[Mechanism of oxymatrine in preventing hepatic fibrosis formation in patients with chronic hepatitis B].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of oxymatrine in preventing hepatic fibrosis formation in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: A total of 80 CHB patients receiving routine therapies for liver protection and support were divided into two groups. Oxymatrine at the daily dose of 150 mg was injected intravenously in the therapeutic group (n=40), and gluthion (1.2 g daily) was injected in the control group (n=40) for 8 weeks. The liver functions, indexes of hepatic fibrosis and the levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured in these patients before and after the therapy. RESULTS: Liver functions was obviously improved after therapy in both groups, showing no significant difference between them (P>0.05). The indexes of hepatic fibrosis such as HA, LN, PCIII and C-IV were significantly lower in the therapeutic group than in the control group (P<0.01). The serum levels of TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha decreased while IL-10 increased significantly after the treatment in the therapeutic group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The effect of oxymatrine against hepatic fibrosis is mediated by lowering the levels of TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha and increasing the level of IL-10 in CHB patients.

[Effects of Danqi Huogan Capsule in protecting the liver, promoting circulation and removing clots in patients with chronic hepatitis B].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of Danqi Huogan Capsule in protecting the liver, promoting the circulation and removing blood clots in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: A total of 104 CHB patients were randomized into two groups. Routine therapies for liver protection were given in the control group (n=50), and Danqi Huogan Capsule was administered in the therapeutic group (n=54) in addition to the routine therapies. The changes in the clinical symptoms, physical signs, liver functions, and hemorrheology were observed after the 3-month therapies. RESULTS: Danqi Huogan Capsule treatment obvious improved the clinical symptoms, physical signs and liver functions of the patients (P<0.01), and significantly decreased the hematocrit, low-shear blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and index of red blood cell aggregation (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Danqi Huogan Capsule is effective in protecting the liver, improving hemorrheology, promoting the blood circulation and removing clots in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

[Expression of HSP70 and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells induced by heat shock and inhibiting effect of quercetin on them].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has been thought to inhibit apoptosis and reduce the effectiveness of hyperthermal therapy and chemotherapy on cancer. However, the relationship between HSP70 and the drug resistance to chemotherapy has not been definited. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was a kind of protein that could decrease the effectiveness of chemotherapy. In order to explore the relationship between HSP70 and P-gp, the human hepatocarcinoma line HepG2 cells was induced by heat shock in vitro, and the inhibiting effect of quercetin on them was observed at the same time to seek the method increasing the effectiveness of hyperthermal therapy on hepatocarcinoma. METHODS: HepG2 cells were bathed in water at 42 degrees C stably for 90 minutes. The expression of HSP70 and P-gp were detected at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours after 42 degrees C heat shock using immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry (FCM). Furthermore, at 4 hours later after heat shock, they were also detected in HepG2 cells which had been pretreated by quercetin in different concentrations within an hour before 42 degrees C heat shock. RESULTS: (1) Immunocytochemistry showed that HSP70 overexpressed in the cells and "moved" from cytoplasm to nucleus and nucleolus after heat shock. The percentage of HSP70 positive cells came to the climax (11.47%) at 4th hour and increased about 2 folds compared with that of the control group (6.64%) (P< 0.01). At the 24th hour after heat shock, it declined to a low level. The percentage of cells with P-gp positive went up following HSP70 after heat shock. It came to the climax(96.31%) at the 12th hour. And it increased about 3 folds compared with that of the control group(33.95%) (P< 0.01). (2) The overexpression of HSP70 and P-gp induced by heat shock could be inhibited effectively by quercetin in a dose-dependent manner, especially by quercetin at the concentrations of 100- 200 micromol/L(P< 0.01). CONCLUSION: (1) The overexpression of HSP70 and P-gp in HepG2 cells can be induced by heat shock and P-gp maybe has a correlation with HSP70. (2) The overexpression of HSP70 and P-gp in HepG2 cells induced by heat shock can be inhibited by quercetin.