Effect of Chinese herbal compound on liver fibrosis in rabbits with schistosomiasis by B-ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of B-ultrasound on the evaluation of the effects of traditional Chinese medicine compound of Radix astragali, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Angelica sinensis, and TCM + praziquantel on liver fibrosis in rabbits with schistosomiasis. METHODS: The hepatic fibrosis model in rabbits with schistosomiasis was established. The experimental animals (24 rabbits) were randomly divided into four groups (group A, B, C and D, n=6). Group A (control group) was only treated by praziquantel; Group B was treated by mixture of Radix astragali and Salvia miltiorrhiza + praziquantel; Group C was treated by mixture of Radix astragali and Angelica sinensis + praziquantel; Group D was treated by mixture of Radix astragali, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Angelica sinensis + praziquantel. Then B-ultrasonogram was used to evaluate the effects. RESULTS: Each group showed certain curative effect on liver fibrosis in rabbits with schistosomiasis. The efficacy of group B, C and D was better than group A, and that of group D was the best. The differences in long diameter, thickness diameter, transverse diameter and portal vein inner diameter of liver before and after treatment were statistically significant (P<0.05). The liver function indexes and liver fibrosis indexes were significantly improved after treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The mixture of Radix astragali, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Angelica sinensis combined with Western medicine treatment can obviously improve the efficacy on liver fibrosis of schistosomiasis.