OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Yinchen Shufu Decoction on hepatocyte apoptosis and the expression of its apoptosis-regulating gene Bcl-2 and Bax in Yin-jaundice rats. METHODS: Forty-eight rats were divided randomly into 4 groups: the normal control group, Yin-jaundice model group, Yang-jaundice model group, Yinchen Shufu Decoction treatment group. The TUNEL assay and the immunohistochemistry assay were used to detect the apoptosis of hepatocytes and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in hepatocytes respectively. RESULTS: The rate of apoptosis cells in Yin-jaundice model group was higher significantly than that in Yang-jaundice model group and normal control group (P<0.01), the expression of Bcl-2 in Yinchen Shufu Decoction treatment group was higher significantly than that in Yin-jaundice model group (P<0.01 or P<0.05), and the expression of Bax in it was lower significantly than that in Ying-jaundice model group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Yinchen Shufu Decoction can prevent hepatocyte apoptosis perhaps by up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and down-regulating the expression of Bax. It is one of the mechanisms of its treatment on Yin-jaundice.

OBJECTIVE:To study the time-effect and dose-effect of paeonol on the apoptosis of knee osteoarthritis(OA)artic-ular chondrocyte in rabbits and the mRNA expression of its related protein Bcl-2 and Bax. METHODS:60 big-ear rabbits were ran-domly divided into normal (normal saline) group,model (normal saline) group,paeonol high-dose,medium-dose and low-dose groups and triamcinolone acetonide(positive drug)group,with 10 rabbits in each group. Except for normal group,OA model was induced by right knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACLT) and the medial meniscus 1/3 resection in those groups. After modeling, different doses of paeonol(0.8,0.4,0.2 mg/kg),triamcinolone acetonide 0.2 mg/kg were injected into right articular cavity twice a week. 4 weeks and 8 weeks after administration,articular cartilage specimens were collected. Ultrapathological structure changes of articular chondrocytes were observed by electron microscope. Apoptosis of cartilage cell was observed by TUNEL and apoptotic index was calculated. mRNA expression of apoptosis related genes of Bcl-2 and Bax in articular cartilage tissue of rabbits were de-tected by in situ hybridization technique. RESULTS:Compared with normal group,articular chondrocyte of model group showed early and middle stage apoptosis morphology change after 4 and 8 weeks,and apoptosis index increased significantly and the mRNA expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was up-regulated (P<0.01);4 and 8 weeks later after administration,compared with model group,apoptosis index decreased and mRNA expression of Bax was down-regulated in paeonol groups,while mRNA expression of Bcl-2 was up-regulated(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Electron microscopy ultrastructural observation showed articular chondrocyte of pae-onol high-dose and middle-dose groups were in early stage of apoptosis.CONCLUSIONS:Paeonol can slow down articular chondro-cyte degeneration and destroy in OA model rabbits in time and dose dependently. Its mechanism may be associated with expression up-regulation of Bcl-2 and expression down-regulation of Bax.

OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of Xuchangqing-ermiaosan-santeng formula on the contents of tumor necrosis fac-tor α(TNF-α)and ossification-related factor DKK-1 in serum of model mice with arthritis,and reveal its mechanism in the treat-ment of arthritis. METHODS:60 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group,sulfasalazine group(posi-tive control,9 mg/kg) and Xuchangqing-ermiaosan-santeng formula low-dose,medium-dose,high-dose groups (calculated by crude drug as 11.25,22.5,45 g/kg),10 in each group. Except for normal group,other 50 mice were intraperitoneallly injected complete Freund's adjuvant + proteoglycans to induce model with arthritis. After modeling,mice in each administration group were intragastrically administrated relevant medicines,mice in normal group and model group were intragastrically administrated equal volume of normal saline,once a day,for 20 d. After administration,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the contents of TNF-αand DKK-1 in serum of mice in each group,and ultrastructural changes of sacroiliac joint synovial cells were ob-served by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS:Compared with normal group,TNF-α content in serum in model group was obviously increased,DKK-1 content was obviously decreased (P<0.05);sacroiliac joint synovial cells showed hyperplasia, organellar deformation,mitochondrial swelling and other pathologic damage. Compared with model group,TNF-α contents in se-rum in each administration group were obviously decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01);except for sulfasalazine group,the DKK-1 con-tent of mice in other administration groups were obviously increased (P<0.05). Pathologic damages of sacroiliac joint synovial cells in each administration group were reduced to varying degrees,and improvement degree in Xuchangqing-ermiaosan-santeng for-mula groups was higher than sulfasalazine group. CONCLUSIONS:Xuchangqing-ermiaosan-santeng formula may inhibit the sacroil-iac arthritis and pathological ossification of model mice with arthritis by decreasing TNF-α content and increasing DKK-1 content in serum.