophages both in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, our data indicated that quercetin attenuated CCl4-induced liver inflammation and fibrosis in mice through inhibiting macrophages infiltration and modulating M1 macrophages polarization via targeting Notch1 pathway. Hence, quercetin holds promise as potential therapeutic agent for human fibrotic liver disease.

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BackgroundAt present there is no effective and accepted therapy for hepatic fibrosis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 signaling pathway contributes greatly to hepatic fibrosis. Reducing TGF-β synthesis or inhibiting components of its complex signaling pathway represent important therapeutic targets. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of curcumin on liver fibrosis and whether curcumin attenuates the TGF-β1 signaling pathway.MethodsSprague–Dawley rat was induced liver fibrosis by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for six weeks together with or without curcumin, and hepatic histopathology and collagen content were employed to quantify liver necro-inflammation and fibrosis. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF-β1, Smad2, phosphorylated Smad2, Smad3, Smad7 and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) were determined by quantitative real time-PCR, Western blot, or immunohistochemistry.ResultsRats treated with curcumin improved liver necro-inflammation, and reduced liver fibrosis in association with decreased α-smooth muscle actin expression, and decreased collagen deposition. Furthermore, curcumin significantly attenuated expressions of TGFβ1, Smad2, phosphorylated Smad2, Smad3, and CTGF and induced expression of the Smad7.ConclusionsCurcumin significantly attenuated the severity of CCl4-induced liver inflammation and fibrosis through inhibition of TGF-β1/Smad signalling pathway and CTGF expression. These data suggest that curcumin might be an effective antifibrotic drug in the prevention of liver disease progression.