Xiaochaihu Decoction Research Articles

Effects of Chinese herbal medicine Yinchenhao Decoction on expressions of apoptosis-related genes in dimethylnitrosamine- or carbon tetrachloride-induced liver cirrhosis in rats

To investigate the different efficacy of Yinchenhao Decoction (YCHD), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, for liver cirrhosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) or carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) in rats. To induce liver fibrosis, 0.5% DMN solution (2mL/kg body weight, i.p.) was given three consecutive days a week to male Wistar rats for 4 weeks. Cirrhotic rats were randomly divided into DMN group, YCHD group, Xiaochaihu decoction group by the end of the fourth week to accomplish a 2-week recipe treatment course. In CCl(4)-induced liver fibrosis model, 50% CCl(4)-olive solution was injected subcutaneously to rats at a dose of 2 mL/kg body weight twice a week to duplicate rat cirrhosis model. After 8 weeks, rats were divided into CCl(4) group, CCl(4) plus YCHD group and Xiaochaihu decoction group. For the YCHD group, YCHD was administered intragastrically once a day for 4 weeks. For DMN or CCl(4) model, by the end of 6 or 12 weeks respectively, rats were sacrificed for sampling to detect liver function, hepatic histological changes, hydroxyproline (Hyp) content and apoptosis-related gene expressions. In DMN liver fibrosis model, hepatic fibrosis was obvious at week 2 and cirrhosis was evident at week 4 in DMN-treated rats. Compared to 6-week DMN group, hepatic pathological changes and liver function were improved significantly and content of Hyp decreased remarkably in YCHD group. In CCl(4)-induced liver fibrosis model, hepatic fibrosis was obvious at 8 weeks and cirrhosis was evident at 12 weeks in CCl(4)-treated rats. Compared to 12-week CCl(4) group, hepatic pathological changes and liver function were not obviously improvement in YCHD group. The results of gene chip showed that YCHD significantly decreased Fas, Bax and caspase-3 gene expressions, and increased Bcl-xL gene expression in the liver of DMN model. However, in the model induced by CCl(4), YCHD did not inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis induced by CCl(4), but increased tyrosine kinase receptor gene expression by 4.8 times. YCHD exerts more significant therapeutic effects on DMN-induced than CCl(4)-induced cirrhosis in rats in Hyp content and pathological change in liver tissue.

Effects of Chinese herbal medicines on spontaneous chronic pancreatitis in rats and the pathological relationships between formulas and syndromes

To investigate the effects of Guizhi Decoction, Chaihu Guizhi Decoction, Xiaochaihu Decoction and camostat on rat spontaneous chronic pancreatitis and the pathological relationships between formulas and syndromes. Fifty-seven male WBN/Kob rats at age of 4 weeks were divided into five groups: untreated group (n=18), Guizhi Decoction-treated group (n=9), Chaihu Guizhi Decoction-treated group (n=9), Xiaochaihu Decoction-treated group (n=9) and camostat-treated group (n=12). The rats in each group were fed with corresponding drugs for 12 weeks. The pancreatic wet weight and histopathological changes of pancreatic tissue were observed every four weeks. Meanwhile, the expression level of pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) in pancreas was detected by RT-PCR technique and immunohistochemical method. In the untreated group, the histopathological changes in pancreas were observed in rats at 12-week age, while such changes were absent in the Guizhi Decoction-treated group. The histopathological changes in pancreas were quite remarkable in rats at 16-week age in both the Xiaochaihu Decoction-treated and the camostat-treated groups. The expression level of PAP mRNA was lower in the Guizhi Decoction-treated group than those in the other groups. The PAP expressions were absent in rats at 12-week age in the Guizhi Decoction-treated and the Chaihu Guizhi Decocion-treated groups. Guizhi Decoction, Chaihu Guizhi Decoction, Xiaochaihu Decoction and camostat are all beneficial to prevention and cure of chronic pancreatitis, and Guizhi Decoction is the most effective one. It is speculated that Taiyang exterior syndrome may be the pathogenesis of basic syndrome may be the pathogenesis of basic syndrome of spontaneous chronic pancreatitis, and the expression of PAP may be its pathological basis.

Clinical observation on treatment of dysthymia with combined use of Xiaochaihu Decoction and doxepin

Clinical observation on treatment of dysthymia with combined use of Xiaochaihu Decoction and doxepin

Inhibition effect of Chinese herbal medicine on transcription of hepatitis C virus structural genein vitro

To investigate the inhibitory effect of Chinese herbal medicine on the transcription of hepatitis C virus (HCV) structural gene in Hela D cells. Hela cell line was transfected with recombinant pBK-CMV-HCV containing HCV structural gene by Lipofectamine. RT-nested-PCR and Western blot assay were used to testify the HCV gene expression in Hela cells. The Hela cells expressing HCV structural protein were named Hela D cells. Prescriptions of Xiao chaihu Decoction (XCHD), Fufang Huangqi (FFHQ) and Bingganling (BGL) were respectively added to Hela D cells in various concentrations. Semi-quantitative RT-nested-PCR product analysis was performed according to the fluorescent density between HCV DNA band and GAPDH DNA band in gel electrophoresis after screened. Recombinant pBK-CMV-HCV could correctly express the HCV structural gene in Hela D cells. After co-culture of Hela D cells with three prescriptional different concentrations for 48 h respectively, the transcription of HCV gene decreased with increasing of the concentration of each prescription. The lightness ratio of HCV product bands to GAPDH product bands was 0.24, 0.10 and 0.12 in Hela D cells incubated with 0.1 g/mL of XCHD, FFHQ and BGL respectively and the lightness ratio HCV product bands to GAPDH product bands was 0.75, 0.67 and 0.61 respectively in the control cells. The prescriptions of XCHD, FFHQ and BGL partly inhibit the transcription of HCV structural gene in Hela D cells.