Role of silymarin to treat fibrosis development in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

摘要

We read with great interest the recent review by Hojo and Watanabe on the various therapies available to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with particular emphasis on their efficacy for the improvement of liver fibrosis.1 The diagnosis of NASH is based on invasive liver biopsy. However, this technique to evaluate liver damage is inadequate to understand the pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the development of liver fibrosis.2 Reactive oxygen species (ROS), including the super-oxide radical, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxide radicals, were involved in the pathogen-esis of liver diseases and in particular in the development of liver fibrosis. The mechanism of free radical damage included ROS-induced peroxidation of the polyunsaturated fatty acid in the bilayer cell membrane, which caused the chain reaction of lipid peroxidation, thus damaging the cellular membrane and causing further oxidation of membrane, lipids and proteins.