Effect and mechanism of methanolic extract of Eupatorium to model rats with chronic muscle injury / 中成药

AIM To investigate the effect and mechanism of methanolic extract of Eupatorium (MEOE) to model rats with chronic soft tissue injury.METHODS The model rats were established by mechanical injury and a subsequent two-week normal feeding for respective administration of high,medium and small dosage of MEOE once a day successively for 14 days.An array of indices,the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD),malondialdehyde (MDA),prostaglandin E2 (PGE2),nitric oxide (NO),interleukin-6 (IL-6) and histamine,the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α),nitric oxide (NO) and Collagen-Ⅰ/Ⅲ,and the activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were measured to analyze the effect of MEOE to model rats with chronic muscle injury.RESULTS MEOE resulted in apparent reduction of contents of MDA,PGE2 and NO,and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in muscular tissue (P ＜ 0.05),significantly increased of the SOD in muscular tissue (P ＜ 0.01),a remarkably inhibited expression of the tissue Collagen-Ⅰ/Ⅲ protein (P ＜ 0.01),and significantly improved activity of tissue VEGF and bFGF (P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION The certain therapeutic effects of MEOE to rats with chronic muscle injury may correlate with its influence to the levels of inflammatory factors inhibition,the oxidative stress relief,the overexpression of collagen-Ⅰ/Ⅲ inhibition,the VEGF and bFGF activity improvement,and the time spare from the repairing.

A multicenter study of the effectiveness of interferon alpha-1b (Hapgen) in treating HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B patients / 中华肝脏病杂志

To compare the efficacy and safety of interferon a-1b and interferon a-1b combined with lamivudine in the treatment of HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB), to analyze the impact of variable factors on the efficacy, and to investigate the individualized anti-viral regimen for CHB patients. 111 CHB patients were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. Group A: patients received interferon a-1b (49 patients, 50mug I. M. , qod. ) , Group B: interferon a-1b (idem) combined with lamivudine for 6-12 months or longer(62 patients, 100 mg, P.O. , q.d. ). (1) The HBeAg seroconversion rates of treatment by 12 and 18 months were 28.6% and 36.7% in group A, 29.0% and 38.7% in group B, respectively, no significant difference found between the two groups at the end of treatment (x2=0.003, P value is more than 0.05; x2=1.500, P value is more than 0.05). (2) The HBV DNA undetectable rates of treatment by 6 months, 12 months and 18 months were 8.2%, 53.1% and 57.1% in group A, 66.1%, 83.9% and 88.7% in group B, respectively, still no significant difference existed between the two groups (x2=38.150, P value is less than 0.05; x2=12.073, P value is less than 0.05, x2=14.459, P value is less than 0.05). (3) In group A, the HBeAg seroconversion rates for male and female patients were 34.5% and 40.0% respectively, no significant difference found between. As regard ages the rates were 34.9% and 50.0% for patients younger or more than 40 years of age, no significant difference existed between. The HBeAg seroconversion rate was higher in patients with lower baseline serum HBV DNA loads ( less than 6 log10 copies/ml) . (4) The rates of patients with fever and blood abnormality were 36.7% and 34.7% in group A, 32.3% and 27.4% in group B, respectively. The total incidences of adverse events were similar between group A and B (x2=0.244, P value is more than 0.05; x2=0.682, P value is more than 0.05). (5) The ratio of drug resistance in group B was only 1.6%. The adverse events of interferon a-1b treatment for CHB are low and mild. The HBeAg seroconversion rate persistently raises with the extension of interferon a-1b treatment course. The HBV DNA undetectable rate of interferon a-1b combined with lamivudine is significantly higher than that of interferon a-1b and the drug resistance of lamivudine can be reduced obviously by combination therapy.

Therapeutic effect of autologous cytokine-induced killer cells on patients with liver cirrhosis caused by HBV infection / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic effect of autologous cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) on HBV DNA positive patients with liver cirrhosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HBV DNA positive 33 patients with cirrhosis were treated with CIK. Before and after cultured in vitro and post-treatment, CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD3+CD56+ cells, mDC and pDC were detected by flow cytometry. The indexes of virus and liver function were compared between pre- and post-treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CD3+, CD3+CD8+ cells and CD3+CD56+ cells were higher after cultured in vitro and after transfused back than those before culture (91.5 +/- 10.3, 74.4 +/- 9.9 vs. 67.9 +/- 12.8; 60.9 +/- 15.5, 37.3 +/- 15.1 vs. 27.9 +/- 10.9; 18.4 +/- 11.7, 14.5 +/- 7.5 vs. 10.6 +/- 7.1). The percentages of mDC and pDC also increased after-treatment vs. pre-treatment (0.54 +/- 0.18 vs. 0.70 +/- 0.29; 0.26 +/- 0.13 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.25). HBV DNA became undetectable in 12 patients and decrease exceeded 100 times in 4 patients after treatment. HBeAg became undetectable in 10 of 14 patients who were HBeAg positive pretreatment patients, among them 2 patients had HBeAb sero conversion. The liver function was improved after treatment. All patients tolerated the treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CIK treatment can increase immune effector cells and has some antiviral effect and is safe.</p>

Clinical profiles of circulating dendritic cell phenotype and lymphocyte subsets in patients chronically infected with HBV during lamivudine treatment / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To investigate the changes of circulating dendritic cell (DC) and lymphocytes subsets in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with lamivudine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixteen chronic hepatitis B patients treated with lamivudine were included and followed up for 48 weeks in this study. Before and during lamivudine treatment, DC collected from peripheral blood sample was cultured in vitro and surface markers of DC and lymphocytes subsets were detected by flow cytometry simultaneously.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 16 patients, 11 were consistently HBV DNA negative in serum and HBV DNA YMDD variants appeared in 5 cases. In the consistent responder group, HLA-DR level of DC decreased transiently in 12 weeks and recovered in 48 weeks (P<0.05). At 48 weeks CD80, CD40 and CD1a were improved compared with baseline level (P<0.05). In the YMDD variant group, CD83 and HLA-DR level of DC decreased at 12 weeks treatment (P<0.05) and HLA-DR was still lower compared with baseline (P<0.05). In the consistent responder group, no significant changes occurred in lymphocyte subsets number at 12 weeks treatment, but CD4 + T cell was improved and NK cell dropped at 48 weeks compared with baseline level (P<0.05). In the YMDD variant group lymphocyte subsets had no statistically significant change.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In the consistent responder group, the expression of surface costimulatory molecules of DC, such as CD80 and CD40,was partly recovered after the virus of hepatitis B had been inhibited efficiently, HLA-DR levels of DC decreased transiently at 12 weeks and recovered in 48 weeks and CD4+ T cell improved and NK cell dropped at 48 weeks. In the YMDD variant group, HLA-DR levels of DC were lower consistently during treatment compared with baseline level.</p>

A prospective study on short period antibiotic treatment of hepatic failure complicated with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To observe the effects of short-term antibiotic treatment in patients with hepatic failure and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this prospective study short-term antibiotic treatment was given to 67 cases diagnosed as hepatic failure with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Ceftriaxone 2 g, iv drip, q12h for 10 d or ofloxacin 0.2 g, iv drip, q12h for 10 d was given to the patients at random and the efficacy was evaluated on the basis of clinical symptoms, medical examination and ascites after 3, 7, 10 days of therapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Seven cases (10.44%) were cured and 57 cases (85%) were improved after 3 days therapy, the total effective rate was 95.52%, but in 3 cases the therapy had no effect. The results of ascites bacterial culture and drug susceptibility test showed that one case had drug resistance to ceftriaxone and two cases had drug resistance to ofloxacin, so antibiotics were changed in time. After 7 days therapy, the results showed that 65 cases (97.01%) cured and 2 cases (2.99%) were improved, the total effective rate was 100%. When the therapy lasted for 10 days, all patients were cured. One patient had oral mucous membrane. Candida albicans infection after 3 days therapy; two cases got thrush and one patient got fungal intestinal infection after 7 days therapy; when the therapy lasted for 10 days, 4 cases had thrush and 2 cases had fungal infection of intestines and one patient had pulmonary fungal infection.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The optimal period of antibiotic treatment of hepatic failure with SBP should be from 7 days to 10 days.</p>

IFN or oxymatrine in combination with lamivudine in patients with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic efficacy of IFN or oxymatrine in combination with lamivudine in patients with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty patients ongoing treatment with lamivudine were randomized to three groups: group A, 14 patients with addition of IFN alpha-2b 3MU to ongoing lamivudine, daily, one month, followed by the same dose given every other day, five months; group B, 15 patients with addition of injectable oxymatrine 60 mg daily, three months, followed by oral oxymatrine every day, three months, and group C, 11 patients ongoing treatment with lamivudine alone. The HBV DNA level in serum, HBeAg seroconversion, and ALT level were detected at the end of the treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 6 months of treatment, HBV DNA became negative in 35.73% patients treated with combination with IFN, and in 13.3% patients treated with combination with oxymatrine. ALT level was normal in 85.71% or 86.66% of patients, respectively. In none of the patients under ongoing treatment with lamivudine alone HBV DNA or HBeAg became negative, and ALT level was normal in 36.36% of patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These data indicated that IFN or oxymatrine in combination with ongoing lamivudine therapy provided effective antiviral therapy in patients with lamivudine-resistant HBV. The addition of IFN or oxymatrine to ongoing lamivudine therapy in lamivudine-resistant patients led to significant inhibition of viral replication and improvement in liver function after 6 months of therapy.</p>