Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Xuebijing injection alleviates liver injury in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting inflammatory response after transarterial chemoembolization

Chen Zhong^1,2, Feng Cheng^1,2

¹Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; ²Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.

For correspondence:- Feng Cheng Email: shfx86@163.com

Accepted: 27 July 2021 Published: 31 August 2021

Citation: Zhong C, Cheng F. Xuebijing injection alleviates liver injury in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting inflammatory response after transarterial chemoembolization. Trop J Pharm Res 2021; 20(8):1705-1710 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v20i8.22

© 2021 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To study the influence of Xuebijing (XBJ) injection on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), and to elucidate the underlying mechanism of action.

Methods: Thirty-nine HCC patients were retrospectively analyzed. They were assigned to 3 groups: negative group which received no XBJ injection, low-dose XBJ group given XBJ injection (50 ml), and high-dose XBJ group given 100 mL of XBJ injection. Peripheral blood was separately collected and analyzed on the first day after admission and TACE.

Results: TACE led to liver damage in HCC patients, with increased serum activities of ALT and AST, and total bilirubin (tBLB). Moreover, TACE elevated white blood cells, neutrophil count, C-reactive protein (CRP) and expression levels of inflammation cytokines. In the groups treated with XBJ injection, there were dose-dependent mitigation of liver dysfunction, and reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines, when compared with the negative group. However, XBJ injection did not affect myelosuppression or regulatory T cells.

Conclusion: XBJ dose-dependently decreases liver injury in HCC patients after TACE by suppressing inflammatory response. Thus, XBJ may exert hepatoprotective effect on HCC after TACE in humans in clinical practice.

Keywords: Xuebijing injection, Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), Hepatocellular carcinoma, Inflammation