Clinical effects of entecavir combined with Qianggan pills in chronic hepatitis B patients with compensated liver cirrhosis

AIM: To evaluate the clinical effects of entecavir combined with Qianggan pills in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B patients with compensated liver cirrhosis

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 98 chronic hepatitis B patients with compensated liver cirrhosis treated at Hubei Armed Police Corps Hospital from October 2013 to October 2014. According to the treatment method, the patients were divided into three groups (A, B, and C) and treated for 48 wk. Group A (35 cases) was given entecavir combined with Qianggan pills, group B (30 cases) was given entecavir alone, and group C (33 cases) was given entecavir combined with compound Biejia Ruangan pills. HBV DNA, liver function, liver fibrosis markers (HA, LN, and IV-C), abdominal ultrasonographic measurements (portal vein diameter, thickness of spleen, and splenic vein width) and liver Fibroscan value (FS value) were observed.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in liver fibrosis index, liver function or liver FS values between the three groups before treatment (P > 0.05); after treatment, HA, IV-C, LN, portal vein diameter, spleen thickness, splenic vein width and FS value of group A were significantly lower than those of group B (134.6 ng/mL ± 27.3 ng/mL vs 153.2 ng/mL ± 26.3 ng/mL, 118.4 ng/mL ± 15.7 ng/mL vs 129.0 ng/mL ± 17.1 ng/mL, 67.8 ng/mL ± 28.4 ng/mL vs 80.2 ng/mL ± 23.1 ng/mL; 12.8 mm ± 2.8 mm vs 15.0 mm ± 2.4 mm, 35.9 mm ± 10.0 mm vs 40.7 mm ± 11.2 mm, 6.4 mm ± 2.4 mm vs 8.1 mm ± 2.7 mm; 13.20 kpa ± 4.80 kpa vs 16.35 kpa ± 6.90 kpa, P < 0.05); there were no significant difference between groups A and C (P > 0.05). After treatment, there were no significant differences in HBV DNA or liver function among the three groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Entecavir combined with Qianggan pills can effectively inhibit hepatitis B virus replication, improve liver function and significantly reduce the degree of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients with compensated liver cirrhosis

Unfolding core asymmetries with x-ray emission images in symmetry diagnostic experiments

A novel inversion technique is proposed to unfold core asymmetries at the source with x-ray emission images, which were obtained from imploded surrogate capsules in symmetry diagnostic experiments. The axisymmetrical core emission can be expanded as a Fourier series, with Legendre polynomials and spherical Bessel functions as bases concerned with polar angle and radius, respectively. A least-squares estimator is employed to obtain the unknown coefficients from its two-dimensional image data. The unfolded Legendre coefficients can be further used to test modeling of drive asymmetries in hohlraums. This technique is also demonstrated with a proof-of-principle experiment performed on the Shenguang II laser facility [L. Zunqi et al., Chin. J. Lasers B10, 6 (2001)].

JinSanE decoction, a chinese herbal medicine, inhibits expression of TGF-beta1/Smads in experimental hepatic fibrosis in rats

The study is to investigate the effects of a Chinese herbal medicine, JinSanE decoction, on the TGF-beta1/Smads signal transduction pathway in a carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatic fibrosis model in rats. Rats were randomly divided into 4 study groups: namely, a normal control group, a hepatic fibrosis model group, and 2 treatment groups with different doses of JinSanE (6 and 12 g/kg). Ten rats in each group were sacrificed at 4 and 8 weeks after exposure to CCl(4) respectively. The levels of TGF-beta1 and TRII mRNA in liver tissue were analyzed by RT-PCR. The expressions of TGF-beta1, Smad3 and Smad7 in liver tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The liver histopathology was examined by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and electron microscopy respectively. The liver hydroxyproline (HYP), liver function and hyaluronic acid (HA) were examined by biochemistry and radioimmunoassay (RIA) respectively. Compared with the hepatic fibrosis model group, the levels of TGF-beta1, TRII mRNA and Smad3 expression significantly decreased in the 2 treatment groups. The expression of Smad7 was significantly increased in the liver of the rats treated with JinSanE (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). The histological changes of fibrotic liver were obviously improved in the treatment rats. The levels of liver HYP, serum liver function and HA were also remarkably improved in the treatment rats. Moreover, the effects of JinSanE occurred in a dose- and time-dependent manner in the process of the protection of liver injury and fibrosis. JinSanE decoction had a protective effect on liver injury and could ameliorate hepatic fibrosis in rats. The mechanisms might be associated with their effects of down-regulating TGF-beta1, TRII mRNA and Smad3, and up-regulating Smad7.

Effects of Chinese traditional compound, JinSanE, on expression of TGF-β1 and TGF-β1 type II receptor mRNA, Smad3 and Smad7 on experimental hepatic fibrosis in vivo

AIM: The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway system plays a prominent role in the control of cell growth and extracellular matrix formation in the progression of liver fibrogenesis. Smad proteins can either positively or negatively regulate TGF-β responses. In this study, the therapeutic effects of Chinese traditional compound decoction, JinSanE, and the changes of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway system in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced rat experimental liver fibrosis were examined.

METHODS: Seventy-two healthy Wistar rats were assigned to groups including normal control group, CCl₄ model group, JinSanE treatment group I and JinSanE treatment group II. Each group contained 18 rats. All groups, except the normal control group, received CCl₄ subcutaneous injection for 8 wk. Rats in JinSanE groups I and II were orally treated with JinSanE daily at the 1^st and 5^th wk, respectively, after exposure to CCl₄. The expression of TGF-β1 and TGF-β1 type II receptor (TRII) mRNA in the liver was determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and the expression of TGF-β1, Smad3 and Smad7 by immunohistochemistry. The liver histopathology was also examined by HE staining and observed under electron microscope. The activities of several serum fibrosis-associated enzymes, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), the levels of serum hyaluronic acid (HA) were assayed.

RESULTS: Hepatic fibrosis caused by CCl₄ was significantly inhibited in the JinSanE-treated groups. The degrees of necrosis/degeneration and fibrosis scores were significantly lower in the JinSanE-treated groups than in the model control group. The expression of TGF-β1, TRII and Smad3 was significantly higher in the model group than that in the JinSanE-treated groups, and the active/total TGF-β1 ratio in the JinSanE groups was suppressed. Expression of TRII mRNA and Smad3 proteins showed a distribution pattern similar to that of TGF-β1 with a direct correlation in terms of the degree of hepatic fibrosis. The amount of positive staining Smad7 cells was significantly less in the model group than in the JinSanE-treated groups and the normal group. The contents of ALT, AST and HA were significantly lower in the JinSanE-treated groups than those in the model group.

CONCLUSION: Traditional Chinese medicine, JinSanE, prevents the progression of hepatic damage and fibrosis through the inhibition of TGF-β1, TRII and Smad3 signal proteins, and increases expression of Smad7 signal protein in vivo.