1 Experimental Materials

1 Experimental Materials

1.1 Experimental Animals

Seventy-two healthy SPF-grade Kunming mice, weighing 18–22 g, with equal numbers of males and females (provided by the Experimental Animal Center of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), animal qualification certificate number: Medical Animal No. SCXK (Gan) 2011-0001. Required experimental environment: temperature of 20°C–22°C, relative humidity of 45%–50%.

1.2 Liver Cancer Cell Line

Mouse (H22 liver cancer) cell line, introduced from the Beijing Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, passaged in the abdominal cavities of mice at the Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory of the Gansu Academy of Medical Sciences.

1.3 Experimental Drugs

Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill (composed of Astragalus, Angelica sinensis, Turtle Shell, Bupleurum, Pangolin Scale, Sparganium, Curcuma, Soap Thorn, Seaweed, Kelp, etc.)

Research on Pei Zhengxue’s series of prescriptions

Specification: 6 g per packet, provided by the Gansu Academy of Medical Sciences, production batch number: 110210.

Compound Cantharidin Capsules, 0.25 g per capsule, National Drug Approval Number: Z20013152, production batch number: 120501, manufactured by Shaanxi Fangzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

1.4 Experimental Reagents

• Mouse IL-12 ELISA kit: Shanghai Yanhui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., product number: YH-10071E, production batch number: 20120529
• Rabbit anti-mouse Ang-2 monoclonal antibody: Zhongshan Jinqiao Bioengineering Co., Ltd., product number: BA1530
• Goat anti-mouse IgG (secondary antibody): Zhongshan Jinqiao Bioengineering Co., Ltd., product number: PV6001-30
• DAB chromogen kit: Zhongshan Jinqiao Bioengineering Co., Ltd., product number: ZLI9017
• Citrate buffer solution: Zhongshan Jinqiao Bioengineering Co., Ltd., product number: 040015
• Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS): Zhongshan Jinqiao Bioengineering Co., Ltd., product number: 040013

1.5 Experimental Instruments and Equipment

Ultra-clean workbench (Suzhou Purification Equipment Co., Ltd., SW-CJ-1F), electronic balance (Shanghai Jingke Balance Co., Ltd., JA-2003), binocular biological microscope (Japan, OLYMPUS PMBHB), constant temperature and humidity chamber (Shanghai Medical Instrument Factory, S-648), refrigerator (Beijing IKS Company, IKS), intelligent control automatic tissue dehydrator (Hubei Taiwei Medical Technology Co., Ltd., TC-120), embedding machine (Changzhou Zhongwei Electronic Instruments Co., Ltd., BMJ-II), rotary microtome (Zhejiang, JYD), low-speed refrigerated centrifuge (Keda Innovation Co., Ltd., Zhongjia Branch, KDC-2044), micropipette (Shanghai, WKY type 5–25 μl), enzyme reader (Thermo Labsystems, Multiskan MK3).

2 Experimental Methods