Abstract: Objective: To study the improvement effect of mulberry leaf alkaloids on hepatic fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) combined with a high-fat diet in mice. Methods: Sixty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into six groups, normal control, model, positive control (100 mg/kg mb of silibinin), and gavage administration of mulberry leaf alkaloids at low, medium and high doses (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg mb). A mouse model of hepatic fibrosis was established by intraperitoneal injection of 10% CCl4 in olive oil combined with feeding of a high-fat diet for 8 weeks. After administration for 45 days, body mass and liver index were observed, and blood lipids, liver function-related indicators and fibrosis markers in plasma were measured. The histopathological characteristics of liver tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Results: Compared with the model group, liver index, the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and the concentrations of total bilirubin (TBil) and direct bilirubin (DBil), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) and hepatic fibrosis markers such as hyaluronicacid (HA), laminin (LN), type IV collagen (IV-C) and type III precollagen (PC-III) in plasma were significantly decreased, and the levels of total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) were significantly increased in the positive control group and the three treatment groups (P < 0.05). Body mass increased but not significantly in the above four groups (P > 0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference between the high-dose group (200 mg/kg mb) and the positive drug group, and but neither restored the parameters investigated to normal levels. The histopathological examination showed that the degree of liver lesions in the positive control group and the three treatment groups was significantly reduced. Conclusion: Mulberry leaf alkaloids may improve hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl4 combined with high-fat diet as effectively as silibinin.

Key words: mulberry leaf alkaloids, carbon tetrachloride, high-fat diet, hepatic fibrosis, improvement effect