A clinical analysis of liver disease patients with abnormal glucose metabolism / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical features of liver disease patients with abnormal glucose metabolism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Liver functions and levels of FPG, PPG, FINS, PINS, FCP, and PCP in 91 chronic hepatitis B patients with abnormal glucose metabolism (62 had liver cirrhosis) were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The incidence of hepatogenic impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and of diabetes mellitus (DM) in hepatitis B patients with liver cirrhosis (20.53%; 24.11%) were higher than those without cirrhosis (3.82%; 1.64%; P<0.05, P<0.01). (2) There were no diabetic symptoms among any of the hepatogenic IGT and DM patients. 12 of 19 chronic hepatitis B patients with primary DM and 6 of 12 hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with primary DM had diabetic symptoms. (3) The levels of FPG and PPG in chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatogenic IGT and DM were lower than those in the patients with primary DM (P<0.05), but the levels of PINS and PCP in chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatogenic IGT and DM were higher than those in the patients with primary DM (P<0.05). (4) There were no differences in the levels of FPG and PPG between the hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with hepatogenic DM and those with primary DM (P<0.05). The levels of FINS, PINS, FCP, and PCP were higher in the hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with hepatogenic DM than those in the hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with primary DM (P<0.05). The levels of FPG and PPG in the hepatogenic DM patients were higher than those in the hepatogenic IGT patients (P<0.05), but their levels of FINS, PINS, FCP and PCP were lower than those in the hepatogenic IGT patients (P<0.05, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Hepatogenic IGT and DM are always secondary in severe liver cirrhosis patients, who always showed no diabetic symptoms. The chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatogenic DM had increased insulin secretion, while the hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with hepatogenic DM had decreased insulin secretion.</p>

The changes of ROS and mitochondria membrane potential in HepG2 cells on the pressure of cisplatin / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the changes and significance of the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondria membrane potential (Delta Psi) in HepG2 cells under the stress of cisplatin (CDDP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HepG2 cells were incubated with CDDP. The changes in the level of ROS were determined by a probe (2,7-dichloro fluorescein-ciactate, DCFH-DA) and the changes of Delta Psi were reflected as changes of intensities of fluorescence seen under a laser scan microscope using a probe (rhodamine-123). All these changes in cells at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 120 h, 168 h were dynamically observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The level of ROS was much higher after the CDDP treatment than the non-treated, and the increase lasted for 24 h and 48 h. Then it started to decrease at 72 h, gradually returning to normal level at 120 h. Under the selective pressure of CDDP, the fluorescence intensity of rhodamine-123 in HepG2 cells was decreasing at 24 h and 48 h, then gradually started to increase at 72 h. There were no such changes in the cells of the controls.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The changes of ROS and Delta Psi in HepG2 cells under the pressure of CDDP suggest that the cells change themselves adapting to such pressures.</p>

Evaluation of the effects of dense endoscopic ligation for bleeding esophageal varices / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of dense endoscopic variceal ligation (DEVL) for bleeding esophageal varices.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients with acute or with a history of esophageal variceal bleeding underwent regular DEVLs with a 2-3 week interval between 2 sessions until their varices disappeared at the lower 5-6 cm part of the esophagus. Follow-up study and gastroscopy were performed at 3, 6 and 12 months after the final DEVL in all patients. The results at 3 months were classified as short-term effects and those after 6 months as long-term ones.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>126 patients underwent DEVLs with 403 sessions and 3641 ligations; each patient was ligated with a mean of 3.2 sessions and at 28.9 points. The cure rate of acute variceal bleeding was 100.0%; short-term rate of variceal eradication was 94.4% and variceal rebleeding occurred in 3.9% patients. After a mean of 22.3 months follow-up period, the recurrence of esophageal varices was observed in 11.9% patients, but the variceal rebleeding rate was only 3.2% and no patients died from it.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DEVL was very useful and effective in both short-term and long-term variceal eradication and prevention of variceal rebleeding.</p>

Influence of Cordyceps sinensis on pancreatic islet beta cells in rats with experimental liver fibrogenesis / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Cordyceps sinensis (CS) on pancreatic islet B cells of experimental hepatic fibrogenesis rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were randomly allocated into three groups: normal group, model group and CS group. The rats in the latter two groups were administered with CCl(4) solution to induce liver fibrosis, the CS group was also treated with CS 10 days after the beginning of CCl(4) administration. Rats in normal group were sacrificed at the beginning of the experiment, while the rats in the other two groups were sacrificed randomly at the end of the third and sixth weeks. The rats' islets were isolated and cultured in vitro, then the basal insulin level of the islets and the serum level of insulin were determined by radioimmunological assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>It seemed no change that the levels of serum insulin and basal insulin between the model group and the normal group at the third week. But at the sixth week, both insulin levels in the model group were higher than those in the normal group (52.6 mU/L2.5 mU/L vs 23.7 mU/L 2.3 mU/L, q=13.01, p<0.05; 52.94muU/ml 13.12muU/ml vs 35.16muU/ml 5.64muU/ml, q=10.06, p<0.01). No significant change could be seen in the serum levels of insulin between the CS group and the model group at the third and sixth weeks. But the basal insulin levels in the CS group were apparently higher than those in the model group at the third and sixth weeks (156.63muU/ml 6.57muU/ml vs 39.64muU/ml 3.95muU/ml, q=66.94, p<0.001; 140.44muU/ml 38.53muU/ml vs 52.94muU/ml 13.12muU/ml, q=12.98, p<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cordyceps sinensis can increase the basal insulin level of the islets in CCl(4)-induced liver fibrosis rats.</p>

Effect of Rhein on the development of hepatic fibrosis in rats / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of rhein on the development of hepatic fibrosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The animal models were made with carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) mixed with vegetable oil (3/2, v/v), which was injected subcutaneously twice a week for 6 weeks, and with 5% ethanol for free drinking water. At the same time, Rhein was administrated at the dose of 25 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg once a day for 6 weeks. The changes of both biochemical markers, such as the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen type III (PCIII) in serum and SOD, malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver, and related histopathological parametres were determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the model group, there were three kinds of changes in the larger quantity of rhein treated group. (1) The levels of ALT, HA, PCIII in serum and MDA in liver homogenate were decreased significantly (from 150 U/L +/- 16 U/L to 78 U/L +/- 18 U/L, 321 microg/L +/- 97 microg/L to 217 microg/L +/- 75 microg/L, 31 microg/L +/- 14 microg/L to 16 microg/L +/- 6 microg/L and 3.67 nmol/mg +/- 0.68 nmol/mg to 1.88 nmol/mg +/- 0.34 nmol/mg, respectively, t > or 2.977, P<0.01). However the level of SOD in liver was increased (from 62.45 NU/mg +/- 8.74 NU/mg to 91.26 NU/mg +/- 14.04 NU/mg, t=4.453, P<0.01). (2) The expressions of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in liver were markedly reduced (P<0.05 and P<0.01). (3) The collagen staining positive area was decreased and the grade of fibrosis was reduced significantly in liver (P<0.05 and P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Rhein can protect hepatocyte from injury and prevent the progress of hepatic fibrosis in rats, which may associate with that rhein plays a role in antioxidation, anti-inflammation, inhibiting the expression of TGF-beta1 and suppressing the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).</p>