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Aim of the study The present study investigated the pharmacological effects of different extracts of rhubarb on intestinal function of mice, further to explore possible reasons for the adverse effects of long-term use of rhubarb as a purgative. Materials and methods The total extract of rhubarb (TR) was extracted with 60% ethanol and the total anthraquinones extract (TA), total tannins extract (TT) and remaining components extract (RC) of rhubarb were separated from TR using macroporous resin. The pharmacological effects of each extract on the intestinal function of mice were evaluated by defecation test and the antidiarrhoeal activity of rhubarb tannins as well as its mechanism was studied by different animal models and histopathological examination. Results Both TR and TA produced purgative activities, but the purgative activity of TA was stronger than that of TR. Successive administration of TT produced an antidiarrhoeal activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Besides, successive administration of RC showed no significant effect on the intestinal function of mice. The antidiarrhoeal activity of rhubarb tannins was confirmed directly for the first time and its mechanism was probable that rhubarb tannins generated protein-precipitating reaction to the gastrointestinal mucosa due to its protein-precipitating action. Conclusions The results confirmed that rhubarb had the diarrhoeogenic and antidiarrhoeal bidirectional effects due to the coexistence of anthraquinones and tannins. The bidirectional effects might be the reason or one of the reasons for the adverse effects of long-term use of rhubarb as a purgative.

To investigate the possible mechanism of San-Cao Granule (SCG, ) mediating antiliver fibrosis.A total of 60 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, porcine serum-treated group, ursodesoxycholic acid (UDCA, 60 mg/kg), SCG (3.6 g/kg) group, SCG (1.8 g/kg) group and SCG (0.9 g/kg) group, with 10 rats in each group. Liver fibrosis was induced with porcine serum by intraperitoneal injection for 8 weeks, except for the normal control group. Then, the rats in the three SCG-treated groups and UDCA group were administered SCG and UDCA respectively for 4 weeks. The serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TBIL), hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), and type IV collagen (IVC) were examined using commercial kits and hepatic histopathology was examined with hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining. Moreover, the protein expression levels of high mobility group box-1 protein (HMGB1), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), phosphorylated mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (p-Smad3), Smad7, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were determined by western blot, immunohistochemistry and real time quantitative-reverse transcription polymerase.Both SCG (3.6 and 1.8 g/kg) and UDCA significantly ameliorated the liver fibrosis induced by porcine serum as indicated by retarding the serum levels increasing of ALT, AST, TBIL, HA, LN and IVC and preventing the serum level reducing of ALB compared with the model group (all P0.01). Meanwhile, the collagen deposition was attenuated by SCG and UDCA treatment. Furthermore, SCG markedly reduced the expressions of HMGB1, TGF-β1, p-Smad3, TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB and α-SMA, and enhanced the expression of the Smad7 compared with the model group (all P0.01).SCG ameliorates hepatic fibrosis possibly through inhibiting HMGB1, TLR4/NF-κB and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

To study curative effect of chronical hepatitis B with treatment of integrative traditional Chinese and western medicine.115 cases of HBeAg and/or HBVDNA positive chronical hepatitis B were randomly divided into two groups in control. The first group treated by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-Fufang Huangqi granule and the second treated by intergrative traditional Chinese and western medicine (ICWM)-Fufang Huangqi granule and lamivudine for at least 24 weeks.The positive rate of HBVDNA at 12, 24 weeks, and the positive rate of HBeAg at 24 weeks in TCM are markedly lower than those of before treatment (P0.01). The positive rate of HBeAg and the positive rate of HBVDNA in ICWM are markedly lower than those of before treatment both at 12, 24 weeks (P0.01). The average values of HBVDNA are markly lower than before treatment in two groups at both 12,24 weeks (P0.01). At 12 weeks, the negative-turning rate of HBVDNA in the ICWM group is 79.17%, which shows significant difference in comparision with 40.00% in the TCM group (P0.01). The negative-turning rate of HBeAg in the ICWM group is 26.92%, which shows no significant difference in comparision with 32. 08% in the TCM group. At 24 weeks, the negative-turning rate of HBVDNA in the ICWM group is 85.71%, which shows significant difference in comparision with 50.00% in the TCM group (P0.01). The negative-turning rate of HBeAg in the ICWM group is 36.36%, which shows no significant difference in comparision with 28.57% in the TCM group. At 12 weeks,the total effective rate of the ICWM group is 96. 43%, which shows significant difference in comparision with 71.26% in the TCM group (P0.01). At 24 weeks, the total effective rate of the ICWM group is 88. 00%, which shows significant difference in comparision with 67.61 % in the TCM group (P0.01). The average values of ALT and AST are markly improved than those of before treatment in two groups (P0.01). The average values of ALB is markly higher than before in TCM groups after 24 weeks treatment (P0.01).Fufang Huangqi granule integrated with lamivudine possesses a better effect for counteracting the hepatitis B virus and improving the liver functioin than only itself.