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Objective: To explore the effect of herbal compound 861 (Cpd 861) on MMP-2 expression and its enzymatic activities, and the antifibrotic mechanism of this herbal compound., Methods: Forty five female rats were randomly divided into normal control (sham operation) group, common bile duct ligation (BDL) group and Cpd 861 therapeutic group. In the last group, daily gastric feeding of Cpd 861 (9 g/kg.bw) started on day 7 after BDL operation. At 49 days, all animals were sacrificed and mRNA expression of MMP-2 in liver tissue was evaluated by semi-quantitive RT-PCR. In addition, enzymatic activities of MMP-2 were analyzed by zymography., Results: In comparison with model group, MMP-2 mRNA levels in Cpd 861 therapeutic group were significantly decreased. MMP-2 enzymatic activities were not detectable in normal group, slightly elevated in model group, higher in Cpd 861 therapeutic group., Conclusions: Cpd 861 decreases the mRNA level of MMP-2, but transiently increases the enzymatic activities of MMP-2. The latter effect of Cpd 861 may be mediated by decreasing TIMPs, the inhibitors of MMPs, during resolution stage of fibrosis. This is probably one of the mechanisms whereby herbal Cpd 861 exerted its antifibrotic action in this kind of experimental liver fibrosis.

Objective: To explore the clinical and histopathological features of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)., Methods: The clinical, laboratory, as well as histological features of 27 cases of PBC were retrospectively analyzed., Results: The male to female ratio was 1:8 (3:24), aged from 22 to 69 years. The main clinical manifestations included: fatigue (62.9%, 17/27), jaundice (59.2%, 16/27) and pruritus (29.6%, 8/27), with all of patients having markedly elevated serum alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and 95.8% (23/27) of the patients being positive for anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA). The main histopathological changes were: necroinflammation of interlobular bile ducts (100%, 27/27), lymphocyte aggregation or lymphocyte follicles (15%, 4/27), granuloma (26%, 7/27), decreased number of interlobular bile ducts and smaller bile duct proliferation (55%, 15/27), feathery degeneration of hepatocytes (59%, 16/27); bilirubinostasis in hepatocytes and/or canaliculi (52%, 14/27); fibrosis and distortion of lobules (26%, 7/27), pseudolobular formation (11%, 3/27)., Conclusions: The main clinical features of PBS are fatigue and pruritus, markedly elevated phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and positive AMA with or without jaundice. Its histopathological hallmarks are (1)necroinflammmation and ductopenia involved mainly in interlobular bile ducts; (2)lymphocyte aggregation, granuloma formation and bile ductular proliferation in the portal area; and (3)feathery degeneration of hepatocytes.

Objective: To observe the in vitro effect of compound 861 (Cpd 861) on tissue inhibitor of metalloprotenase 1 (TIMP1) mRNA levels of HSC-T6 cell., Methods: HSC-T6 cells were exposed in different concentrations of Cpd 861 (0.25~1.0 mg/ml) for 48 hours. The TIMP1 level was measured by the quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: The TIMP1 mRNA levels of HSC-T6 cells at different concentrations of Cpd 861 were lower (2.50 0.71, 0.50 0.01, 0.11 0.03) than those of the normal control (3.78 0.67, P<0.05 or P<0.01)., Conclusions: The antifibrotic mechanism of Cpd 861 is partly due to its downregulation on TIMP1 mRNA levels of HSC-T6 cells.

Objective: To study the clinical features of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in order to facilitate cognition of the disease., Methods: General status, clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of 45 patients with PBC were reviewed., Results: Among the 45 patients, 42 were females and the mean age at diagnosis was (50.8 +/- 8.1) years. The mean time interval between the first visit to physicians to the time of correct diagnosis was about 2 years. The most frequent symptoms were fatigue (66.7%, 30/45), then jaundice (55.6%, 25/45) and pruritus (40%, 18/45). Nine patients (20%) were asymptomatic. Nine patients (20%) were associated with other auto-immune diseases (Sjogren's syndrome and/or rheumatoid arthritis). Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) levels were markedly elevated in all the patients [(498.5 +/- 369.8) IU/L and (595.2 +/- 518.4) IU/L, respectively], whereas ALT and AST levels were mildly to moderately elevated [(83.9 +/- 58.8) IU/L and (100.8 +/- 48.8) IU/L, respectively]. 25 patients (55.6%) had a total bilirubin level >/= 34.2 micromol/L. 40 patients (88.9%) had elevated serum IgM and 43 patients (95.6%) were anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA)/AMA-M2 positive., Conclusion: In China, PBC is probably not so rare as it was thought before. It is mostly found in middle-aged women. The most frequent symptom is fatigue and some patients are asymptomatic at early stage. Elevated serum ALP and gamma-GT levels together with positive AMA/AMA-M2 can help to diagnose PBC. Liver biopsy is useful to confirm the diagnosis and differentiate histopathological stages.