Aim To observe the effect of Salvianolic-aid B ( Sal B ) on the progression of hepatic fibrosis-carcinoma in mice induced by diethylnitrosamine ( DEN ) and investigate the mechanism of Sal B in-volved in the shift between pSmad 3 C/p21-mediated tumor suppressive signaling and pSmad 3L/PAI-1/c-Myc-mediated pro-fibrogenic/oncogenic signaling . Methods A total of 100 male Kunming mice were randomly grouped , DEN-induced hepatic fibrosis-car-cinoma model of mice was established , which was in-tragastrically treated by Sal B with two dosages ( 15 , 30 mg · kg -1 ) and colchicine with one dosage ( 0.2 mg· kg -1 ) , respectively.The mice were sacrificed at 12th week or 16th week after the start of DEN adminis-tration.Pathological changes of livers in each group were assessed by liver biopsy , hematoxylin-eosin ( HE ) staining and Van Gieson ( VG ) staining .The protein expressions of pSmad3C, pSmad3L, p21, plas-minogen activator inhibitor-1 ( PAI-1 ) and c-Myc in liver tissues were assayed by Western blot .Results In the normal control group , the surface of mouse liver was smooth and soft , and the structure of the hepatic lobule was intact.In the DEN alone group, at 12th week, the surface of mouse liver was rough and hard , the hepatic lobule was encysted or separated by colla-gen bundles, and pseudolobules emerged.At 16th week, the surface of mouse liver in the DEN alone group was rough with some nodules. HE and VG staining showed that the hepatocytes of nodules with obvious atypia and hyperchromatic nuclei were veri-fied.However, these pathological changes were evi-dently improved in Sal B treatment groups compared with the DEN group , which was proved by reductive cirrhotic nodules and alleviative fibrosis at 12th week, and decreasing cancerous nodes and ameliorative dif-ferentiation via Sal B treatment at 16th week.Western blot results showed that the protein expression of pS-mad3C, pSmad3L, PAI-1 were less, and c-Myc ex-pression was scarcely found in normal group; in DEN alone group, at 12th week, the protein expression of pSmad3C had no significant change , while the protein levels of pSmad3L, PAI-1, p21 were up-regulated, and at 16th week, the protein expressions of pS-mad3C, pSmad3L, p21, PAI-1 and c-Myc increased. In Sal B treatment group, the expressions of p21 and pSmad3C increased significantly , pSmad3L and PAI-1 protein levels markedly decreased at 12th week, the expression of pSmad3C increased obviously , p21 was almost unchanged , and the expression of pSmad 3L, PAI-1 and c-Myc were significantly reduced at 16th week .Conclusions Sal B could delay the progression of hepatic fibrosis-carcinoma in mice induced by DEN , and the mechanism may involve mediating the shift of pSmad3C/p21 and pSmad3L/PAI-1/c-Myc signaling.

Adulterants and counterfeits were found in some of the commercial traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoctions in Hongjin Xiaojie Jiaonang, Hongjin Xiaojie Pian, and Chaihuang Keli during the national drug sampling inspection. However, it was difficult to determine the species of the adulterants and counterfeits by conventional testing methods. Therefore, a total of 184 samples of the TCM decoctions and raw materials belong to the prescriptions of above mentioned traditional Chinese patent medicines, including Bupleuri Radix, Bajiaolian, Heimayi, and Shufuchong, were collected and authenticated by DNA barcoding technology. 111 ITS2 sequences were obtained from 115 commercial TCM decoctions and raw materials of Bupleuri Radix, among which 71 were Bupleurum chinense, three were B. scorzonerifolium, and 31 were closely related species in the same genus. In addition, counterfeits derived from different genera, such as Ailanthus altissima (one sample), Saposhnikovia divaricate (two samples), and Solidago decurrens (three samples), were also detected. 21 ITS2 sequences were obtained from 22 commercial TCM raw materials of Bajiaolian, among which 15 were Diphylleia sinensis and six were Dysosma versipellis and other species in genus Dysosma. For 22 Heimayi samples, PCR amplification of COI sequence was failed due to genomic DNA degradation. Among 38 Shufuchong samples, 24 COI sequences were obtained and only nine of them were the genuine species (Armadillidium vulgare) recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, 11 were Porcellio laevis, two were Mongoloniscus sinensis, and two samples could not be identified due to the limitation of database. This study demonstrates that DNA barcoding technology is suitable for the species authentication of the decoctions of traditional Chinese patent medicine prescription. It is a conductive way for the establishment of traceability system for the whole TCM industrial chain.