Serum sclerostin is positively associated with serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentration. Our preliminary studies confirmed that Qing'e formula(QEF) could effectively increase serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentration in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis(PMOP), but the effect of supplementation with QEF on serum sclerostin is unknown. This study investigated the effects of supplementation of QEF on serum sclerostin levels in patients with PMOP. Totally 120 outpatients and inpatients with PMOP treated in our hospital between January and October 2012 were randomly divided into QEF+calcium group, alfacalcidol+calcium group, and placebo+calcium group(n=40 each), with a follow-up period of 2 years. The serum levels of sclerostin, 25 hydroxyvitamin D, and bone turnover markers(β-CTX, N-MID and T-PINP) at baseline and at the 6th month, 1st year, 1.5th year, and 2nd year after treatment were measured. The results showed that the levels of circulating sclerostin were increased significantly at the 6th month after treatment in QEF+calcium group and alfacalcidol+calcium group as compared with placebo+calcium group(P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the former two groups(P>0.05). The levels of β-CTX, N-MID and T-PINP in serum were decreased in both QEF+calcium group and alfacalcidol+calcium group at the 6th month after treatment, without significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05). But the levels were significantly lower than that in placebo+calcium group(P<0.05). These results suggest that the mechanism by which QEF modulates bone metabolism in patients with PMOP might be related with the effect of QEF in increasing sclerostin expression. Our findings provide a scientific rationale for using QEF as an effective drug to prevent bone loss in PMOP.
In order to investigate whether Yinchenhao decoction(YCHD) attenuates hepatic fibrogenesis in the bile duct ligation(BDL) model via recovering and restoring the self-regulation and balance of the renin-angiotensin system(RAS), 33 specific-pathogen-free(SPF) male Sprague-Dawley rats with common BDL and scission were randomly divided into five groups as follows: G1, the sham group(n=4); G2, BDL 7-day group(n=5); G3, BDL+YCHD 430 mg/m L(n=8); G4, BDL+losartan 0.65 mg/m L(ARB group, n=8); G5, model group(BDL without any treatment, n=8). YCHD and losartan(10 m L·kg-1·day-1) were given by gastric gavage for 16 days following BDL in G3 and G4 groups, respectively. The effect of YCHD on liver fibrosis and the detailed molecular mechanisms were assessed by liver function including total bilirubin(TBIL), direct bilirubin(DBIL), indirect bilirubin(IDBIL), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase(AST). Histological changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and Masson trichrome staining. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression level of the renin-angiotensin system(RAS) components including angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE), angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor(AT1R), ACE2, angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ) as well as transforming growth factor β1(TGFβ1). The experimental data were analyzed by principle component analytical method of pattern recognition. The results showed that biochemically, serum TBIL, DBIL, IDBIL, ALT and AST levels were markedly increased following BDL as compared with the sham group(P<0.05). Serum TBIL, IDBIL and DBIL levels in G3 group were dramatically decreased as compared with G5 and G4 groups(P<0.05). Serum AST level in G3 was significantly lowered than in G5 group(P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in ALT among G3, G4 and G5 groups(P>0.05). Histologically, livers in G3 group showed less hepatocytes necrosis, less bile duct hyperplasia and less collagen formation than in G4 and G5 groups. The protein expression levels of ACE2, ACE, Ang�
Objective: To observe the effect of Quyu Chencuo Formula(去菀陈莝方, QCF) on renal fibrosis in rats with obstructive nephropathy. Methods: Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into three groups, 4 for sham operation as the control group, 10 for unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO) model group, and the rest 10 for QCF treating UUO model group. All rats were sacrificed under 3% pentobarbital(50 mg/kg) anesthesia on the 14 th day after surgery, then the right kidney samples of rats were harvested for hematoxylin eosin(HE) staining and Masson staining to observe the renal pathological changes. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to examine the expression of transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1), and real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was employed to examine the expressions of TGF-β1, α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) and E-cadherin mRNA. Results: HE and Masson staining showed that the renal interstitial of the rats in the control group had no significant fibrotic lesion; in the model group, there were obvious interstitial fibrosis; for the QCF group, there were epithelial cell necrosis, infiltration of lymphocytes and mononuclear cells, aggravated interstitial fibrosis in varied degrees, but the pathological changes were less in the QCF group than in the model group. The immunohistochemistry and Western blotting results showed that the TGF-β1 expression was increased significantly in the model group, while decreased significantly in the QCF group(P<0.05); RT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression of α-SMA and TGF-β1 increased significantly in the model group, while both were significantly decreased in the QCF group compared with the model group(P<0.05). The mRNA expression of E-cadherin was decreased significantly in the model group, and it was significantly increased in the QCF group as compared with the model group(P<0.05). Conclusion: QCF may improve renal fibrosis by regulating the expressions of TGF-β1, α-SMA and E-cadherin, and prevent the progress of kidney fibrosis.
