Therapeutic effect of transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells co-cultured with bone marrow M2 macrophages on a rat model of liver cirrhosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs） co-cultured with bone marrow-derived M2 macrophages （M2-BMDMs）， named as BMSCM2， on a rat model of liver cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride （CCl4）/2-acetaminofluorene （2-AAF）. MethodsRat BMDMs were isolated and polarized into M2 phenotype， and rat BMSCs were isolated and co-cultured with M2-BMDMs at the third generation to obtain BMSCM2. The rats were given subcutaneous injection of CCl4 for 6 weeks to establish a model of liver cirrhosis， and then they were randomly divided into model group （M group）， BMSC group， and BMSCM2 group， with 6 rats in each group. A normal group （N group） with 6 rats was also established. Since week 7， the model rats were given 2-AAF by gavage in addition to the subcutaneous injection of CCl4. Samples were collected at the end of week 10 to observe liver function， liver histopathology， and hydroxyproline （Hyp） content in liver tissue， as well as changes in the markers for hepatic stellate cells， hepatic progenitor cells， cholangiocytes， and hepatocytes. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the N group， the M group had significant increases in the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） （P<0.01）； compared with the M group， the BMSC and BMSCM2 groups had significant reductions in ALT and AST （P<0.01）， and the BMSCM2 group had significantly better activities than the BMSC group （P<0.05）. Compared with the N group， the M group had significant increases in Hyp content and the mRNA and protein expression levels of alpha-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） in the liver （P<0.01）； compared with the M group， the BMSC and BMSCM2 groups had significant reductions in Hyp content and the expression of α-SMA （P<0.05）， and the BMSCM2 group had a significantly lower level of α-SMA than the BMSC group （P<0.01）. Compared with the N group， the M group had significant increases in the mRNA expression levels of the hepatic progenitor cell markers EpCam and Sox9 and the cholangiocyte markers CK7 and CK19 （P<0.01） and significant reductions in the expression levels of the hepatocyte markers HNF-4α and Alb （P<0.01）； compared with the M group， the BMSC and BMSCM2 groups had significant reductions in the mRNA expression levels of EpCam， Sox9， CK7， and CK19 （P<0.05） and significant increases in the mRNA expression levels of HNF-4α and Alb （P<0.05）， and compared with the BMSC group， the BMSCM2 group had significant reductions in the mRNA expression levels of EpCam and CK19 （P<0.05） and significant increase in the expression level of HNF-4α （P<0.05）. ConclusionM2-BMDMs can enhance the therapeutic effect of BMSCs on CCl4/2-AAF-induced liver cirrhosis in rats， which provides new ideas for further improving the therapeutic effect of BMSCs on liver cirrhosis.

Risk factors of uveitis in ankylosing spondylitis / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of uveitis in ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Methods:This retrospective study included 206 patients with AS who visited the department of rheumatology and immunology of People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region between January, 2018 and December, 2018. Those patients with uveitis were enrolled in the uveitis group. AS patients without uveitis were included in the non uveitis group as control. The basic clinical data, laboratory indexes and imaging data were analyzed retrospectively by t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, Chi square test and binary logistic regression. Results:Thirty-seven patients with uveitis and 169 patients without uveitis were included. Compared with the non uveitis group, patients with uveitis were older in age [(40±11) years vs (36±11) years, t=-2.06, P<0.05], longer in disease duration [10(5, 16) years vs 5(2, 10) years, Z=-3.16, P<0.01], more peripheral arthritis [51.4%(19/37) vs 32.5%(55/169), χ2=4.66, P<0.05] and peripheral enthesitis [40.5%(15/37) vs 11.8%(20/169), χ2=17.34, P<0.01], and higher human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 positive rate [100%(37/37) vs 85.8%(145/169), χ2=5.95, P=0.01]. However, there were no significant difference in gender, race, cervical tenderness, smoking history and volume, a positive family history of uveitis, a positive family history of AS and BMI. There was no significant difference in bloodplatelet (PLT), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). By the binary logistic regression analysis, we found that peripheral enthesitis [ OR(95% CI)=4.289(1.832, 10.040), P<0.01], and longer disease duration [ OR(95% CI)=1.072(1.014, 1.134), P<0.05] were independently related to AS related uveitis. Conclusion:This study suggests that the risk of uveitis is increased in AS patients with longer disease duration and peripheral enthesitis.

Effect of polarized bone marrow-derived macrophage transplantation on the progression of CCl / 临床肝胆病杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of polarized bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) transplantation on the progression of CCl 4 -induced liver fibrosis in rats. Methods Rat BMDMs were isolated and induced to differentiate into M1 phenotype (M1-BMDM) by lipopolysaccharide (5 ng/mL) or M2 phenotype (M2-BMDM) by the supernatant of L929 cells. A rat model of liver fibrosis was established by subcutaneous injection of 30% CCl 4 for 6 weeks, and at week 7, the model rats were randomly divided into model control group (M group), M1-BMDM group, and M2-BMDM group and were given a single injection of normal saline, M1-BMDM, and M2-BMDM, respectively, via the caudal vein, and subcutaneous injection of 30% CCl 4 was given until the end of week 9. Related indices were observed, including liver function, liver histopathology, hydroxyproline (Hyp) content in liver tissue, hepatic stellate cell activation, liver fibrosis, and expression of inflammatory cytokines. The continuous data were expressed as mean±standard deviation; an analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and the SNK- q test was used for further comparison between two groups. Results Compared with the M group, both M1-BMDM and M2-BMDM significantly inhibited liver inflammation and liver fibrosis progression and significantly reduced serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities ( P < 0.01) and Hyp content in liver tissue ( P < 0.05). M1-BMDM and M2-BMDM significantly inhibited the activation of hepatic stellate cells and significantly reduced the mRNA expression levels of TGF-β, Col1A1, and Col4 (all P < 0.05). Both M1-BMDM and M2-BMDM significantly increased the expression level of CD163 protein in liver tissue ( P < 0.01), and the M2-BMDM group had a significantly higher level than the M1-BMDM group ( P < 0.05); both M1-BMDM and M2-BMDM significantly reduced the mRNA expression levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 in liver tissue ( P < 0.05) and significantly increased the mRNA expression level of MMP-13 ( P < 0.01); in addition, M2-BMDM significantly reduced the expression level of CD68 protein in liver tissue ( P < 0.01). Both M1-BMDM and M2-BMDM significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and IL-10 and the protein expression level of albumin in liver tissue (all P < 0.05), and the above indices in the M2-BMDM group were significantly higher than those in the M1-BMDM group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Both M1-BMDM and M2-BMDM can effectively inhibit the progression of CCl 4 -induced liver fibrosis in rats, possibly by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells and promoting the activation of anti-inflammatory macrophages. Moreover, M2-BMDM can also inhibit the activation of pro-inflammatory macrophages and thus has a better comprehensive intervention effect than M1-BMDM.

Differential diagnosis of high altitude pulmonary edema and COVID-19 with computed tomography feature / 生物医学工程学杂志

To investigate the computed tomography (CT) characteristics and differential diagnosis of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and COVID-19, CT findings of 52 cases of HAPE confirmed in Medical Station of Sanshili Barracks, PLA 950 Hospital from May 1, 2020 to May 30, 2020 were collected retrospectively. The size, number, location, distribution, density and morphology of the pulmonary lesions of these CT data were analyzed and compared with some already existed COVID-19 CT images which come from two files, "Radiological diagnosis of COVID-19: expert recommendation from the Chinese Society of Radiology (First edition)" and "A rapid advice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of 2019 novel corona-virus (2019-nCoV) infected pneumonia (standard version)". The simple or multiple ground-glass opacity (GGO) lesions are located both in the HAPE and COVID-19 at the early stage, but only the thickening of interlobular septa, called "crazy paving pattern" belongs to COVID-19. At the next period, some increased cloudy shadows are located in HAPE, while lesions of COVID-19 are more likely to develop parallel to the direction of the pleura, and some of the lesions show the bronchial inflation. At the most serious stage, both the shadows in HAPE and COVID-19 become white, but the lesions of HAPE in the right lung are more serious than that of left lung. In summary, some cloudy shadows are the feature of HAPE CT image, and "crazy paving pattern" and "pleural parallel sign" belong to the COVID-19 CT, which can be used for differential diagnosis.

Study of Alkaline Comet Assay at Various Tissues in SD Rats with Intragastric Administration of Procarbazine Hydrochloride and Ethyl Carbamate / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To evaluate the DNA damage response of procarbazine hydrochloride （PCZ） and ethyl carbamate （EC） to different tissues in rats by performing alkaline comet assay， to validate the feasibility of alkaline comet assay of various tissues. METHODS： Totally 30 SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups according to body weight， with 5 rats in each group， such as negative control group （hyperpure water）， PCZ 75 mg/kg group， PCZ 150 mg/kg group， EC 400 mg/kg group， EC 800 mg/kg group， positive control group （N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea 40 mg/kg）. Those rats were given relevant medicine intragasttrically for 4 d； clinical symptoms of rats were observed and body weight was recorded during experiment. Within 3 h after last medication， the rats were sacrificed； liver， renal and lung weight were weighed； liver， kidney， lung and peripheral blood lymphocytes were collected. The single cell suspension was prepared to perform alkaline comet assay. After lysis， unwind， electrophoresis and dying， tail DNA％ and tail distance of samples were analyzed by Komet 6.0 software. RESULTS： Compared with negative control group， body weight， liver and renal weight of rats were decreased significantly in PCZ 75 mg/kg group， PCZ 150 mg/kg group and positive control group 4 d after medication （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Body weight of rats were decreased significantly in EC 800    mg/kg 4 d after medication （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； there was no statistical significance （P＞0.05）. Compared with negative control group， tail DNA％ and tail distance in liver， kidney and peripheral blood lymphocytes were increased significantly in PCZ 75    mg/kg group， PCZ 150 mg/kg group and positive control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； PCZ showed more significant effects on liver and lung. Tail DNA％ and tail distance of liver， kidney and peripheral blood lymphocytes were increased significantly in EC 800 mg/kg group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and tail DNA％ and tail distance of renal tissue was increased significantly in EC 400   mg/kg group （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS： PCZ induced stronger DNA damage； liver and lung are the major genotoxicity target of PCZ. EC-induced DNA damage is relatively weak， and kidney is the most sensitive organ for EC-induced genotoxicity.

Sparse-view helical CT reconstruction based on tensor total generalized variation minimization / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#We propose a sparse-view helical CT iterative reconstruction algorithm based on projection of convex set tensor total generalized variation minimization (TTGV-POCS) to reduce the X-ray dose of helical CT scanning.@*METHODS@#The three-dimensional volume data of helical CT reconstruction was viewed as the third-order tensor. The tensor generalized total variation (TTGV) was used to describe the structural sparsity of the three-dimensional image. The POCS iterative reconstruction framework was adopted to achieve a robust result of sparse-view helical CT reconstruction. The TTGV-POCS algorithm fully used the structural sparsity of first-order and second-order derivation and the correlation between the slices of helical CT image data to effectively suppress artifacts and noise in the image of sparse-view reconstruction and better preserve image edge information.@*RESULTS@#The experimental results of XCAT phantom and patient scan data showed that the TTGVPOCS algorithm had better performance in reducing noise, removing artifacts and maintaining edges than the existing reconstruction algorithms. Comparison of the sparse-view reconstruction results of XCAT phantom data with 144 exposure views showed that the TTGV-POCS algorithm proposed herein increased the PSNR quantitative index by 9.17%-15.24% compared with the experimental comparison algorithm; the FSIM quantitative index was increased by 1.27%-9.30%.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The TTGV-POCS algorithm can effectively improve the image quality of helical CT sparse-view reconstruction and reduce the radiation dose of helical CT examination to improve the clinical imaging diagnosis.

Design and optimization of a cone-beam CT system for extremity imaging / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To establish a cone beam computed tomography (ECBCT) system for high-resolution imaging of the extremities.@*METHODS@#Based on three-dimensional X-Ray CT imaging and high-resolution flat plate detector technique, we constructed a physical model and a geometric model for ECBCT imaging, optimized the geometric calibration and image reconstruction methods, and established the scanner system. In the experiments, the pencil vase phantom, image quality (IQ) phantom and a swine feet were scanned using this imaging system to evaluate its effectiveness and stability.@*RESULTS@#On the reconstructed image of the pencil vase phantom, the edges were well preserved with geometric calibrated parameters and no aliasing artifacts were observed. The reconstructed images of the IQ phantom showed a uniform distribution of the CT number, and the noise power spectra were stable in multiple scanning under the same condition. The reconstructed images of the swine feet had clearly displayed the bones with a good resolution.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The ECBCT system can be used for highresolution imaging of the extremities to provide important imaging information to assist in the diagnosis of bone diseases.

Mechanism of Astragaloside prevents cholestatic liver fibrosis through inhibition of Notch signaling activation / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective@#The Notch signaling pathway is closely related to biliary fibrosis. Previous studies have shown that Astragaloside (AS) can prevent the progression of cholestatic liver fibrosis. The purpose of this study is to observe the effect of AS on the regulation of Notch signaling pathway in biliary fibrosis.@*Methods@#Cholestatic liver fibrosis was established by common bile duct ligation (BDL) in rats. Two weeks after BDL, the rats were randomly divided into a model group (i.e., BDL), an Astragalosides group (AS), and a sorafenib (SORA) positive control group and treated for 3 weeks. Bile duct proliferation and liver fibrosis were determined by tissue staining. Protein and gene expression were determined by immunostaining, immunoblotting and RT-PCR, respectively. Activation of the Notch signaling pathway was evaluated by analyzing expressions of Notch-1, -2, -3, -4, Jagged (JAG)1, Delta like (DLL)-1, -3, -4, Hes1, Numb and RBP-Jκ. Statistical analysis of variance analysis, q test, P < 0.05 showed that the difference was statistically significant.@*Results@#(1) AS significantly reduced the deposition of collagen and the Hyp content of liver tissue (500.15 ± 86.10 vs. 625.72 ± 105.62, P = 0.031), and inhibited the activation of hepatic stellate cells. (2) AS significantly decreased the protein and mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 (1.02±0.15 vs. 1.89±0.36, P = 0.007; 1.17±0.18 vs. 1.68±0.29, P = 0.013, respectively) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA, 0.41±0.11 vs. 0.72±0.16, P = 0.003; 1.71±0.57 vs. 2.68±0.46, P = 0.008, respectively) compared with BDL group. In contrast, AS significantly enhanced expression of the Smad 7 protein compared with the BDL group (0.72±0.008 vs. 0.33±0.001, P = 0.005). AS also reduced biliary epithelial cell proliferation. AS reduced the mRNA levels of CK7, CK8 and CK18 (1.31±0.39 vs. 2.63±0.82, P = 0.009; 0.71±0.09 vs. 0.87±0.08, P = 0.031; 2.56±0.32 vs. 3.41±0.39, P = 0.010, respectively) and reduced the positive areas of CK19 and OV6 (62 337.17±21 873.38 vs. 22 5472.67±26 933.63, P = 0.000; 92 237.43±15 894.11 vs. 171 298.13±61 761.37, P = 0.000, respectively). (3) The mRNA expression of Notch-2, -3, -4 and JAG1 were significantly reduced in the AS group compared to the BDL group (1.07±0.19 vs. 1.51±0.28, P = 0.044; 0.99±0.24 vs. 1.18±0.10, P = 0.043; 1.36±0.42 vs. 3.40±0.44, P = 0.048; 2.62±0.43 vs. 3.73±0.83, P = 0.046, respectively). In contrast, the mRNA level of Numb was clearly enhanced after AS treatment (0.90±0.05 vs. 0.75±0.11, P = 0.019). In addition, consistent with the mRNA levels, the protein expressions of Notch-2, -3, -4 and JAG1 were reduced significantly (1.27±0.18 vs. 1.71±0.26, P = 0.004; 0.99±0.11 vs. 4.38±0.60, P = 0.001; 1.76±0.32 vs. 4.01±0.74, P = 0.002; 1.62±0.33 vs. 2.74±0.63, P = 0.002) and the Numb protein level was increased significantly (1.50±0.15 vs. 0.85±0.11, P = 0.001) in AS group compared with BDL group.@*Conclusion@#AS may prevent cholestatic liver fibrosis via inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting the abnormal proliferation of biliary epithelial cells. Results indicate that AS may be a potential treatment for cholestatic liver disease.

Notch signaling pathway participates in the differentiation of hepatic progenitor cells into bile duct epithelial cells and progression of hepatic fibrosis in cholestatic liver fibrosis rat / 中华病理学杂志

Objective@#To investigate differentiation direction of hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) in cholestatic liver fibrosis (CLF), and the role of Notch signaling pathway in the differentiation of HPCs.@*Methods@#A CLF rat model was established by bile duct ligation (BDL) followed by monitoring changes of Notch signal pathway and the cellular origin of proliferating cholangiocytes. After intraperitoneal injection of DAPT (a Notch signaling inhibitor) after bile duct ligation, the progress of liver fibrosis and the proliferation of cholangiocytes after inhibition of the Notch pathway were analyzed.@*Results@#Data showed that bile duct proliferation gradually increased along with inflammatory cell infiltration and proliferating bile duct cells surrounded by abundant collagen in the BDL group. Immunostaining confirmed markedly increased expression of CK19, OV6, Sox9 and EpCAM. In addition, RT-PCR results showed that Notch signaling pathway was activated significantly. Once the Notch signaling pathway was inhibited by DAPT, bile duct proliferation markedly suppressed along with significantly decreased the mRNA expression of CK19, OV6, Sox9 and EpCAM, compared with BDL group [(10.2±0.7) vs. (22.3±0.8), (7.6±1.5) vs. (18.1±3.7), (1.4±0.4) vs. (4.1±1.1), (1.3±0.3) vs. (5.0±1.4), respectively, P<0.01]. Moreover, liver fibrosis was also reduced significantly.@*Conclusion@#Notch signaling activation is required for HPCs differentiation into cholangiocytes in CLF and inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway may offer a therapeutic option for treating CLF.

Correlation of liver stiffness measured by FibroTouch and FibroScan with Ishak fibrosis score in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective@#To investigate the correlation of liver stiffness measured by FibroTouch (FT) and FibroScan (FS) with Ishak fibrosis score in patients with chronic hepatitis B.@*Methods@#A total of 313 patients with chronic hepatitis B who visited Department of Liver Cirrhosis in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 2014 to May 2016 were enrolled. All the patients underwent liver biopsy, and FT and FS were used to determine liver stiffness measurement (LSM). Serum biochemical parameters were measured, and the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) in a multi-parameter model of liver fibrosis and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index were calculated. The consistency between the results of four noninvasive examinations and Ishak fibrosis score was compared. The t-test was used for comparison of LSM determined by FT and FS. Pearson correlation analysis was used investigate the correlation between LSM determined by FT and FS; Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and Knodell score with LSM determined by FT and FS; the correlation between LSM determined by FT and FS and fibrosis stage was analyzed by partial correlation analysis adjusted by Knodell score for liver inflammatory activity; Spearman correlation analysis was used for APRI, FIB-4, and fibrosis stage. Based on the Ishak fibrosis score, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the values of four noninvasive methods in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis.@*Results@#There was no significant difference in LSM measured by FT and FS in all patients (15.75±9.42 kPa vs 15.42±10.52 kPa, P > 0.05) and Pearson correlation analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between them (r = 0.858, P < 0.01); serum ALT and AST levels and liver inflammatory activity were correlated with LSM determined by FT and FS. There was a significant positive correlation between LSM determined by FT and FS and fibrosis stage (r = 0.501 and 0.526, both P < 0.001), and APRI and FIB-4 were also positively correlated with fibrosis stage (r = 0.236 and 0.218, both P < 0.001). Based on the Ishak fibrosis score, in the diagnosis of fibrosis stages F3, F4, F5, and F6, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.915/0.856/0.839/0.816 for FT, 0.933/0.883/0.849/0.856 for FS, 0.618/0.630/0.608/0.638 for APRI, and 0.614/0.624/0.595/0.649 for FIB-4, and FT and FS had a significantly larger areas under the ROC curve than APRI and FIB-4.@*Conclusion@#LSM determined by FT or FS has a good correlation with the Ishak fibrosis score, so FT and FS have a significantly better diagnostic performance for liver fibrosis than APRI and FIB-4.

Effect of dexmedetomidine combined with different-doses of sufentanil on postoperative analgesia in pa-tients undergoing spine surgery / 临床麻醉学杂志

Objective To observe the analgesic effects of dexmedetomidine combined with dif-ferent-doses of sufentanil in patients undergoing spine surgery.Methods Sixty patients(ASA grade Ⅰor Ⅱ degree,age 18-70 years)undergoing spine surgery were randomly assigned into three groups ac-cording to PCA formulation(n =20):3 μg/kg sufentanil group (group S1),1.5 μg/kg dexmedetomi-dine+ 2 μg/kg sufentanil group (group S2 )and 1.5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine + 1 μg/kg sufentanil group (group S3).The same anesthesia method was applied among three groups.Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia pump was applied before 30 minutes prior to the end of surgery.The drugs in each group were diluted to 1 50 ml and infused by a pump at a rate of 3 ml/h with a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)bolus of 0.5 ml and lock time of 30 minutes.VAS and Ramsay scores at 2 h(T0 ),4 h (T1 ),8 h(T2 ),12 h(T3 ),24 h(T4 )and 48 h(T5 )after surgery were estimated.Postoperative nausea and vomiting,bradyrhythmia and hypersomnia were also recorded.Results Compared with group S1, VAS of groups S2 and S3 was significantly decreased at T1-T5 (P <0.05).There were also no signifi-cant difference in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting,bradyrhythmia and hypersomnia among three groups.Conclusion Dexmedetomidine of 1.5 μg/kg can significantly reduce the dosage of sufentanil on postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing spine surgery,and decrease the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting without any bradyrhythmia and hypersomnia.

Evaluation methods of angiogenesis in experimental liver fibrosis / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the methods for assessing angiogenesis in experimental liver fibrosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a normal (unmodeled) group and a liver fibrosis model group.The model was established by a 4-week course of 10% CCl4 solution (in olive oil) intraperitoneal injection. Liver vasculature was observed by magnetic resonance (MR),computed tomography (CT),synchrotron radiation X-ray,and von Willibrand factor(vWF) immunofluorescence staining. Liver inflammation and fibrosis were observed by staining with hematoxylin-eosin and Sirius red.The t-test and Pearson's correlation analysis were used for statistical analyses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the normal group,the model group had more robust inflammation and fibrosis in liver tissue.The liver tissue in the modeled mice showed significant deceases in MR signal intensity on T2WI before and after enhancement (386.67+/-69.04 vs.492.67+/-112.50,t =-2.456, P=0.026).The liver tissue in the modeled mice also showed significantly decreased enhancement CT values (P < 0.01).Synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging showed that the small vessels in the liver tissues of the modeled mice were significantly increased compared to that in the normal mice (P < 0.01).The MR T2W enhanced signal value (439.67+/-104.80, Pearson's r=0.714, P=0.009) and microvascular relative length (676.53+/-122.75, Pearson's r=0.791, P=0.002) were positive correlated with microvessel density (MVD) (14.50+/-5.95),as shown by detection of labeled vWF.The before and after CT enhancement difference (132.60+/-57.02, Pearson's r=-0.612, P=0.034) was negatively correlated with MVD.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>s MR,CT and synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging can be used for assessing angiogenesis in liver fibrosis,and the findings from each are correlated with the traditional MVD detection method. The two-dimensional imaging of synchrotron radiation X-ray is more intuitive,and has been confirmed as an effective evaluation method for liver angiogenesis.</p>

Formula-syndrome correlation study of three classical anti-jaundice formulas in inhibition of liver fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine in rats / 中西医结合学报

To investigate the effects of three classical anti-jaundice formulas Yinchenhao Decoction (YCHD). Yinchen Wuling San (YCWLS) and Zhizi Baipi Decoction (ZZBPD) on liver fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in rats and explore the formula-syndrome relationship.

Effects of Chinese herbal medicine Xiaopi Pill in preventing rats from dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis / 中西医结合学报

To explore the intervention effects of Xiaopi Pill (XPW), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on the development progress of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced liver fibrosis in rats.

Chinese herbal medicine Xiayuxue Decoction inhibits liver angiogenesis in rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis / 中西医结合学报

To evaluate the effects of Xiayuxue Decoction, a compound traditional Chinese medicine, on liver angiogenesis in rats with carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver fibrosis.

Effects of salvianolic acid B on lipid peroxidation and metalloproteinase-2 activity in fibrotic liver in rat / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mechanism of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) action against liver fibrosis through preventing lipid peroxidation and regulating MMP-2 activity in liver.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The liver fibrotic model was induced through intraperitoneally injection of DMN at a dose of 10 microg x kg(-1) for every other day and lasting for 4 weeks. Sal B was administered (10 mg x kg(-1)), and perindopril (5 mg x kg(-1)) was used as positive control. Hepatic inflammation and collagen were observed with HE and sirius red staining. The liver function including serum ALT, AST activity, Alb and total bilirubin (T. Bil) level were determined. The hepatic lipid peroxidation including SOD and GST activities and GSH content were measured. Hepatic hydroxyproline (Hyp) content was detected with Jamall's method. The activity of metalloproteinase was assayed by gelatin zymography. The expressions of alpha-SMA, Col I in liver tissue were analyzed by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The model rats had higher serum T. Bil content, ALT and AST activities but lower Alb content than the normal rats, also had remarkable inflammatory necrosis and collagen deposition in liver, with much higher Hyp content, protein expression of alpha-SMA and collagen I and MMP-2 activity in liver, but had a decreased GSH content, SOD and GST activities. Both Sal B and perindopril attenuated hepatic injury and collagen deposition in model rats, decreased serum ALT activity and hepatic Hyp content, down-regulated alpha-SMA and collagen I protein expressions and metalloproteinase-2 activity than those in the model group, but increased SOD activity and GSH content, and Sal B decreased serum T. Bil content and increased GST activity. Sal B had a much better comprehensive actions than perindopril.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sal B has a good preventive action against liver fibrosis, the action mechanism is related to the prevention from lipid peroxidation and down-regulation of metalloproteinase-2 activity in fibrotic liver.</p>

Effects of Yiguanjian Decoction on liver cirrhosis formation:a differential proteomics study in rats / 中西医结合学报

To investigate the effects of Yiguanjian Decoction, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on rats with cirrhosis based on the method of differential proteomics.