Ferulic acid influences hepatic expression pattern of matrix metalloproteinases during alcohol and PUFA induced toxicity

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES : Alcoholic fibrosis and its end stage cirrhosis rep - resent a major health problem worldwide. Liver fi- brosis occurs when the rate of matrix synthesis exceeds matrix degradation. The degree of matrix remodeling depends on the ratio of active matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs)andtissueinhibitorsof metalloproteinases (TIMPs). The objective of the present work was to study the influence of ferulic acid,apolyphenoliccompound,ontheexpression of MMPs and TIMPs during alcohol and heated polyunsaturated fatty acid (delta PUFA) induced livertoxicityinmalealbinoWistarrats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The levels of collagen, the activity of MMPs, the activity of TIMPs,theexpressionpatternofMMPwereana - lyzedinliver. RESULTS: The matrix metalloproteinase expres - sionwasfoundtobesignificantlyincreasedinal- coholaswellasdeltaPUFAtreatedratsandsignif- icantly decreased in alcohol + delta PUFA treated rats. The levels of TIMPs and the collagen were significantly increased in alcohol, delta PUFA and alcohol+deltaPUFAgroups.Administrationoffer - ulicacidsignificantlydecreasedthelevelsofcolla - gen, TIMPs and positively modulated the expres - sionofMMPs. CONCLUSIONS: Ferulic acid influences MMPs, TIMPs expression and effectively protects liver againstalcoholand ∆PUFA induced liver fibrosis.