Investigating the role of Zibai ointment on apoptosis-related factors Bcl-2 and Bax in wound healing after anal fistula surgery

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we investigated the impact of Zibai ointment on wound healing by analyzing the expression levels of two key apoptosis-related factors-B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), in patients following surgery for anal fistula.

METHODS

We included 90 patients with anal fistulas who were treated in the People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Patients were randomly assigned to receive treatment with Zibai ointment (n = 45) or petroleum jelly (n = 45). The levels of apoptosis-related factors Bcl-2 and Bax were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while cell apoptosis was assessed using Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay.

RESULTS

The results of ELISA showed that on Day 21 after the surgery, the levels of Bcl-2 and Bax in the Zibai ointment group were significantly different compared to the petroleum jelly group, with values of (60.11 ± 1.31) ng/mL and (7.05 ± 0.01) versus (83.79 ± 1.74) ng/mL and (6.00 ± 0.05) ng/mL, respectively (p < .05). Furthermore, light microscopy revealed a large number of apoptotic cells within the field of vision 14 days postsurgery in the Zibai ointment group, and the healing time in the Zibai ointment group was significantly different from that in the petroleum jelly group (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

We found that Zibai ointment effectively promoted wound healing in patients following anal fistula surgery, possibly by regulating Bcl-2 and Bax apoptosis-related factors.

An Experimental Study on the Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Its Receptor in Rat Wound Tissue by Zibai Ointment

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor (VEGFR2) are important for wound repair. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Zibai ointment on the expression of these factors in wound models. In order to establish wound models, a total of 120 rats were used, which were assigned to vaseline group, Zibai ointment group and erythromycin group. The granulation tissues in each group were obtained on the 3rd, 7th, 14th or 21st day after the establishment of the model. The methods such as immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and western blot were used to detect the expression of VEGF and VEGFR2. Comparing to the erythromycin group or vaseline group, the expression of VEGF and VEGFR2 in Zibai ointment group on the 21st day was much higher (P < 0 05). The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that with time in the Zibai ointment group, the granulation tissue gradually formed dense reticular layers of loose, curly fibers, and presented with more collagen deposition. In conclusion, Zibai ointment could effectively improve the expression of VEGF and VEGFR2 in granulation tissues of wounds and promote wound healing.

Transformation and construction of a new defecation schema for treatment of constipation

This paper investigated psychological changes in patients with constipation based on J.Piagetian congnitive constructivism and held that psychological disturbance of defecation was attributable to the disorder of auto-regulation's equilibrium mechanism between assimilation and accommodation. And this paper thereby proposed the psychotherapy model of "cognition-coordination-construction" to help patients establish a new defecation schema to achieve both short-term and long-term therapeutic effects.