OBJECTIVETo investigate the potential effects on cognitive function, prognosis, and neuropeptide levels of patients in response to combination therapy with ornithine aspartate plus naloxone for hepatic encephalopathy.

METHODSEighty-four consecutive patients diagnosed with hepatic encephalopathy were randomly divided into two equal groups. The control group (n = 42) received traditional medical treatment, and the research group (n = 42) received the traditional medical treatment as well as the combination therapy with ornithine aspartate plus naloxone. The supplemental treatment was comprised of daily intravenous injection of 10-15 g ornithine aspartate in 250 ml of 5% glucose plus intravenous drip of 3 mg naloxone in 100 ml of 5% glucose, and was given in 7-day cycles for one or two cycles. The cognitive function of patients was assessed by Hasegawa Intelligence Scale (HDS) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) questionnaires. The effective rate and time duration from coma to consciousness were recorded. Changes in blood ammonia level, markers of liver function, and neuropeptide levels were measured by standard biochemical assays. Intergroup differences were assessed by the Chi-squared test.

RESULTSThe HDS and MMSE scores of the research group were significantly higher than those of the control group after therapy. The effective rate, time duration from coma to consciousness, blood ammonia, the liver function markers alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase and total bilirubin, and the neuropeptides arginine vasopressin and beta-endorphin were remarkably improved after treatment in the research group, as compared with that in the control group.

CONCLUSIONSupplementing the traditional treatment for hepatic encephalopathy with ornithine aspartate plus naloxone combination therapy provides better therapeutic outcome than traditional treatment alone.

Adult ; Dipeptides ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; psychology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Naloxone ; therapeutic use ; Neuropeptides ; metabolism ; Prognosis

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Arsenicals ; therapeutic use ; Fluoresceins ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Male ; Oxides ; therapeutic use ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of Galectin-3 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and the clinical value of serum Galectin-3 in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry method was used to detect the expression of Galectin-3 in the 46 pairs of HCC tissues and their para cancerous tissues. The relationship between expression levels of Galectin-3 and clinical parameters was analyzed. Serum Galectin-3 in different liver diseases were measured with ELISA. The sensitivity and specificity of galectin-3, alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase II (GGT-II) for diagnosis of HCC were compared and the complementary diagnostic values of Galectin-3 and AFP and GGT-II for HCC were studied.

RESULTS(1) The positive rate of Galectin-3 in the tissue of HCC was 78.2%, dramatically higher than that in para cancerous tissues (15.2%) (P is less than 0.01). The expression levels were correlated with differentiation and with the high expression in poor differentiation tissues; (2) Based on ROC curve, the cut-off of serum Galectin-3 for HCC diagnosis was set as 0.62mug/L, the serum galectin-3 positive rate was 64.5% in HCC cases, which was apparently higher than that in liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis and healthy persons (P is less than 0.05); (3) Serum Galectin-3 was not correlated with AFP and GGT-II. Combined determination of the three markers had the complementary diagnostic value for HCC and might increase the diagnostic sensitivity to 94.7%.

CONCLUSIONGalectin-3 is overexpressed in HCC tissues and is correlated with the tumor differentiation, suggesting that Galectin-3 may be associated with the carcinogenesis and development of HCC. Serum galectin-3 increases in the HCC cases and combined determination of serum Galectin-3, AFP and GGT-II can increase the diagnostic efficiency for HCC. Galectin-3 could be a novel serum tumor marker for HCC.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; metabolism ; Female ; Galectin 3 ; blood ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Serum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect of Bailian Caogen granule.

METHODThe antipyretic effects of Bailian Caogen granule was evaluated in rabbit fever model induced by peptone. The analgesic effect of the drug was studied with pain model of mice induced by acetic acid and hot plate, The severity of oedema in inflamed animal was observed to study the anti-inflammatory effects of Bailian Caogen granule.

RESULTBailian Caogen granule could obviously inhibit the fever of rabbits. The number of writhing induced by acetic acid was reduced and the pain threshold of mice was increased by Bailian Caogen granule. Bailian Caogen granule also had anti-inflammatory activity against xylene-induced mouse ear swelling and carrageenin-induced rat paw edema.

CONCLUSIONBailian Caogen granule has significant analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities.

Acetic Acid ; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Body Temperature ; drug effects ; Coptis ; chemistry ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Edema ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Female ; Fever ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; Hot Temperature ; Hyperalgesia ; etiology ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Male ; Mice ; Pain ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Pain Threshold ; drug effects ; Phellodendron ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pueraria ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine injection in combination with tegafur,gimeracil and oteracil porassium capsules in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.Methods A total of 60 patients with pancreatic cancer were randomly divided into control group (n =30) and treatment group (n =30).The control group was given intravenous infusion of gemcitabine injection (1000 mg · m-2,30 min) on the first,eighth and fifteenth day of treatment.On the basis of the control group,the treatment group was received oral administration of tegafur,gimeracil and oteracil porassium capsules (80 mg · m-2 · d-1) on the first and fifteenth day of treatment.Both groups were treated for 4 cycles.The clinical efficacy,natural killer T cells (NKT),interferon-γ (IFN-γ),T lymphocyte subsets (CD3+,CD+,CD8+) level,and adverse drug reactions were compared.Results After treatment,the total effective rates of the treatment group and control group were 86.67％ (26 cases/30 cases) and 63.33％ (19 cases/30 cases),respectively,with significant difference (P ＜0.05).After treatment,there were significant differences between the treatment group and the control group in NKT [(16.61 ±1.26) ％ vs (14.04±1.59) ％,IFN-γ [(7.27±0.47) μ,g· L-1vs (5.30±0.90) μ,g · L-1],CD3+ [(70.02 ±4.0)％ vs (65.94 ± 5.56)％];CD4+ [(41.64 ± 2.41)％ vs (38.87 ± 2.30)％];CD8+ were [(36.77 ±1.75)％ vs (38.23 ± 1.62)％];CD4+/ CD8+ were(1.27 ±0.11 vs 1.15 ±0.08) (P＜0.05).The adverse drug reactions of the two groups were mainly nausea,vomiting,diarrhea,and granulocytes,The incidence sof adverse reactions of the treatment group and the control group were 20.00％ (6 cases/30 cases) and 23.33％ (7 cases/30 cases),respectively,without significant difference(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Gemcitabine injection in combination with tegafur,gimeracil and oteracil porassium capsules showed efficacy higher than gemcitabine alone in the treatment of pancreatic cancer,with a similar safety profile.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of antisense RNA of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) on rat liver fibrosis.

METHODSGene recombinant techniques were used to construct a rat antisense RNA of CTGF recombinant plasmid which could be expressed in eukaryotic cells. The recombinant plasmids were encapsulated with lipofectamine and then transducted into a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced rat liver fibrosis model. Expression of CTGF was assessed by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify type I and III collagens. HE stained liver slides were used for pathological study.

RESULTSThe mRNA and protein expression of CTGF in the fibrotic liver transfected with antisense-CTGF were significantly decreased compared with those of the controls (P<0.01). The depositions of type I and type III collagens were also decreased (P<0.05). Antisense-CTGF also minimized the pathological fibrosis in the rat livers (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe results demonstrate that the antisense RNA of CTGF recombinant plasmid has certain effects in preventing liver fibrosis and makes it a possible candidate for use in future gene therapy.

Animals ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; genetics ; Genetic Therapy ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; pathology ; Male ; Plasmids ; RNA, Antisense ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of decreased leptin expression on liver fibrosis.

METHODSThe small interfering RNA, targeting leptin gene, was designed according to the secondary structure of leptin gene. The recombinant plasmids were encapsulated with lipofectamine and then injected into carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced rat liver fibrosis models. Leptin and I, III collage were detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSThe mRNA and protein levels of leptin in the fibrotic liver transfected with leptin shRNA were significantly decreased compared with those in controls (P less than 0.01). The depositions of type I and type III collagens were also decreased (P less than 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDecreased leptin expression prevents liver fibrosis.

Animals ; Leptin ; genetics ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; therapy ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of PDGF receptor-beta and its correlation with extracellular matrix in hepatic tissue during hepatic fibrosis.

METHODSThe model of hepatic fibrosis in rats was induced by carbon tetrachloride. PDGF receptor-beta subunit, collagen I, collagen III and a-SMA in hepatic tissues of these rats were examined using immunohistochemistry. The correlation between PDGF receptor-beta subunit and collagen I, III was analyzed using SAS software after the results of immunohistochemistry were semi-quantified.

RESULTSPDGF receptor-beta subunit and a-SMA were not detected in normal controls. Collagen I and III were distributed in the portal tracts and beneath the endothelia of the central veins and of the Disse spaces. Two weeks after CCl4 injection, the PDGF receptor-beta and a-SMA were detected, and the expression of collagen I and III increased. At the end of 4 and 6 weeks, the above four proteins were further increased. Two weeks after CCl4 injection, PDGF receptor-beta had no apparent correlation with collagen I and III. However, PDGF receptor-beta had a significant correlation with collagen I and III 2 weeks later, and the correlation coefficient was 0.74 and 0.60 respectively at 4 weeks, and 0.83 and 0.67 respectively at 6 weeks. PDGF receptor-beta had a significant correlation with a-SMA during the whole process of hepatic fibrosis and the correlation coefficient was 0.62, 0.69 and 0.81, respectively at the time of 2, 4 and 6 weeks after CCl4 injection.

CONCLUSIONThe PDGF receptor-beta was overexpressed during the process of hepatic fibrosis development, and it significantly correlated with collagen I and collagen III.

Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning ; Collagen Type I ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Collagen Type III ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Extracellular Matrix ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta ; biosynthesis ; genetics