Coffee consumption prevents fibrosis in a rat model that mimics secondary biliary cirrhosis in humans

Investigations demonstrated that oxidative stress plays an important role in injury promotion in cholestatic liver disease. We hypothesized that coffee attenuates cholestasis-induced hepatic necrosis and fibrosis via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic properties. The major aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective properties of coffee and caffeine in a model of chronic bile duct ligation (BDL) in male Wistar rats. Liver injury was induced by 28-day BDL, and conventional coffee, decaffeinated coffee, or caffeine was administered daily. After treatment, the hepatic oxidative status was estimated by measuring lipid peroxidation, the reduced to oxidized glutathione ratio, and glutathione peroxidase. Fibrosis was assessed by measuring the liver hydroxyproline content. The transforming growth factor-β, connective tissue growth factor, α-smooth muscle actin, collagen 1, and interleukin-10 proteins and mRNAs were measured by Western blot and polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Conventional coffee suppressed most of the changes produced by BDL; however, caffeine showed better antifibrotic effects. Coffee demonstrated antioxidant properties by restoring the redox equilibrium, and it also prevented the elevation of liver enzymes as well as hepatic glycogen depletion. Interestingly, coffee and caffeine administration prevented collagen increases. Western blot assays showed decreased expression levels of transforming growth factor-β, connective tissue growth factor, α-smooth muscle actin, and collagen 1 in the coffee- and caffeine-treated BDL groups. Similarly, coffee decreased the mRNA levels of these proteins. We conclude that coffee prevents liver cirrhosis induced by BDL by attenuating the oxidant processes, blocking hepatic stellate cell activation, and downregulating the main profibrotic molecules involved in extracellular matrix deposition.