Chinese Herbal Medicine-induced Liver Injury

The widespread use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and the associated adverse reactions has attracted the attention of researchers and physicians. Reports have shown that several types of CHM can cause liver injury, with increasing numbers of cases reported every year. The difficulty in characterizing CHM-induced liver injury stems from clinical manifestations, diagnosis and pathogenesis. The clinical manifestations are varied, but gastrointestinal symptoms are the majority. The Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences scale is currently the most commonly used method for assessing causality in cases of medicine-induced liver injury with excellent sensitivity, specificity and predictive validity. However, the pathogenesis of CHM-induced liver injury is not well understood. The classic view encompasses a contribution from “toxic metabolites” that either elicit an immune response or directly affect cellular biochemical processes or functions. In addition, poor quality and inappropriate clinical use of CHMs contribute to safety concerns. To ensure the safe use of CHMs and decrease the number of hepatotoxic cases, clinicians, researchers and pharmaceutical companies should share responsibility by regulating clinical use, strengthening basic toxicology research and establishing a strict quality control system.     

Moxibustion upregulates hippocampal progranulin expression

In China, moxibustion is reported to be useful and has few side effects for chronic fatigue syndrome, but its mechanisms are largely un-known. More recently, the focus has been on the wealth of information supporting stress as a factor in chronic fatigue syndrome, and largely concerns dysregulation in the stress-related hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In the present study, we aimed to determine the effect of moxibustion on behavioral symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome rats and examine possible mechanisms. Rats were subjected to a combination of chronic restraint stress and forced swimming to induce chronic fatigue syndrome. The acupointsGuanyuan (CV4) and Zusanli (ST36, bilateral) were simultaneously administered moxibustion. Untreated chronic fatigue syndrome rats and normal rats were used as controls. Results from the forced swimming test, open ifeld test, tail suspension test, real-time PCR, enzyme-linked immunosor-bent assay, and western blot assay showed that moxibustion treatment decreased mRNA expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone in the hypothalamus, and adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone levels in plasma, and markedly increased progranulin mRNA and protein expression in the hippocampus. These ifndings suggest that moxibustion may relieve the behavioral symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, at least in part, by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and upregulating hippocampal progranulin.     

扶正化瘀组分复方抑制血管新生的抗肝纤维化作用机制

目的:本研究旨在探讨扶正化瘀组分复方的抗肝纤维化作用及其作用机制。方法:采用DMN诱导小鼠肝纤维化模型,以扶正化瘀方为阳性对照。以天狼猩红染色和羟脯氨酸含量评估肝纤维化程度;肝脏微血管成像和CD31标记微血管密度评价肝脏血管新生;western blot法检测肝组织VEGF-R2表达;通过计数转基因斑马鱼功能性节间血管数和碱性磷酸酶活性验证药物对血管的影响。结果:扶正化瘀组分复方可显著改善纤维化小鼠血清肝功能(P<0.01):减少肝组织胶原沉积(P<0.01);减少肝脏微血管数量(P<0.01);下调VEGFR2蛋白表达(P<0.01);抑制斑马鱼碱性磷酸酶活性。结论:扶正化瘀组分复方具有抑制DMN诱导小鼠肝纤维化模型肝组织纤维化的作用,其作用机制可能与抑制血管新生有关。     

祛湿化瘀方对高脂饮食诱导的小鼠非酒精性脂肪性肝炎的防治作用

目的：观察祛湿化瘀方治疗非酒精性脂肪性肝炎（NASH）的药效。方法：12周龄C57BL／6J雄性小鼠32只．SPF级。随机分为对照饮食组（n=16）和高脂饮食组（n：16）,对照饮食组小鼠给予10％热能来源于脂肪的对照饲料,高脂饮食组小鼠给予60％热能来源于脂肪的高脂饲料。12周末,对照饮食组和高脂饮食组再分,51j随机分为正常组（N,n=8）、正常给祛湿化瘀方组（NQ,n=8）、模型组（M,n=8）、模型给祛湿化瘀方组（Q,n=8）,分别以lml／100g鼠重灌胃给予祛湿化瘀方（生药含量0．93g／m1）和灭菌饮用水,16周末取材,观察各组小鼠体重、肝组织TG、血清ALT、肝组织HE染色、油红O染色等指标的变化。结果：模型组小鼠体重明显增加,肝组织甘油三酯（TG）含量、血清丙氨酸转氨酶（ALT）明显升高,肝脏HE染色见肝细胞明显的肿胀、脂肪变性和炎细胞浸润．油红O染色见肝脏显著脂滴沉着。肝脏脂肪变积分、炎症积分、气球样变积分均显著升高,并达脂肪性肝炎诊断标准。祛湿化瘀方组小鼠肝组织TG、血清ALT较模型组显著下降,同时肝脏病理组织变化改善,病理积分较模型组显著降低。结论：祛湿化瘀方能够有效防治高脂饮食诱导的C57BL／6J小鼠NASH。     

Dysregulated hepatic bile acids collaboratively promote liver carcinogenesis

Dysregulated bile acids (BAs) are closely associated with liver diseases and attributed to altered gut microbiota. Here, we show that the intrahepatic retention of hydrophobic BAs including deoxycholate (DCA), taurocholate (TCA), taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDCA), and taurolithocholate (TLCA) were substantially increased in a streptozotocin and high fat diet (HFD) induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis‐hepatocellular carcinoma (NASH‐HCC) mouse model. Additionally chronic HFD‐fed mice spontaneously developed liver tumors with significantly increased hepatic BA levels. Enhancing intestinal excretion of hydrophobic BAs in the NASH‐HCC model mice by a 2% cholestyramine feeding significantly prevented HCC development. The gut microbiota alterations were closely correlated with altered BA levels in liver and feces. HFD‐induced inflammation inhibited key BA transporters, resulting in sustained increases in intrahepatic BA concentrations. Our study also showed a significantly increased cell proliferation in BA treated normal human hepatic cell lines and a down‐regulated expression of tumor suppressor gene CEBPα in TCDCA treated HepG2 cell line, suggesting that several hydrophobic BAs may collaboratively promote liver carcinogenesis.     

慢性乙型肝炎舌红苔黄和舌淡苔白不同舌象的尿代谢组研究

目的:探索慢性乙型肝炎舌红苔黄和舌淡苔白不同舌象者的尿代谢差异指标,为中医舌象生物学物质基础微观辨证提供证据。方法:采用气相色谱/质谱联用(GC/MS)技术方法获取慢性乙型肝炎舌红苔黄和舌淡苔白不同舌象者的尿液样本代谢指纹谱,用无监督的学习模式进行多变量统计分析,观察不同组别的人群之间是否存在"自然"的分类结构。利用有监督的学习模式进行数据分类模型的建立和检验,寻找造成样本聚集和离散的主要差异变量。利用商业化的代谢物谱库以及标准品数据库,进行物质鉴定。结果:慢性乙型肝炎舌红苔黄和舌淡苔白者在有监督的学习模式下具有良好的分开趋势,慢乙肝不同舌象者较健康者的差异代谢物谱主要与能量代谢、氨基酸代谢、核苷酸代谢以及肠道菌群代谢相关。结论:舌象是机体变化的重要窗口,不同舌象的外在表观潜在体内的代谢差异。     

中药内服外敷治疗肝硬化难治性腹水的疗效观察

目的:探讨病证结合中药内服与消胀贴膏脐部外敷对肝硬化难治性腹水的治疗作用。方法:选择2011年3月至2014年2月我科肝硬化难治性腹水患者80例,随机分为对照组与观察组,对照组以常规西药治疗,观察组在其基础上,采用病证结合中药复方内服,并脐敷中药消胀贴膏。比较治疗前后患者体重、腹围、24小时尿量、主要症状(腹胀、纳食、排气、排便)及血清肝肾功能、电解质。结果:脱落1例,完成79例。2组患者基线资料一致。对体重、腹围、尿量以及主要症状,2组治疗后均明显改善,而治疗前后体重、腹围、尿量、腹胀、纳食及排气前后差值的组间比较,观察组均优于对照组,观察组显效率明显高于对照组。2组间治疗前后肝肾功能及电解质差值无统计学意义。结论:对于肝硬化难治性腹水患者,病证结合中药内服与消胀贴膏脐部外敷可提高常规西药治疗的临床疗效。