Objective To investigate the effects of Dangshen (DS) extract saponins alleviating apoptosis in ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) of renal grafts and the mechanism. Methods The I/R injury model in SD rats was established after kidney transplantation. The SD rats were randomly divided into the following 3 groups (n = 20): sham operation group, I/R model group, DS saponin intervention group. Blood urea nitrogen (Bun) and creatinine (Scr) levels were determined at the 24th h after operation; apoptosis index (AI) was detected by using TUNEL method; the expression of Bcl2 and bax mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. Results As compared with the sham operation group,the blood Bun and Scr levels were significantly increased in the I/R model and DS saponin intervention groups (P＜0. 05). As compared with the DS saponin intervention group, the blood Bun and Scr levels were significantly increased in the I/R group (P＜0.05). The AI was significantly increased in the I/R model group and DS saponin intervention group. After DS saponin intervention, the AI was decreased from 40. 28 % in the I/R model group to 28. 45 % in the DS saponin intervention group (P＜0. 05). The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA in DS saponin intervention group and I/R model group was significantly decreased as compared with the sham operation group (P＜0. 05), but that of Bax mRNA was significantly increased in the I/R model group and DS saponin intervention group as compared with the sham operation group (P＜0. 05). After DS saponin intervention, the expression of Bcl-2mRNA was increased from 0. 25 in the I/R model group to 0. 391 (P＜0. 05), and that of Bax mRNA was decreased from 0. 565 in the I/R model group to 0. 473 (P＜0. 05). Conclusion DS extract saponin could significantly alleviate apoptosis in the I/R injury of renal grafts possibly by up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and down-regulating the expression of Bax gene.

Objective To explore the role of endogenous and exogenous β-glucuronidase( β-G) in the development of primary common duct stones.Method Using modified Fishman method to test the activities of the endogenous and exogenous β -G in 35 patients with primary common duct stones(experimental group) and 11 patients with cystic polypus (control group) respectively.Results The activities of endogenous β -G in the bile of experimental group and control group were (7859.1 ± 738.5 ),(2174.9 ± 348.4 ) U/L(P ＜0.01).While the activities of exogenous β-G in experimental group and control group were (6786.1 ±544.3),(1504.7 ±655.7) U/L (P ＜0.01).In experimental group,there were significant statistical differences in the activities of the exogenous β -G in the sample obtained on the day of operation and 7 days after operation from 13 cases with the acute inflammation [(8935.7 ± 845.9),(2176.1 ± 956.7) U/L]and from 22 cases with the chronic inflammation [(5137.2 ±540.7),(1838.8 ±733.3) U/L],and there were significant higher in the activities of the exogenous β -G in the sample obtained on the day of operation from the acute inflammation compared to those from the chronic inflammation (P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions There is obvious correlation between either endogenous or exogenous β -G with primary common duct stones.And the endogenous β -G might be one of the fundamental cause in the development of primary common duct stones.