AIM: To investigate the effect of Boschniakia rossica (BR), oxymatrine (OM) and interferon-alpha (IFN-α) 1b on the therapy of rat liver fibrosis and its mechanism. METHODS: By establishing a rat model of pig serum-induced liver fibrosis, liver/weight index and serum alanine transaminase (ALT) were observed to investigate the therapeutic effect of BR,OM and IFN-α. Radioimmunoassay was utilized to measure procollagen type Ⅲ (PCⅢ) and collagen type Ⅳ (CIV). RT-PCR was used to assay the expression of liver transforming growth factor- beta 1 (TGF-β1) mRNA. Immunohistochemistry of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and pathologic changes of liver tissues were also under investigation. RESULTS: Serum PCⅢ and CIV in BR, OM and IFN-α groups were significantly declined compared with those in model group, and their RT-PCR revealed that TGF-β1 mRNA expression was also reduced more than that in model group. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that α-SMA also declined more than that in model group. Serum ALT in IFN-α, control and model groups was within normal level. Serum ALT in BR group had no significant difference from those of IFN-α, control and model groups. Serum ALT in OM group was significantly higher than those in BR, IFN-α, model, and control groups. CONCLUSION: BR, OM and IFN-α can prevent pig serum-induced liver rat fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells and synthesizing collagen. OM has hepatotoxicity to rat liver fibrosis induced by pig serum. AIM: To investigate the effect of Boschniakia rossica (BR), oxymatrine (OM) and interferon-alpha 1b (on IFNα) 1b on the therapy of rat liver fibrosis and its mechanism. METHODS: By establishing a rat model of pig serum-induced Liver fibrosis, liver / weight index and serum alanine transaminase (ALT) were observed to investigate the therapeutic effect of BR, OM and IFN-α. Radioimmunoassay was utilized to measure procollagen type III (PCIII) and collagen type IV -PCR was used to assay the expression of liver transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) mRNA. Immunohistochemistry of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and pathologic changes of liver tissues also also under investigation. and CIV in BR, OM and IFN-α groups were significantly declined compared with those in model group, and their RT-PCR revealed that TGF-β1 mRNA expression was also reduced more than that in model group. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that α-SMA also declined more than that in m Serum ALT in BR group had no significant difference from those of IFN-α, control and model groups. Serum ALT in OM group was significantly higher than those in oval group in BR, IFN-α, model, and control groups. CONCLUSION: BR, OM and IFN-α can prevent pig serum-induced liver rat fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells and synthesizing collagen. OM has hepatotoxicity to rat liver fibrosis induced by pig serum.