Bushen Huoxue Recipe Inhibited Vascular Calcification in Chronic Renal Failure Rats by Regulating BMP-2/Runx2/Osterix Signal Pathway / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Bushen Huoxue Recipe (BHR) on inhibiting vascular calcification (VC) in chronic renal failure (CRF) rats by regulating BMP-2/Runx2/Osterix signal pathway, and to explore its possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group, the model group, and the BHR group, 10 in each group. Rats in the model group and the BHR group were administered with 250 mg/kg adenine suspension by gastroagavage and fed with 1.8% high phosphorus forage, once per day in the first 4 weeks, and then gastric administration of adenine suspension was changed to once per two days in the following 5-8 weeks. Rats in the BHR group were administered with BHR at the daily dose of 55 g/kg by gastrogavage in the first 8 weeks, once per day. Equal volume of normal saline was given to rats in the normal group by gastrogavage for 8 weeks. Histological changes in renal tissue and aorta VC were observed by HE staining and alizarin red staining respectively. Levels of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), serum creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) in serum were detected. Protein expression levels of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2), Runt related transcription factor (Runx2) , and Osterix were detected by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HE staining showed that compared with the normal group, disordered glomerular structure, tubular ectasia and dropsy, intracavitary inflammatory cell infiltration, dark brown crystal deposition in kidney tubules, renal interstitial fibrosis, and decreased number of renal blood vessels in the model group. Compared with the model group, normal glomerular numbers increased more, reduced degree of tubular ectasia, decreased number of inflammatory cells, and reduced adenine crystal deposition in the BHR group. Alizarin red staining showed that compared with the normal group, calcified nodes could be found in the model group, with extensive deposition of red particle in aorta. Compared with the model group, calcified nodes were reduced in the BHR group. Compared with normal group, serum levels of P, SCr, BUN, and iPTH significantly increased, serum Ca level significantly decreased, protein expressions of BMP-2, Runx2, Osterix also increased in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, serum levels of P, SCr, BUN, and iPTH levels significantly decreased, serum Ca level significantly increased, protein expressions of BMP-2, Runx2, Osterix also decreased in the BHD group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>BHD could improve renal function, Ca-P metabolism, and renal histological changes in CHF rats, down-regulate the expression level of BMP-2/Runx2/Osterix signal pathway in vascular calcification of CRF, which might be one of the mechanisms for inhibiting VC in CHF.</p>

Intervention of chronic hepatitis B liver fibrosis patients in different stages by syndrome typing and different activating blood removing stasis methods: a clinical study / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical efficacy of treating chronic hepatitis B liver fibrosis (CHBLF) in different stages by syndrome typing and different activating blood removing stasis methods (ABRSM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 100 CHBLF patients of vital qi deficiency blood stasis syndrome (VQDBSS) treated at the Department of Liver Diseases, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from July 2008 to December 2011, were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 50 in each group. Those in the treatment group were treated by self-formulated decoctions for activating blood nourishing blood (ABNB), activating blood removing stasis (ABRS), and activating blood softening hard mass (ABSHM) according to their stages of disease conditions (mild, moderate, and severe). Those in the control group were treated with Compound Biejia Ruangan Tablet (CBRT). Integrals of Chinese medical syndromes, liver functions [mainly including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin/globulin (A/ G)], ultrasonographic examinations of liver (mainly including echoes of liver, width of spleens, width of portal vein), four indicators of serum hepatic fibrosis [including serum hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), type IV collagen (IV-C), type III collagen peptide (P-III-P)] were statistically analyzed. The therapeutic course was 6 months for all.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with before treatment in the same group, the integrals of Chinese medical syndromes both decreased after treatment in the two groups (P < 0.05). The width of spleens decreased in the treatment group more obviously after treatment than before treatment (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the integrals of Chinese medical syndromes and the width of spleens were more obviously improved in the treatment group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). Compared with before treatment in the same group, levels of ALT, HA, and LN significantly decreased, and the level of A/G significantly increased after treatment in the two groups, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the A/G level, HA, and LN were more obviously improved in the treatment group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 76% in the treatment group and 46% in the control group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Treating CH-BLF in different stages by ABRSM got better effect than using CBRT alone. It could favorably improve clinical symptoms of CHBLF patients and their serum biochemical indicators.</p>