. 2020 May 12;2020:3468791.
doi: 10.1155/2020/3468791. eCollection 2020.
Fuzheng Huayu Capsule Attenuates Hepatic Fibrosis by Inhibiting Activation of Hepatic Stellate Cells
Mei Wu 1 2 , Yang Zhou 1 2 , Sheng-Lan Qin 1 , Li-Jing Lin 1 , Jian Ping 1 , Zhang Tao 2 , Jing Zhang 1 , Lie-Ming Xu 1 2 , Jian Wu 3 4
Affiliations
Affiliations
1
Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
2
Department of Liver Diseases, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
3
Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
4
Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai 200032, China.
Aim: To investigate the mechanisms of Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) Capsule in the treatment of hepatitis B (HBV)- associated fibrosis, HBV patients were divided into two groups, 50 cases were in the nucleotide analogues (NAs) group, while additional 50 cases were in the NAs + FZHY group.
Methods: We assessed the curative effects of antifibrosis through liver function, FibroScan test, and liver biopsy and detected the ratio of lymphocyte subsets by flow cytometry. Peripheral blood lymphocyte and CD8+T, CD4+T, and natural killer cell subsets collected from patients were cocultured with LX-2 cells. Activation of LX-2 cells, production of the extracellular matrix, apoptosis, and proliferation of LX-2 cells were determined. Chronic liver injury models were established by ConA treatment.
Results: It is evident that FZHY treatment significantly increased the percentage of NK cells, the rate of death, and apoptosis of LX-2 cells and decreased the FibroScan liver stiffness measurement value. The expressions of α-SMA and procollagen type I mRNA in LX-2 cells of the FZHY treatment group as downregulated when they were cocultured with lymphocytes compared to those from the NAs group. The proliferation of LX-2 cells in the FZHY treatment group was inhibited compared to that in the NAs group. In a mouse model of hepatic fibrosis, PBLs and IHLs from ConA exposure plus FZHY treatment inhibited the ability of JS-1 cells to express α-SMA.
Conclusions: FZHY Capsule improved the disordered cellular immunity and postponed liver fibrosis possibly through inhibiting the interaction between lymphocyte and hepatic stellate cells.