Effect of anluohuaxian tablet combined with γ-IFN on schistosomal liver fibrosis

Abstract

The therapeutic effects of anluohuaxian tablet combined with γ-IFN on schistosomal liver fibrosis and its mechanism were studied in a murine model and clinical cases of schistosomal liver fibrosis. Fifty Kunming mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control group, infection control group, anluohuaxian tablet-treated group, γ-IFN-treated group and combined treatment (anluohuaian tablet+γ-IFN) group. Pathologic changes in liver, including hepatic pigmentation and the size of schistosomal egg granuloma, were observed by HE staining after treatment for 8 weeks. The expression of the type I and collagen III, and TIMP-1 was detected by immunohistochemistry. TGF-β1 mRNA expression was examined by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Sixty patients with schistosomal liver fibrosis were divided into treatment group and control group. The patients in treatment group were treated with anluohuaxian tablet in combination with γ-IFN for 6 months. Before and after treatment, the changes of symptoms and signs, liver function, serum liver fibrosis indexes and imaging indexes were observed. The results showed that as compared with infection control group, all forms of treatments relieved the hepatic pathological injury with apparently diminished size of schistosomal egg nodules and decreased percentage of pigmentation (P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression of collagen I and III, TIMP-1, and TGF-β1 mRNA in combined treatment group was significantly decreased as compared with anluohuaxian tablet-treated and γ-IFN-treated groups (P<0.05). In the clinical observation, the serum liver fibrosis indexes, the portal vein width as well as the spleen thickness was significantly reduced in treatment group as compared with control group (P<0.05). It was concluded that the combined use of anluohuaxian tablet with γ-IFN in schistosomal liver fibrosis could protect liver function, alleviate liver fibrosis, and could be used as a choice in treating patients with schiatosomal liver fibrosis.

Keywords

Schistosomiasis japonica / liver fibrosis / anluohuaxian tablet / γ-interferon / hepatic pigmentation / TIMP-1 / TGF-β1 mRNA

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