Abstract: Objective To study the effect of traditional Chinese medicine Gan-fu-kang（GFK）on hepatic expression of integrinα5β1/ focal adhesion kinase（FAK） in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in rats. Methods SD rats were randomly divided into control,model,low,middle and high dose of GFK treatment groups. Liver fibrosis models of rats were made by subcutaneously injecting with 10%CCl₄. GFK was orally given daily with GFK from week 9 to 20. The expression of integrinα5 and integrinβ1 protein and FAK mRNA were detected by immunohistochemical and RT-PCR techniques,respectively. Results The level of integrinα5 expression in model group（0.50±0.01）was obviously increased as compared with that in control group（0.23±0.13,P<0.01）,and it was obviously downregulated in high,middle and low dose of GFK treatment groups respectively （0.35±0.03,0.33±0.01,0.38±0.02）as compared with model group（P<0.01）; Similarly,the level of integrinβ1 expression in model group（0.44±0.02） was obviously increased as compared with that in control group（0.27±0.01,P<0.01）,and it was decreased in high,middle and low dose of GFK treatment groups respectively（0.37±0.01,0.34±0.01,0.39±0.01） as compared with model group（P<0.01）;At the same time,FAK mRNA level in model group（0.73±0.01）was obviously higher than that in control group（0.11±0.02,P<0.01）,while it was lower in high,middle and low dose of GFK treatment groups respectively（0.33±0.03,0.28±0.01,0.18±0.01）than that in model group（P<0.01）.Conclusion The activated integrinα5β1/FAK signal pathway may play an important role in liver fibrosis,and the therapeutic mechanisms of Gan-fu-kang on hepatic fibrosis may be related to the inhibition of this signal pathway.

Key words: Liver fibrosis, Gan-fu-kang, Integrinα5β1/FAK signal pathway, Rats