Objective To investigate the effects of spleen preservation on hepatic fibrosis and relevant cytokine in rabbits with advanced schistosomiasis. Methods After hepatic cirrhosis was induced by infecting Schistosoma japonicum cercariae in rabbits, total splenectomy (TSG), subtotal splenectomy (SSG) or sham operation (model control group, MCG) were performed respectively on these rabbits. Meanwhile,a normal control group (NCG) was established. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) , interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-lβ) were detected respectively by radioimmunoassay(RIA) at the 8th, 15th and 21st week post-infection. The expressions of transforming growth factor betal (TGF-β1), type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen in liver tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry before and after the operations. Results Compared with NCG, the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β of MCG rabbits increased significantly at the 8th week post-infection (P <0.01). However, the levels of them decreased to a lower level at the 15th week. At the 6th week after operation,no significant difference was found among the three model groups ( MCG, TSG, SSG) (P > 0.05). The expressions of TGF-β1, type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen in liver tissue of MCG rabbits were significantly higher than those of NCG rabbits before the operation (P < 0. 01). No significant difference was found among the three model groups at the 6th week after the operation ( P > 0.05). Conclusion The residual splenic tissue after subtotal splenectomy does not aggravate the hepatic fibrosis at advanced schistosomiasis. The mechanism may be that the relevant cytokines of hepatic fibrosis (TGF-β1, TNF-a, IL-6, IL-1β) decreased to a lower level at this time,and splenectomy does not influence the levels of them.

Objective: To investigate whether acupoint penetration acupuncture (APA) could regulate chondrocyte autophagy and apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt-mTOR signaling pathway to reduce cartilage degeneration in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) rats. Methods: KOA was induced in rats via intra-articular injection of sodium iodoacetate resolution. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to blank control, model, APA, electro-acupuncture (EA), and sham model groups (n = 8) and those in the APA and EA groups received their respective therapies. Following completion of the treatment course, histological examinations of cartilage and muscle were conducted. Levels of apoptosis- and autophagy-related factors, including Bax, Bcl-2, mTOR, ULK-1, and Beclin-1 protein, and mRNAs were assessed. Additionally, β-endorphin (β-EP) concentrations in the brain and serum were measured. Results: Histological analysis revealed that APA alleviated cartilage and muscle damage compared with the model group. APA inhibited cartilage degeneration by modulating the expression of apoptosis- and autophagy-related proteins and mRNA, thus preventing chondrocyte apoptosis. In the APA group, Bax and mTOR protein levels were significantly lower than those in the model group (both P = .024). Conversely, the Bcl-2 expression level was significantly higher than that in the EA group (P = .035). Additionally, ULK-1 expression was significantly lower than that in the EA group (P = .045). The mRNA level of Bax was significantly higher than that in the blank control group (P < .001). However, Beclin-1 levels were significantly higher than those in both the model and EA groups (both P < .001). ELISA results showed a significant decrease in the concentration of β-EP in the brains of the rats in the APA group compared with those in the model group (P = .032). Conclusions APA reduced osteoarthritis-related pain and alleviated cartilage damage by upregulating chondrocyte autophagy and down-regulating apoptosis via signaling pathways involving PI3K/Akt-mTOR in KOA rats.

OBJECT IVE To provide reference for the improvement of the quality standard for Niushanggui capsules. METHODS Based on the previous quality standard ，thin-layer chromatography （TLC）identification methods were established for Angelicae dahurica and Anemarrhenae asphodeloides . High performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）method was established to determine the contents of 5 components simultaneously ，such as mangiferin ，prim-O-glucosylcimifugin，naringin，neohesperidin and 5-O-methylvisammioside. The limits were confirmed. RESULTS TLC chromatogram of Niushanggui capsules showed the same color spots in the same position as the corresponding （mixed）substance control or reference medicinal material of A. dahuricae and A. asphodeloides ，while the negative samples had no interference. The linear range of mangiferin ，prim-O-glucosylcimifugin， naringin，neohesperidin and 5-O-methylvisammioside were 7.98-127.63，6.74-107.84，53.06-848.96，39.31-628.90，13.54-216.62 μg/mL，respectively（all r＝0.999 9）. RSDs of precision ，stability（24 h）and repeatability tests were all no more than 1.20％（n＝ 6）. The average recoveries were 95.00％，105.16％，97.16％，101.00％ and 104.97％（RSD≤1.50％，n＝6）. In 4 batches of samples，the average contents of the above 5 components were 0.842，0.696，6.951，5.755 and 1.106 mg/g respectively ；the limits of A. asphodeloides ，Saposhnikovia divaricata and Citrus aurantium were based on the contents of mangiferin ，the total content of prim-O-glucosylcimmifugin and 5-O-methylvisammioside，naringin and neohesperidin ，which would not be less than 0.42，0.90 and 6.36 mg/grain，respectively. CONCLUSIONS TLC identification methods of A. dahurica and A. asphodeloides and the content determination methods of 5 components as mangiferin in Niushanggui capsules are established in this study ，and the limits of A. asphodeloides ，S. divaricata and C. aurantium are confirmed.