摘要
Considerable evidences have shown that the mechanism of TCM drugs for preventing and treating liver fibrosis is very complicated. TCM treatment can not only inhibit viral replication, ameliorate inflammation and promote blood circulation in the liver, and enhance regeneration of the hepatic cells, but also inhibit HSC proliferation, intra- and extracellular secretion, decrease the secretion of collagen and promote its degradation and re-absorption. However, most of the animal models are only suitable for studies of acute hepatitis. Establishment of cell lines suitable for studies of fibrosis is still at its initial stage. What we expect is that comprehensive clinical studies in TCM treatment of liver fibrosis will be carried out and evaluation of each datum given, both of which are of importance.
Liver fibrosis is a gradual process of increased secretion and decreased degradation of extracellular materials (ECM). Most author hold that the process is initiated by the damage of hepatic cells (HCs), which leads to activation and secretion of multiple cellular factors of Kupffer cells. These factors, along with the cellular factors secreted by damaged HCs, thrombocytes and endothelial cells of the hepatic sinusoid, and some chemical mediators are activators of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Being activated, HSCs differentiate into myofibroblasts, and, via self-secretion and parasecretion, proliferate and synthesize a massive amount of extracellular materials which gradually accumulate and lead to formation of liver fibrosis.1 Since fibrosis is a common course in a variety of chronic liver diseases, prevention against its formation is of great importance. The following are the recent achievements of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in this field.
