Incorporating the red jujube water footprint and economic water productivity into sustainable integrated management policy.

There are nearly two million ha of red jujube in the arid inland agricultural region south of the Tianshan mountains in China that produce approximately 37.2% of the global red jujube market. This paper provides an insight into the spatiotemporal variation of the water footprint and economic water productivity of red jujube cultivation in six main red jujube-producing areas. The effects of regional policies, industrial clusters, planting structures, irrigation methods and brand values studied extensively in this paper and shows how these driving factors affect the variation. Time series data covering the period of 2003-2015 was used for the study. The results showed that the annual variation of yield, cultivated areas, water footprint and economic water productivity of red jujube cultivation have experienced upward trends in the Tianshan regions, but that there were also few differences between different growing areas. The blue water makes the largest contribution (more than 70%) to the components of the red jujube water footprint in each red jujube producing area. The contribution of grey water footprint to the total consumptive WF was quite small (less than 10%) and the remaining 10%-15% was due to the green water. The water footprint and overall economic water productivity through the red jujube in various producing areas are affected by local government management and performance. The possible ways of improving economic water productivity in terms of red jujube cultivation are through policy, technological and management interventions.

A Comparative Study of Water Quality and Human Health Risk Assessment in Longevity Area and Adjacent Non-Longevity Area.

A longevity area in Xinjiang, China and an adjacent non-longevity area both have similar climatic and hydrogeological conditions, and the residents of the two control groups have similar ethnic composition, diets and lifestyles. This study investigated if differences in groundwater quality between the longevity area and the non-longevity area are associated with the health of residents in the two control groups. In order to quantitatively describe the groundwater quality of the two control groups and its influence on human health, the Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method (FCEM) was used to compare and assess the overall water environment of the two control groups. Furthermore, the human health risk of groundwater for the two control groups was assessed using the Health Risk Assessment Model recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Results showed that the overall water environment categories for the longevity area and non-longevity area are moderate quality (grade III) and very poor quality (grade V), respectively. The main health risk in the longevity area water environment is the non-carcinogenic risk (HQLLV) caused by Cl-. The main health risks in the non-longevity area water environment are the non-carcinogenic risk (HQCA) caused by Cl- and the carcinogenic risk (RiskCA) caused by As. The total health risk (HRall) caused by over-standard inorganic pollutants in the water environment of the non-longevity area is 3.49 times higher than that of the longevity area. In addition, the study showed that the water environment pollution downstream of the Keriya River is conjunctively caused by agricultural activities and domestic sewage. The overall water environment of the longevity area is more conducive to the health-longevity of residents than the non-longevity area.

Retraction Note: Simulation and spatiotemporal pattern of air temperature and precipitation in Eastern Central Asia using RegCM.

This paper has been retracted.

Assessment of changes in oasis scale and water management in the arid Manas River Basin, north western China.

Modern water-saving irrigation technology has expanded the scale of agricultural oases in arid and semi-arid regions of China. In this study, we used Landsat MSS and Landsat TM/ETM remote sensing data to assess changes in oasis scale and water availability with reference to differing water management practices in the Manas River Basin of north-western China from 1975 to 2015. We used the water-heat balance index H0 to determine oasis stability over time and constructed a suitable-scale calculation model for arid and semi-arid regions to assess the suitable development scale and cultivated land area in the study area. The implementation of water-saving technology in 2000 effectively improved the utilization efficiency of water resources and accelerated the formation of artificial oases; these expanded by 3873.3 km2 while natural oasis area was reduced by 3485.0 km2. The oasis stability index H0 was less than the critical stability index of 0.5 throughout the study period, implying that these areas were in a metastable state and unsuitable for further development. Therefore, in order to improve oasis stability, both scale and agricultural area should be further controlled. At present, actual oasis scale exceeds appropriate scale by 1.1 times and agricultural area exceeds suitable area by 2.5 times. To ensure the stability of the oasis, its area should be maintained at 3942.28-4481.06 km2 and the cultivated land should be maintained at 1576.91-1792.42 km2.

Change in Spatial Distribution Patterns and Regeneration of Populus euphratica under Different Surface Soil Salinity Conditions.

Ecological conservation and restoration have increasingly captured attention worldwide due to the degradation of ecosystems. As one of the most ecologically fragile areas, the Tarim River Basin, of Xinjiang, China, encountered serious decline of desert riparian forests. The Chinese government has implemented the "Ecological Water Conveyance Project" (EWCP) since 2000, protecting and restoring the dominant natural species of the desert riparian forests, i.e., Populus euphratica Oliv. The regenerative effect after the water conveyance was noteworthy. For the purpose of clarifying the mechanism of P. euphratica forest regeneration to find a better prescription for the ecological restoration works in the Tarim River Basin, we investigated the relationship between the distribution of P. euphratica and soil salinity. Experimentally evaluated the effects of surface soil salinity on P. euphratica seed germination and the influence of river flooding on the salinity of surface soils. The results showed that (1) P. euphratica trees mainly spread along the river channel within 2 km; with increasing vertical distance to the channel, the number of trees declined significantly; (2) where the salinity of the surface soil is high, there are less living P. euphratica trees; (3) the germination of P. euphratica seeds decreases with increased soil conductivity; when the soil conductivity was higher than 7 ms/cm, the germination of P. euphratica seeds was severely curtailed. (4) Flooding regimes were a pre-condition of P. euphratica restoration; they had profound effects on improving the germination of the seeds via ameliorating water conditions and reducing salinity. Our results point out that the most efficient ecological prescription for restoring and protecting desert riparian forests is to induce flooding twice yearly during June to August with 10- to 15-day durations each time. Such a plan (especially in the Tarim River Basin) should prioritize the protection of seedlings.

Simulation and spatiotemporal pattern of air temperature and precipitation in Eastern Central Asia using RegCM.

Central Asia is a region that has a large land mass, yet meteorological stations in this area are relatively scarce. To address this data issues, in this study, we selected two reanalysis datasets (the ERA40 and NCEP/NCAR) and downscaled them to 40 × 40 km using RegCM. Then three gridded datasets (the CRU, APHRO, and WM) that were extrapolated from the observations of Central Asian meteorological stations to evaluate the performance of RegCM and analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation and air temperature. We found that since the 1960s, the air temperature in Xinjiang shows an increasing trend and the distribution of precipitation in the Tianshan area is quite complex. The precipitation is increasing in the south of the Tianshan Mountains (Southern Xinjiang, SX) and decreasing in the mountainous areas. The CRU and WM data indicate that precipitation in the north of the Tianshan Mountains (Northern Xinjiang, NX) is increasing, while the APHRO data show an opposite trend. The downscaled results from RegCM are generally consistent with the extrapolated gridded datasets in terms of the spatiotemporal patterns. We believe that our results can provide useful information in developing a regional climate model in Central Asia where meteorological stations are scarce.

Change in Land Use and Evapotranspiration in the Manas River Basin, China with Long-term Water-saving Measures.

Widespread application of water-saving measures, especially advanced drip irrigation technologies, may significantly impact on the land use, and further potentially alter regional ecological environments in an arid area. In this study, the remote sensing and geographic information system technology were used to analyze the LANDSAT images (1976-2015) and the MOD16 evapotranspiration data (2000-2015) in the Manas River Basin (MRB), China where the water-saving technologies have experienced the past 40 years. Our results show that the area of the cultivated land was approximately doubled from 1976 to 2015 with a dynamic degree of cultivated land ranging from 1.7% to 4%. The reclamation rates were estimated at 9.5% in 1976 and 21.8% in 2015 and the comprehensive index of land use degree shows an increasing trend in the MRB. The evapotranspiration in the MRB suggests that the cultivated land is becoming more humid while the other regions are becoming more arid. Long-term change in the land use is mainly promoted due to the multiple years' efforts on development of the water-saving technologies. This study greatly improves our understanding of the interactions between change in ecological environments and human activities and may provide policy makers guidance of sustainable development at an arid area.

Study on the characteristics of future precipitation in response to external changes over arid and humid basins.

The simulation abilities of the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models to the arid basin (the Tarim River Basin, TRB) and humid basin (the Yangtze River Basin, YRB) were evaluated, determining the response of precipitation to external changes over typical basins. Our study shows that the future temporal and spatial variation characteristics of precipitation are different in different regions with the CMIP5. The annual and seasonal changes in precipitation were analyzed for the RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 during 2021~2100 compared to those during 1961~2005. Precipitation shows an increasing trend in the TRB, but which decreases and then increases in the YRB, with a turning point in the middle of twenty-first Century. The ranges in annual precipitation increase with the increase in the scenario emissions in the future. Note that the Tarim River Basin is more vulnerable to the impact of emissions, especially for annual or spring and winter precipitation. Based on the uncertainty of CMIP5 data, the links between future precipitation changes and the elevation and relief amplitude were evaluated. The change of precipitation decreases with elevation, relief amplitude in the TRB, while it increases with elevation but decreases with relief amplitude in the YRB.

Investigating spatiotemporal changes of the land-surface processes in Xinjiang using high-resolution CLM3.5 and CLDAS: Soil temperature.

Soil temperature plays a key role in the land surface processes because this parameter affects a series of physical, chemical, and biological processes in the soil, such as water and heat fluxes. However, observation of soil temperature is quite limited, especially at the regional scale. Therefore, this study is to investigate the spatiotemporal features of soil temperature in Xinjiang, China, using the Community Land model 3.5 (CLM3.5) with the atmospheric near-surface forcing data of the China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS). We use the observed soil temperature data collected from 105 national automatic stations during 2009 through 2012 in the study area to verify the simulation capability. The comparison results indicate that the CLM3.5 with the CLDAS driving field could well simulate the spatiotemporal patterns of the soil temperature at hourly, daily, and monthly time scales and at three depths (5 cm, 20 cm, and 80 cm). We also produce a soil temperature database of the region that is continuous both in time and space with high resolution (about 6.25 km). Overall, this study could help understand the regional and vertical characteristics of the soil temperature and provide an important scientific basis for other land-surface processes.

Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang alleviates biliary obstructive cirrhosis in rats by inhibiting biliary epithelial cell proliferation and activation.

BACKGROUND: Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang (YCHT) consists of three aqueous extracts from Artemisia capillaris, Gardenia sp., and prepared Rheum rhabarbarum (rhubarb) (3:2:1). YCHT is characterized by its anti-inflammatory properties in liver regulation and relief of jaundice. We aimed to study the effects and mechanisms of action of YCHT on biliary obstructive cirrhosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Secondary biliary fibrosis was induced in rats by bile duct ligation (BDL) and scission. One week after BDL, rats were randomly divided into a saline-treated BDL or YCHT-treated BDL group for 4 weeks. Liver function and hepatic hydroxyproline (Hyp) content were assessed. Types I and IV collagen (Col-IV), laminin, fibronectin, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression were assessed with immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: In the YCHT-treated BDL group, serum total bilirubin, total bile acids, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transferase were lower than those in the sham-operated BDL group. The proliferation of bile ducts in hepatic tissues and the Hyp content and Col deposition were also significantly lower than those in control rats. In addition, α-SMA and Col-IV staining was less obvious, and mRNA expression of Procol-α1 (IV), platelet derived growth factor subunit B (PDGF)-B, connective tissue growth factor, and transforming growth factor-beta in proliferative biliary epithelial cells (BECs) in the YCHT-treated BDL group was significantly lower than those in controls. CONCLUSIONS: YCHT effectively reduces the formation of biliary obstructive cirrhosis mainly via inhibition of BEC proliferation by down-regulation of PDGF-B mRNA expression, inhibition of BEC profibrogenic paracrines, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathological process.

S-1-based combination therapy vs S-1 monotherapy in advanced gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of combination therapy based on S-1, a novel oral fluoropyrimidine, vs S-1 monotherapy in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library for eligible studies published before March 2013. Our analysis identified four randomized controlled trials involving 790 participants with AGC. The outcome measures were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR) and grade 3-4 adverse events. RESULTS: Meta-analysis showed that S-1-based combination therapy significantly improved OS (HR = 0.77, 95%CI: 0.66-0.91, P = 0.002), PFS (HR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.46-0.72, P = 0.000) and ORR (OR = 2.23, 95%CI: 1.54-3.21, P = 0.000). Sensitivity analysis further confirmed this association. Lower incidence of grade 3-4 leucopenia (OR = 4.06, 95%CI: 2.11-7.81), neutropenia (OR = 3.94, 95%CI: 2.1-7.81) and diarrhea (OR = 2.41, 95%CI: 1.31-4.44) was observed in patients with S-1 monotherapy. CONCLUSION: S-1-based combination therapy is superior to S-1 monotherapy in terms of OS, PFS and ORR. S-1 monotherapy is associated with less toxicity.

The use of propofol as a sedative agent in gastrointestinal endoscopy: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of propofol sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing propofol with traditional sedative agents. METHODS: RCTs comparing the effects of propofol and traditional sedative agents during gastrointestinal endoscopy were found on MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE. Cardiopulmonary complications (i.e., hypoxia, hypotension, arrhythmia, and apnea) and sedation profiles were assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-two original RCTs investigating a total of 1,798 patients, of whom 912 received propofol only and 886 received traditional sedative agents only, met the inclusion criteria. Propofol use was associated with shorter recovery (13 studies, 1,165 patients; WMD -19.75; 95% CI -27.65, 11.86) and discharge times (seven studies, 471 patients; WMD -29.48; 95% CI -44.13, -14.83), higher post-anesthesia recovery scores (four studies, 503 patients; WMD 2.03; 95% CI 1.59, 2.46), better sedation (nine studies, 592 patients; OR 4.78; 95% CI 2.56, 8.93), and greater patient cooperation (six studies, 709 patients; WMD 1.27; 95% CI 0.53, 2.02), as well as more local pain on injection (six studies, 547 patients; OR 10.19; 95% CI 3.93, 26.39). Effects of propofol on cardiopulmonary complications, procedure duration, amnesia, pain during endoscopy, and patient satisfaction were not found to be significantly different from those of traditional sedative agents. CONCLUSIONS: Propofol is safe and effective for gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures and is associated with shorter recovery and discharge periods, higher post-anesthesia recovery scores, better sedation, and greater patient cooperation than traditional sedation, without an increase in cardiopulmonary complications. Care should be taken when extrapolating our results to specific practice settings and high-risk patient subgroups.

Propofol combined with traditional sedative agents versus propofol- alone sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of sedation of propofol combined with traditional sedative agents (PTSA) for gastrointestinal endoscopy, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing PTSA with propofol-alone sedation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: RCTs comparing the effects of PTSA and propofol alone during gastrointestinal endoscopy were found on MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE. Cardiopulmonary complications (i.e., hypoxia, hypotension, arrhythmia, and apnea), total dose of propofol used and amnesia were assessed. RESULTS: Nine original RCTs investigating a total of 1,505 patients, of whom, 805 received PTSA sedation and 700 received propofol-alone sedation, met the inclusion criteria. Compared with propofol-alone sedation, the pooled relative risk with the use of PTSA sedation for developing hypoxia, hypotension, arrhythmias, and apnea for all the procedures combined was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.30-2.92), 1.32 (95% CI, 0.38-4.64), 2.61 (95% CI, 0.23-29.29) and 2.81 (95% CI, 0.27-29.07), with no significant difference between the groups. The pooled mean difference in total dose of propofol used was -40.01 (95% CI, -78.96 to -1.05), which showed a significant reduction with use of PTSA sedation. The pooled relative risk for amnesia was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.88-1.07), suggesting no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: PTSA sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy could significantly reduce the total dose of propofol, but without benefits of lower risk of cardiopulmonary complications compared with propofol-alone sedation.

Ingredients of Huangqi decoction slow biliary fibrosis progression by inhibiting the activation of the transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Huangqi decoction was first described in Prescriptions of the Bureau of Taiping People's Welfare Pharmacy in Song Dynasty (AD 1078), and it is an effective recipe that is usually used to treat consumptive disease, anorexia, and chronic liver diseases. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFß1) plays a key role in the progression of liver fibrosis, and Huangqi decoction and its ingredients (IHQD) markedly ameliorated hepatic fibrotic lesions induced by ligation of the common bile duct (BDL). However, the mechanism of IHQD on hepatic fibrotic lesions is not yet clear. The purpose of the present study is to elucidate the roles of TGFß1 activation, Smad-signaling pathway, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the pathogenesis of biliary fibrosis progression and the antifibrotic mechanism of IHQD. METHODS: A liver fibrosis model was induced by ligation of the common bile duct (BDL) in rats. Sham-operation was performed in control rats. The BDL rats were randomly divided into two groups: the BDL group and the IHQD group. IHQD was administrated intragastrically for 4 weeks. At the end of the fifth week after BDL, animals were sacrificed for sampling of blood serum and liver tissue. The effect of IHQD on the TGFß1 signaling pathway was evaluated by western blotting and laser confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Decreased content of hepatic hydroxyproline and improved liver function and histopathology were observed in IHQD rats. Hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, and myofibroblasts in the cholestatic liver injury released TGFß1, and activated TGFß1 receptors can accelerate liver fibrosis. IHQD markedly inhibited the protein expression of TGFß1, TGFß1 receptors, Smad3, and p-ERK1/2 expression with no change of Smad7 expression. CONCLUSION: IHQD exert significant therapeutic effects on BDL-induced fibrosis in rats through inhibition of the activation of TGFß1-Smad3 and TGFß1-ERK1/2 signaling pathways.

Action mechanism of Yi Guan Jian Decoction on CCl4 induced cirrhosis in rats.

AIM OF STUDY: To investigate action mechanism of Yi Guan Jian Decoction on cirrhosis induced by CCl(4) in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: CCl(4) (3 mL/kg) for the first time and then olive oil CCl(4) solution 50% (2 mL/kg) was administered hypodermically to rats twice each week for 12 weeks. At the end of 8th week, rats were randomly divided into CCl(4) control group (n=10), Yi Guan Jian Decoction group (n=9) and Xiao Chai Hu Decoction group (n=9). Yi Guan Jian Decoction and Xiao Chai Hu Decoction were oral administrated per day respectively for 4 weeks, concomitantly continued CCl(4) administration. At 12th weekend, the rats were sacrificed for sampling and detection of liver function, histological changes of liver tissue, liver tissue hydroxyproline content and expression of alpha-SMA, CD68, MMP-13, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, Caspase-12, HGFalpha, MMP-2, MMP-9 and hepatocyte apoptotic index. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: (1) Compared with that of normal rats, expression of alpha-SMA, CD68 and TIMP-1 in liver tissue of 8 week model group rats increases significantly (P<0.01), moreover further increased in the 12 week of model group. However, MMP-13, HGFalpha, TIMP-2 content decreases gradually and the statistical difference is seen between each time point (P<0.01). Activity of MMP-2, MMP-9, content of Caspase-12 and hepatocyte apoptotic index increased gradually at 4th, 8th, 12th week. (2) Compared to that of the same time point model group, activity of MMP-9 and contents of MMP-13, TIMP-2 and HGFalpha in Yi Guan Jian Decoction group improves significantly (P<0.01), and activity of MMP-2 and contents of alpha-SMA, TIMP-1, Caspase-12 and hepatocyte apoptotic index decreases significantly (P<0.01). This work suggests that Yi Guan Jian Decoction exerts significant therapeutic effect on CCl(4)-induced cirrhosis in rats, through mechanism of inhibiting hepatocytes apoptosis and hepatic stellate cells activation, and regulating the function of Kupffer cell. ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: This study investigates the mechanism of Yi Guan Jian against cirrhosis from aspect of heptocytes apoptosis and hepatic stellate cells activation. It suggest that although of unknown bioactive ingredients, mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine recipe against cirrhosis can be disclosed and of profound significance.

[Human appropriation of net primary production in the middle reach of Heihe River basin].

Based on Miami model, this paper calculated the human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) in the middle reach of Heihe River basin, discussed the relations between the HANPP and ecosystem diversity, and compared the values of HANPP and ecological footprint (EF) in sustainability assessment. The results showed that the increase of HANPP decreased the ecosystem diversity, and the current average HANPP in study area was 38.61%. The HANPP in Suzhou and Ganzhou districts already exceeded the potential maximum productivity. Considering the climate change and the development of social-economics, the ecosystems in study area would face more stress in the coming 40 years. Comparing with EF, HANPP was more available for the assessment of sustainability in the sight of ecosystem function change.

[Establishment of a rat model of alcoholic liver fibrosis induced by complex factors].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a model of alcoholic liver fibrosis (ALF) in rats induced by complex factors. METHODS: Forty-seven healthy male rats were divided into three groups: normal control group (n=12), minor CCl4 group (n=12) and complex factors group (n=27). The rats in the complex factors group were fed a complex diet including alcohol, corn oil and pyrazole, and administered with intraperitoneal injection of minor CCl4 to induce ALF. During induction process, the histopathological changes of liver tissue and the values of liver-to-body weight ratio were both observed regularly. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT) in these three groups were all examined at the 12th week of the induction process. RESULTS: At the 12th week of the induction process, the model of ALF induced by complex factors was successfully established in rats, and the histopathological presentations showed alcoholic fatty liver, hepatitis and liver fibrosis in a sequence along with the induction process. The value of liver-to-body weight ratio and the serum levels of ALT, AST and gamma-GT of rats in the complex factors group were all significantly different from those in the other two groups. CONCLUSION: It is a steady and effective way to induce ALF in rats with complex diet and minor CCI4 injection.

[Study on pathogenesis of CCl4 induced cirrhosis formation in rats based on the recipe used].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the recipe-based pathogenesis and effects of Xiayuxue Decoction (XD), Yinchenhao Decoction (YcD), Yiguanjian Decoction (YgD) and Huangqi Decoction (HD) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver cirrhosis formation in rats on the basis of the recognition of basic pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis in TCM and train of thoughts of detecting the TCM syndrome by recipe. METHODS: Model rats of liver cirrhosis were established by subcutaneous injecting of 100% CCl4 3ml/kg followed by 50% CCl4 olive solution 2ml/kg, twice a week for 12 weeks. They were randomly divided into the model group, the XD treated group, the YcD treated group, the YgD treated group and the HD treated group. Rats in the three treated group received the treatment starting from the 9th week of modeling with the corresponding decoctions. All animals were sacrificed by the end of the 12th week, and their hepatic function, liver pathological changes and hydroxyproline (Hyp) content of hepatic tissue were detected. RESULTS: (1) Typical chronic liver injury and fibrosis became evident in the model rat at the 8th week and cirrhosis came into being at the 12th week. (2) Compared with the rats in the model group, hepatic pathological changes were alleviated significantly, content of Hyp in hepatic tissue was decreased markedly and hepatic function improved remarkably in the XD group and YgD group. The improvement in the XD group was superior to that in the YgD group, while the serum albumin level elevated more significant in the YgD group. CONCLUSION: The main pathological changes during CCl4 induced liver cirrhosis formation in rats is the rapid hyperplasia of hepatic fibrous connective tissue and obstruction of collaterals by blood stasis, thus induced reconstruction of the tissue structure, which could be treated with XD effectively, while the severe injury of liver parenchyma in this phase is another pathological change of Gan-yin deficiency syndrome, which could be effectively treated with YgD by its Yin-nourishing action.