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Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a severe public health problem with increasing morbidity and mortality, any treatment targeting a single session is insufficient to tackle this. CHF is characterized by reduced cardiac output resulting from neurohumoral dysregulation and cardiac remodeling, which might be related to oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis, autophagy, mitochondrial function, and angiogenesis. These molecular mechanisms interact with each other through crosstalk. Historically, Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely applied in the treatment of CHF, and therapeutic effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and their ingredients have been scientifically confirmed over the past decades. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with multiple components can confront the different pathogenesis of CHF through multiple targets. This review analyzes commonly used TCM patent drugs and TCM decoctions that are applicable to different stages of CHF based on clinical trials. Diverse bioactive ingredients in Chinese medicinal herbs have been found to treat CHF via multiple molecular mechanisms. This review comprehensively covers the key works on the effects and underlying mechanisms of TCM, herbal ingredients and synergistic effects of constituent compatibility in treating CHF, providing additional ideas to address this threat.
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Objective To investigate the effect of stem cells transplantation on immune function,liver function and related indexes in the patients with end-stage liver disease(ESLD).Methods A total of 163 cases of ESLD in Nanyang Municipal Central Hospital of Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were selected and divided into 2 groups by the randomized single blind method.Eighty-one cases in the control group were given the conventional symptomatic treatment,while 82 cases in the observation group received bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell(BMSC) transplantation based on the control group.The changes of immune function,liver function,alpha fetoprotein(AFP),rate of prothrombin activity(PTA) and plasma total protein(TP) level before and after treatment were observed in the two groups.Results The immune function indexes CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,CD4+/CD8+,TP and PTA levels after treatment in the observation group were significantly higher than those before treatment and in the control group (P＜0.05),while the levels of AFP,alanine aminotransferase (ALT),aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total bilirubin (TBIL)were lower than those before treatment in the same group and the control group(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in complication occurrence rate between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion BMSC transplantation for treating ESLD can improve the immune function,improves the liver function and reduces the AFP level.
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BACKGROUND:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into hepatic stem cells in a specific environment, and participate in the repair and reconstruction of liver function.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the therapeutic effect of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on decompensated hepatitis B.METHODS:Eighty-four patients with decompensated hepatitis B were randomly divided into two groups:normal group (n=42) with symptomatic treatment, and oral entecavir, Fuzheng Huayu Capsule; stem cell group (n=42) with the left and right hepatic artery transplantation of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (1×106/kg) based on conventional treatments. Degree of liver fibrosis, liver function and score on Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) system, 1-year survival rate of patients were detected and analyzed with statistics before and 12, 24 weeks after treatment.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Liver fibrosis after treatment in two groups:hyaluronic acid, laminin, type Ⅲ collagen and type IV collagen levels after treatment were lower than those before treatment in both two groups (P < 0.05), while these indexes in the stem cell group were lower than those in the normal group at 12 and 24 hours after treatment (P <0.05). (2) Liver function:after treatment, decreased alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels were found in both two groups (P < 0.05), and albumin, cholinesterase, prothrombin activity levels were higher than those before treatment (P < 0.05). The alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels in the stem cell group were lower than those in the normal group at 12 and 24 weeks after treatment, while the cholinesterase level was higher in the stem cell group (P < 0.05). (3) MELD scores:MELD scores were both decreased in the two groups after treatment (P < 0.05), and lower in the stem cell group compared with the normal group at 24 weeks after treatment (P < 0.05). (4) The 1-year survival rate was higher in the stem cell group (69%) than the normal group (50%; P < 0.05). To conclude, the use of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in the treatment of hepatitis B can significantly improve the patients' liver fibrosis and liver function, and improve the 1-year survival rate of patients.
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AIM: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from human umbilical cord blood can differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells under a suitable induction condition. The optimal condition is still unclear. This study investigated the feasibility of differentiation of MSCs isolated from human umbilical cord blood into hepatocyte-like cells with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in vitro to find a new cell source for live tissue engineering. METHODS: The experiment was performed from March to September 2007 at the Central Laboratory of First Hospital of Lanzhou University. ①Three cases of umbilical cord blood were collected from full-term pregnant women. Pregnant women had signed an informed consent. The experiment was approved by Hospital’s Ethical Committee. ②MSCs from umbilical cord blood were separated by density gradient centrifugation and adherent method. Cell surface molecule was measured by flow cytometry. Third passage of cells were divided into four groups and cultured in DMEM medium with HGF (HGF group), IL-6 (IL-6 group), HGF+IL-6 (HGF+IL-6 group) or no growth factor (control group). ③The characteristics of proliferation and growth of MSCs were studied by microscopy and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT). The phenotypes of MSCs were identified by flow cytometry and immunohistochemical method. Albumin levels in culture supernatants were determined with enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: ①Growth and division of adherent cells obtained from human umbilical cord blood were good. The shape of MSCs changed into triangle, polygonal or round on days 21-28 in induction groups. ②Positive staining reaction for alpha fetoprotein (AFP) on day 7, for CK18 on days 21, 28 after induction. Albumin production by induced MSCs increased in a time-dependent manner. The positive percents of every hepatocytic marker were higher in the HGF+IL-6 group than in the IL-6 group and HGF group (P
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Objective To explore the possibility of differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from patients with hepatocirrhosis into hepatocyte-like cells induced by EGF and HGF and to lay basis for transplanted autologous bone marrow MSCs in treatment of liver disease at terminal stage.Methods Bone marrow cells were obtained from volunteers with liver cirrhosis.MSCs were separated by density gradient centrifugation and were cultured through adhere culture.MSCs were cultured in DMEM medium with HGF,EGF,HGF+EGF or no growth factor.The phenotypes of MSCs were identified by flow cytometry,immunohistochemistry,and Albumin levels in culture supernatants were determined by ELISA.Results Growth and division of adherent cells obtained from the patients with hepatocirrhosis were good and the phenotypes of MSCs were CD29 positive and CD34 negative.The shape of MSCs changed from long fusiform to polygonal or round on 21th-28th days in grow factor induced groups.Immunocytochemical analysis for CK18 and AFP showed positive staining reaction for AFP on 7th day,for CK18 on 21st and 28th day in grow factor induced groups with MSCs-induced Alb production increasing in a time-dependent manner.No markers of hepatocyte linear cells were detected in no growth factor induction group.Conclusion Both HGF and EGF can induce mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate hepatocyte-like cells alone or coordinately.