Objective To investigate the effects and mechanism of Dahuang Lingxian Prescription on bile duct reaction of cholestatic liver fibrosis rats caused by bile duct ligation.Methods A total of 40 SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,ursodeoxycholic acid group and Dahuang Lingxian Prescription group,with 10 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the remaining groups of rats underwent bile duct ligation surgery to establish a cholestatic liver fibrosis model.After surgery,the ursodeoxycholic acid group was given ursodeoxycholic acid solution by gavage,Dahuang Lingxian Prescription group was given Dahuang Lingxian Prescription solution by gavage,and the blank group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline by gavage,once a day for 3 consecutive weeks.The activities of serum AST,ALT,ALP,GGT and the contents of TBIL,TBA were tetected,the morphology of liver tissue was observed by HE staining,and the liver fibrosis was observed by Masson staining,immunohistochromic staining and Western blot were used to detect the expressions of CK19,CK7,EpCAM and SOX9 proteins.Results Compared with the blank group,the liver surface of the model group rats was rough,with a harder texture and obvious graininess,HE staining showed damage to the liver lobule structure,forming pseudo lobules,a large number of bile duct hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration,and a significant increase in collagen fiber deposition(P<0.01);the activities of serum AST,ALT,ALP,GGT,as well as the contents of TBIL and TBA significantly increased(P<0.01);the positive expressions of CK19,CK7 and EpCAM in liver tissue significantly increased(P<0.01),and the protein expressions of CK19,CK7,EpCAM and SOX9 significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the appearance and texture of the liver of the rats in the ursodeoxycholic acid group and Dahuang Lingxian Prescription group were relatively softer,the lobular structure was less damaged,the inflammatory cells infiltration was less,the collagen fiber deposition was significantly reduced(P<0.01),the activities of serum AST,ALT,ALP,GGT,and the contents of TBIL and TBA were significantly decreased(P<0.01);the expressions of TBA and TBIL were significantly decreased(P<0.01),the positive expressions of CK19,CK7 and EpCAM significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the protein expression of CK19,CK7,EpCAM and SOX9 significantly decreased(P<0.01).Conclusion Dahuang Lingxian Prescription can inhibit the bile duct reaction associated with liver progenitor cells,decrease the expression of CK19,CK7,EpCAM and SOX9,and thus improve the cholestatic liver fibrosis of rats induced by bile duct ligation.

Objective:By sequencing and analyzing the biliary flora by 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing technology,to identify the main flora associated with gallbladder stone formation and the main flora regulated by the Dahuang lingxian(DHLX),pre-liminary investigation the effect of DHLX on the biliary flora.Methods:The 50 male guinea pigs were randomly divided into Normal group,Model group,DHLX group.There were 15 guinea pigs in the normal group and 20 guinea pigs in the DHLX group,and 20 guin-ea pigs in the model group:the guinea pig model of gallstone was replicated with high-fat lithogenic diet,which was simultaneously ad-ministrated by gavage.After continuous intervention for 8 weeks,bile and gallbladder tissue samples were collected,and the gallstone formation rate of guinea pigs in each group was calculated,the pathological morphological changes of gallbladder tissue were detected by HE,T-CHO,TBA,LPS,IL-6,TNF-α were detected by ELISA,and the changes of biliary flora were detected by 16S rDNA;the correlation between biliary flora and bile index was detected by Pearson statistical method.Results:The stone formation rate of guinea pigs in the normal group was 8.3%,the rate of model stone composition was 90.8%,and the stone composition rate of DHLX group was 36.4%,and the HE staining results showed that compared with the normal group,the mucous membrane of the guinea pig in the model group was thickened,the columnar epithelial cells were arranged in a large number of inflammatory cells,and the columnar epi-thelial cells of the gallbladder mucosa in the chinese medicine group were arranged neatly compared with the model group,the thick-ness of the mucosa was reduced compared with the model group,and some inflammatory cells were infiltrated;ELISA results showed that compared with the normal group,the expressions of T-CHO,LPS,IL-6 and TNF-α in the bile of guinea pigs in the model group were significantly increased(P<0.01),while the content of TBA was significantly reduced(P<0.01);compared with the model group,the expression of LPS and IL-6 in the bile of the DHLX group were significantly reduced(P<0.01).The results of 16S rDNA showed that compared with the normal group the Ace index and Chao1 index of the model group were significantly reduced(P<0.01),and the Chao1 index of the DHLX group was significantly higher than that of the model group(P<0.05);biliary flora at the genera level was mainly composed of Burkholderia,Sphingomycetes,Breghamus,Delfortella,Pseudomonas;correlation analysis showed that total cholesterol was negatively correlated with the abundance of Methyloversatilis(P<0.05),and total bile acids were positively corre-lated with the abundance of Burkholderia(P<0.05),and Pseudomonas erythrocytes,Rhizobia,the abundance of Phreatobacter was negatively correlated(P<0.01)and LPS was positively correlated with the abundance of Pseudomonas erythrocytes(P<0.01).Conclu-sion:Biliary microflora disorder exists in the formation of biliary stones,and biliary microflora may participate in the formation of stones by regulating cholesterol,bile acids and LPS.DHLX can regulate the changes in the abundance of the microflora,make the structure of the microflora become normal,reduce the inflammation of the gallbladder,and prevent the formation of gallstones.

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanism of Dahuang Lingxian Prescription on bile duct reaction of cholestatic liver fibrosis rats caused by bile duct ligation.Methods A total of 40 SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,ursodeoxycholic acid group and Dahuang Lingxian Prescription group,with 10 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the remaining groups of rats underwent bile duct ligation surgery to establish a cholestatic liver fibrosis model.After surgery,the ursodeoxycholic acid group was given ursodeoxycholic acid solution by gavage,Dahuang Lingxian Prescription group was given Dahuang Lingxian Prescription solution by gavage,and the blank group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline by gavage,once a day for 3 consecutive weeks.The activities of serum AST,ALT,ALP,GGT and the contents of TBIL,TBA were tetected,the morphology of liver tissue was observed by HE staining,and the liver fibrosis was observed by Masson staining,immunohistochromic staining and Western blot were used to detect the expressions of CK19,CK7,EpCAM and SOX9 proteins.Results Compared with the blank group,the liver surface of the model group rats was rough,with a harder texture and obvious graininess,HE staining showed damage to the liver lobule structure,forming pseudo lobules,a large number of bile duct hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration,and a significant increase in collagen fiber deposition(P<0.01);the activities of serum AST,ALT,ALP,GGT,as well as the contents of TBIL and TBA significantly increased(P<0.01);the positive expressions of CK19,CK7 and EpCAM in liver tissue significantly increased(P<0.01),and the protein expressions of CK19,CK7,EpCAM and SOX9 significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the appearance and texture of the liver of the rats in the ursodeoxycholic acid group and Dahuang Lingxian Prescription group were relatively softer,the lobular structure was less damaged,the inflammatory cells infiltration was less,the collagen fiber deposition was significantly reduced(P<0.01),the activities of serum AST,ALT,ALP,GGT,and the contents of TBIL and TBA were significantly decreased(P<0.01);the expressions of TBA and TBIL were significantly decreased(P<0.01),the positive expressions of CK19,CK7 and EpCAM significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the protein expression of CK19,CK7,EpCAM and SOX9 significantly decreased(P<0.01).Conclusion Dahuang Lingxian Prescription can inhibit the bile duct reaction associated with liver progenitor cells,decrease the expression of CK19,CK7,EpCAM and SOX9,and thus improve the cholestatic liver fibrosis of rats induced by bile duct ligation.

Objective:By sequencing and analyzing the biliary flora by 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing technology,to identify the main flora associated with gallbladder stone formation and the main flora regulated by the Dahuang lingxian(DHLX),pre-liminary investigation the effect of DHLX on the biliary flora.Methods:The 50 male guinea pigs were randomly divided into Normal group,Model group,DHLX group.There were 15 guinea pigs in the normal group and 20 guinea pigs in the DHLX group,and 20 guin-ea pigs in the model group:the guinea pig model of gallstone was replicated with high-fat lithogenic diet,which was simultaneously ad-ministrated by gavage.After continuous intervention for 8 weeks,bile and gallbladder tissue samples were collected,and the gallstone formation rate of guinea pigs in each group was calculated,the pathological morphological changes of gallbladder tissue were detected by HE,T-CHO,TBA,LPS,IL-6,TNF-α were detected by ELISA,and the changes of biliary flora were detected by 16S rDNA;the correlation between biliary flora and bile index was detected by Pearson statistical method.Results:The stone formation rate of guinea pigs in the normal group was 8.3%,the rate of model stone composition was 90.8%,and the stone composition rate of DHLX group was 36.4%,and the HE staining results showed that compared with the normal group,the mucous membrane of the guinea pig in the model group was thickened,the columnar epithelial cells were arranged in a large number of inflammatory cells,and the columnar epi-thelial cells of the gallbladder mucosa in the chinese medicine group were arranged neatly compared with the model group,the thick-ness of the mucosa was reduced compared with the model group,and some inflammatory cells were infiltrated;ELISA results showed that compared with the normal group,the expressions of T-CHO,LPS,IL-6 and TNF-α in the bile of guinea pigs in the model group were significantly increased(P<0.01),while the content of TBA was significantly reduced(P<0.01);compared with the model group,the expression of LPS and IL-6 in the bile of the DHLX group were significantly reduced(P<0.01).The results of 16S rDNA showed that compared with the normal group the Ace index and Chao1 index of the model group were significantly reduced(P<0.01),and the Chao1 index of the DHLX group was significantly higher than that of the model group(P<0.05);biliary flora at the genera level was mainly composed of Burkholderia,Sphingomycetes,Breghamus,Delfortella,Pseudomonas;correlation analysis showed that total cholesterol was negatively correlated with the abundance of Methyloversatilis(P<0.05),and total bile acids were positively corre-lated with the abundance of Burkholderia(P<0.05),and Pseudomonas erythrocytes,Rhizobia,the abundance of Phreatobacter was negatively correlated(P<0.01)and LPS was positively correlated with the abundance of Pseudomonas erythrocytes(P<0.01).Conclu-sion:Biliary microflora disorder exists in the formation of biliary stones,and biliary microflora may participate in the formation of stones by regulating cholesterol,bile acids and LPS.DHLX can regulate the changes in the abundance of the microflora,make the structure of the microflora become normal,reduce the inflammation of the gallbladder,and prevent the formation of gallstones.

Objective To investigate the expression levels of scf and c-kit under the regulation of Dahuang Lingxian prescription and the possible mechanism of its effect on gallbladder dynamics, and to provide a theoretical basis for Dahuang Lingxian prescription in preventing the development and recurrence of cholesterol gallstone. Methods A total of 45 specific pathogen-free healthy male guinea pigs were randomly divided into normal group, model group, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group. The guinea pigs in the normal group were fed with normal diet, and those in the model group and the TCM group were fed with high-fat lithogenic diet. After 8 weeks of feeding, 5 guinea pigs were randomly selected from each group, and successful modeling was determined if gallstone was observed with the naked eye in more than 4 guinea pigs. After successful modeling, the guinea pigs in the TCM group were given Dahuang Lingxian prescription by gavage, and those in the model group were given an equal volume of normal saline by gavage. After 8 consecutive weeks of administration by gavage, gallbladder tissue samples were collected, and HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of gallbladder tissue; Western blot was used to measure the expression level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in gallbladder tissue; immunohistochemistry was used to measure the protein expression levels of scf and c-kit in gallbladder smooth muscle tissue. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference multiple comparison method was used for further comparison between two groups. Results HE staining showed marked inflammation of gallbladder tissue in the model group, and compared with the model group, the TCM group had a significantly lower degree of inflammation. Western blot showed that the model group had the highest expression level of TNF-α in gallbladder tissue, followed by the TCM group and the normal group ( P < 0.05); immunohistochemistry showed that compared with the model group, the normal group and the TCM group had significantly higher protein expression levels of scf and c-kit in gallbladder smooth muscle tissue ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Dahuang Lingxian prescription can enhance the dynamic function of the gallbladder, possibly by upregulating the scf/c-kit signaling pathway in interstitial cells of Cajal in gallbladder.