الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Liver fibrosis is considered an integral part in the pathway of most chronic liver diseases. It is a dynamic process characterized by chronic liver injury conjugated with accumulation of ECM. In conditions of chronic liver injury, several factors interplay to induce enhanced activity of HSCs and their transformation into myofibroblast like cells. Initially, HSCs are stimulated by locally produced factors during the process of liver injury itself, such as lipid peroxides generated during the oxidative stress process, together with products of the damaged hepatocytes. Other factors produced from local cells as Kupffer and endothelial cells induce a continuous state of HSCs hyperactivity.
Recently the “Back to nature” approach and the use of herbal remedies are gaining huge popularity worldwide. Berberine chloride is one of these herbal drugs that possess a variety of pharmacological actions including hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. However, it suffers from limited membrane permeability due to its hydrophilic nature.
In such context, the current study aimed to study the therapeutic efficacy of BBR loaded nano-liposomes on CCl4 induced liver fibrosis in adult male albino rats, and to compare between the therapeutic efficacies of the BBR loaded nano-liposomes on CCl4 induced liver fibrosis to that of the BBR alone.
Seventy rats were used during the in-vivo study, and the groups were divided as follows:
I. Control group CG: twenty rats were equally subdivided into 4 subgroups;
CGI: Received daily IV injection of 1 ml/kg distilled water for 6 weeks.
CGII: Received two doses per week of IP injection of 1 ml/kg olive oil for 10 weeks.
CGIII: Received daily IV injection of 10 mg/kg BBR dissolved in distilled water for 6 weeks.
CGIV: Received daily IV injection of 10 mg/kg BBR loaded on nano-liposomes for 6 weeks.
II. Liver Fibrosis group (LFG): fifty rats received IP injection of CCl4 diluted 1:1 in olive oil at a dose of 1 ml/kg twice a week for 10 weeks. Fourteen rats died during the induction of fibrosis, then after the 10 weeks duration, six rats were sacrificed to confirm the fibrosis, and the rest of rats continued into the withdrawal and treatment groups.
III. Withdrawal group (WG): ten rats received no further treatment for 6 weeks after induction of liver fibrosis.
IV. Treatment group (TG): twenty rats were equally subdivided into two subgroups after induction of fibrosis and received treatment for additional six weeks ;
Berberine group (BG): received daily IV injection of 10 mg/kg BBR dissolved in distilled water for 6 weeks.
Berberine Loaded Liposomes group (BLG): received daily IV injection of 10 mg/kg BBR loaded on nano-liposomes for 6 weeks.