Animals ; Blood Proteins ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Male ; Proteome ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the recipe-based pathogenesis and effects of Xiayuxue Decoction (XD), Yinchenhao Decoction (YcD), Yiguanjian Decoction (YgD) and Huangqi Decoction (HD) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver cirrhosis formation in rats on the basis of the recognition of basic pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis in TCM and train of thoughts of detecting the TCM syndrome by recipe.

METHODSModel rats of liver cirrhosis were established by subcutaneous injecting of 100% CCl4 3ml/kg followed by 50% CCl4 olive solution 2ml/kg, twice a week for 12 weeks. They were randomly divided into the model group, the XD treated group, the YcD treated group, the YgD treated group and the HD treated group. Rats in the three treated group received the treatment starting from the 9th week of modeling with the corresponding decoctions. All animals were sacrificed by the end of the 12th week, and their hepatic function, liver pathological changes and hydroxyproline (Hyp) content of hepatic tissue were detected.

RESULTS(1) Typical chronic liver injury and fibrosis became evident in the model rat at the 8th week and cirrhosis came into being at the 12th week. (2) Compared with the rats in the model group, hepatic pathological changes were alleviated significantly, content of Hyp in hepatic tissue was decreased markedly and hepatic function improved remarkably in the XD group and YgD group. The improvement in the XD group was superior to that in the YgD group, while the serum albumin level elevated more significant in the YgD group.

CONCLUSIONThe main pathological changes during CCl4 induced liver cirrhosis formation in rats is the rapid hyperplasia of hepatic fibrous connective tissue and obstruction of collaterals by blood stasis, thus induced reconstruction of the tissue structure, which could be treated with XD effectively, while the severe injury of liver parenchyma in this phase is another pathological change of Gan-yin deficiency syndrome, which could be effectively treated with YgD by its Yin-nourishing action.

Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Hydroxyproline ; metabolism ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Yin Deficiency ; drug therapy

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The serum level of hyaluronic acid (HA) has been suggested as a useful serologic marker for hepatic fibrosis. However, the relationship between serum HA levels and quantitative markers of fibrosis from liver tissue has not been reported. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between serum HA level and quantitative measurement of hepatic fibrosis in a cirrhotic rat model. METHODS: Cirrhosis was produced by common bile duct ligation (BDL) in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were classified into four groups: (1) G1, sham operated (n=5); (2) G2, BDL for 2 weeks (n=6); (3) G3, BDL for 3 weeks (n=6); and (4) G4, BDL for 4 weeks (n=6). Hepatic fibrosis was analyzed histomorphologically using the Batts and Ludwig scoring system. Serum HA level and hepatic hydroxyproline content were quantified. The gene expressions in the liver of procollagen, collagen, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) were measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: In groups G1, G2, G3, and G4, the Batts and Ludwig scores (mean+/-SD) were 0, 1.3+/-0.5, 2.6+/-0.5, and 3.4+/-0.5, respectively (P<0.05), serum HA levels were 12.5+/-3.2, 30.0+/-4.3, 228.6+/-157.7, and 391.3+/-207.7 ng/mL (P<0.05), and the concentration of hydroxyproline was 12.4+/-2.8, 17.6+/-3.8, 17.9+/-2.4, and 33.4+/-3.4 microgram/g liver tissue, and it was significantly higher in group G4 than in the other groups (P<0.05). The gene expressions of collagen, procollagen, and TGF-beta1 in the liver were also significantly higher in group G4 compared with the other groups (P<0.05). Direct linear correlations were observed between serum HA level and hepatic hydroxyproline content, hepatic gene expressions of collagen, procollagen, TGF-beta1, and histomorphological grade of hepatic fibrosis (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that serum HA is a useful and noninvasive serologic marker for the evaluation of advanced hepatic fibrosis.
Animals ; Bile Ducts/pathology/surgery ; Biological Markers/blood ; Collagen/analysis/genetics ; Hyaluronic Acid/*blood ; Hydroxyproline/blood ; Ligation ; Liver/metabolism/*pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental/*diagnosis/metabolism/pathology ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Procollagen/analysis/genetics ; RNA, Messenger/analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sickness Impact Profile ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/analysis/genetics