Research Progress of Rhubarb in the Treatment of Liver Fibrosis

Abstract

Liver fibrosis is the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins including collagen that occurs in most types of chronic liver diseases.It is a complex disease centered on the activation of hepatic stellate cells and regulated by a variety of cell signal transduction pathways.Advanced liver fibrosis can results in cirrhosis, liver failure, and portal hypertension[1].As a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, rhubarb is often concerned and studied by scientists. Its pharmacological effects are extensive and can play an important role in the treatment of liver fibrosis.In this paper, the inhibitory effect of rhubarb on the formation of liver fibrosis will be discussed from three aspects: the active components of rhubarb, the protein targets related to liver fibrosis, and the signaling pathway, in order to clarify its specific mechanism of action, and to develop anti-hepatic fibrosis drugs for reference.