Effect of Compound Lingdan Capsule on liver function and fibrosis degree in mice with liver fibrosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of Compound Lingdan Capsule on serum biochemical parameters and liver fibrosis degree in a mouse model of liver fibrosis. Methods A total of 125 specific pathogen-free male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal control group with 5 mice, CCl 4 model group with 15 mice, low-, middle-, and high-dose CCl 4 groups (0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 mg·g -1 ·d -1 ) with 15 mice in each group, DDC model group with 15 mice, and low-, middle-, and high-dose DDC groups (0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 mg·g -1 ·d -1 ) with 15 mice in each group. After successful modeling, the mice in the administration groups were given Compound Lingdan Capsule suspension at the respective doses by gavage, and those in the normal control group and the model group were given an equal volume of normal saline by gavage, for 4 consecutive weeks. Blood samples were collected from the eyeballs, and serum was used to measure aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin, and bilirubin. Liver tissue samples were collected at the same site of the right lobe of the liver for pathological observation, Sirius Red staining, α-SMA antibody staining, and COL1A1 antibody staining. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. Results Compared with the model group, each dose group had significant reductions in the serum level of ALT and a significant increase in the serum level of albumin after the administration of Compound Lingdan Capsule (all P < 0.05), the levels of AST and bilirubin in the middle and high dose groups were lower (all P < 0.05), and the difference of each index in the high dose group was more significant than that in the low dose group (all P < 0.05). Each dose group had varying degrees of improvement in the pathological changes of the liver and a significant reduction in the number of Sirius Red staining-positive cells, as well as varying degrees of reduction in the protein expression of α-SMA and COL1A1. Conclusion Compound Lingdan Capsule can improve liver function and reduce liver fibrosis degree in mice with liver fibrosis.

Advances and challenges in clinical research on hepatic hydrothorax / 临床肝胆病杂志

Hepatic hydrothorax (HH) is a challenging complication of liver cirrhosis associated with portal hypertension, and its pathogenesis and therapeutic measures remain unknown. This article summarizes and reviews the advances and challenges in the research on the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of HH and proposes a multidisciplinary treatment strategy, including reducing the production of ascites, preventing effusion from entering the thoracic cavity, removing pleural effusion, occluding the pleural cavity, and performing liver transplantation, so as to provide a reference for more clinicians.