Impact of Baduanjin exercise combined with rational emotive behavior therapy on sleep and mood in patients with poststroke depression: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Poststroke depression (PSD) is one of the most common stroke complications. It not only leads to a decline in patients' quality of life but also increases the mortality of patients. In this study, the method of combining Chinese traditional exercise Baduanjin with psychotherapy was used to intervene in patients with PSD and to explore the improvement of sleep, mood, and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in patients with PSD by combined treatment. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with PSD who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to Baduanjin group (n = 50) or control group (n = 50). The control group received treatment with escitalopram oxalate and rational emotive behavior therapy, while the experimental group received Baduanjin training in addition to the treatment given to the control group. Changes in sleep efficiency, sleep total time, sleep latency, arousal index, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale score, serum BDNF, 5-HT, IL-6 levels, and Modified Barthel Index were measured at baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after intervention, and the results were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Significantly improvements in the sleep efficiency, sleep total time, serum 5-HT, BDNF levels, and Modified Barthel Index score were detected at week 4 in the Baduanjin group than in the control group (P < .05). Additionally, the sleep latency, arousal index, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale scores and IL-6 levels in the Baduanjin group were lower than those in the control group (P < .05). After 8 weeks of treatment, the above indexes in the Baduanjin group were further improved compared with the control group (P < .05), and the above indexes of the 2 groups were significantly improved compared with the baseline (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Baduanjin exercise combined with rational emotive behavior therapy effectively improves the mood and sleep status of patients with PSD; It increases the serum levels of 5-HT and BDNF while reducing the level of serum proinflammatory factor IL-6; additionally, the intervention alleviates the degree of neurological impairment, upgrades the ability of daily living, and improves the quality of life.

Efficacy and safety of Piwei Peiyuan Prescription in the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis: A multicenter, double-blind, double-simulated, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

The incidence of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is on the rise due to the growing pressure in modern social life, increasing bad living habits and emotional disorders (such as anxiety and depression), and the aging of the population. Of note, digestive system diseases are the dominant diseases in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Piwei Peiyuan Prescription, a TCM prescription, in the treatment of CAG through a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled design. This research was organized by the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of TCM and simultaneously performed in 6 centers. A total of 120 CAG patients were included and randomized into 2 groups: group A (treatment with Piwei Peiyuan granules plus Weifuchun Simulant) and Group B (treatment with Weifuchun Tablets plus Piwei Peiyuan Simulant). These 2 groups were compared in terms of gastroscopy scores, TCM syndrome scores, and serological indicators at baseline and within 12 weeks after treatment. According to endoscopic biopsy for pathological observation, atrophy (2.56 ±â€…1.08 vs 3.00 ±â€…1.00, P = .028) and intestinal epithelial hyperplasia (1.00 ±â€…1.43 vs 1.69 ±â€…1.80, P = .043) scores were lower in group A than in group B. For the more, group A had higher effective rates for inflammation, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia (IM) in various regions of the stomach, especially for atrophy/IM of the gastric angle (64%, P = .034) and atrophy/IM of the lesser curvature of gastric antrum (63%, P = .042) than group B. According to TCM syndrome scores, Piwei Peiyuan Prescription improved the scores of gastric distension (2.30 ±â€…1.13 vs 2.80 ±â€…0.99, P = .022), preference for warmth and pressure (1.44 ±â€…1.06 vs 1.36 ±â€…1.10, P = .041), and poor appetite and indigestion (0.78 ±â€…0.66 vs 1.32 ±â€…0.72, P = .018). GAS, MTL, and PGE2 expression was significantly elevated after treatment with Piwei Peiyuan Prescription (P < .001). Piwei Peiyuan Prescription is effective for CAG treatment with high safety.

Uncovering the molecular mechanism of Mume Fructus in treatment of Sjögren's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Modern medicine has no cure for the xerostomia caused by the early onset of Sjögren's syndrome. Mume Fructus is a common Chinese herbal medicine used to relieve xerostomia. However, the molecular mechanisms of the effects of Mume Fructus are unknown. In this study, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to investigate the mechanisms of action of Mume Fructus on Sjögren's syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform database was used to identify the active components and targets of Mume Fructus, and the UniProt database was used to identify the genes encoding these targets. SS-related targets were also identified from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. By finding the intersection of the targets of the compounds and the targets of Sjögren's syndrome, the predicted targets of Mume Fructus in the treatment of Sjögren's syndrome were obtained. Further investigation of the active compounds and their targets was carried out by constructing a network of "medicine-candidate compound-target-disease" using Cytoscape 3.7.2, the Protein-Protein Interaction network using the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.7.2, and key targets were identified by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis on R software. Finally, molecular docking was used to verify the affinity of the candidate compounds to the key targets. RESULTS: Quercetin, beta-sitosterol, and kaempferol in Mume Fructus interact with AKT1, IL-6, IL-1B, JUN, CASP3, and MAPK8. These results suggest that Mume Fructus exerts its therapeutic effects on the peripheral gland injury of Sjögren's syndrome and its secondary cardiovascular disease and tumorigenesis through anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-tumor pathways. CONCLUSION: With network pharmacology, this study systematically identified the main active components, targets, and specific mechanisms of the therapeutic effects of Mume Fructus on Sjögren's syndrome, providing both a theoretical basis and research direction for further investigations on Mume Fructus.

Clinical study on the treatment of Qingfei Paidu Granules combined with nondrug therapy for asymptomatic patients with novel coronavirus.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing for over 2 years with evolving viral strains, including the highly infectious Omicron variant, underscores the pivotal role of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in pandemic intervention. Qingfei Paidu Granules (QFPG) are incorporated into the national TCM diagnosis and treatment protocol. This study aims to assess the clinical effectiveness of QFPG combined with nonpharmacological interventions in asymptomatic novel coronavirus infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a full-group randomized controlled trial, asymptomatic individuals from 3 wards of Fangcang Hospital were randomly assigned to 3 groups, each comprising 150 cases: F1, the nonpharmacological treatment group, receiving only Five Elements Music Therapy and Gongfa Therapy; F2, the comprehensive treatment group, receiving QFPG treatment combined with Five Elements Music Therapy and Gongfa Therapy; and F3, the pharmacological treatment group, receiving only QFPG treatment. The treatment duration for each group was 6 days. Clinical efficacy and safety among different treatment groups were observed, including the conversion time of COVID-19 nucleic acid detection, duration of hospitalization, conversion rate from mild to moderate cases, and occurrence of adverse events. RESULTS: All 450 participants were included and completed the study. The conversion rates on the first day of treatment were 10.7%, 30%, and 11.3% for the F1, F2, and F3 groups, respectively. Compared to F1, both F2 and F3 showed shortened first conversion time and time to double negative results, with first conversion times of 1.92 days for F2 and 2.29 days for F3. Additionally, the time in F2 was shorter compared to F3. Hospitalization duration was shortened in both F2 and F3 compared to F1, with no statistically significant difference between F2 and F3. The conversion rate from mild to moderate cases was lower in both F2 and F3 compared to F1, but the difference between F2 and F3 was not significant. CONCLUSION: Combining QFPG with traditional Chinese nonpharmacological interventions effectively shortened the conversion time of COVID-19 nucleic acid detection and reduced the conversion rate from asymptomatic infection to mild/moderate cases. This treatment approach is worth promoting in the management of asymptomatic patients during pandemics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ChiCTR2200059007.

Yi-Shen-Hua-Shi regulates intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and protects against proteinuria in patients with chronic kidney disease: a randomized controlled study.

CONTEXT: Yi-Shen-Hua-Shi (YSHS) is a traditional Chinese medicine that treats chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, its efficacy in reducing proteinuria and underlying mechanisms is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This single-center randomized controlled trial explored whether YSHS could improve proteinuria and modulate the gut microbiota. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 120 CKD patients were enrolled and randomized to receive the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor plus YSHS (n = 56) or RAAS inhibitor (n = 47) alone for 4 months, and 103 patients completed the study. We collected baseline and follow-up fecal samples and clinical outcomes from participants. Total bacterial DNA was extracted, and the fecal microbiome was analyzed using bioinformatics. RESULTS: Patients in the intervention group had a significantly higher decrease in 24-h proteinuria. After 4 months of the YSHS intervention, the relative abundance of bacteria that have beneficial effects on the body, such as Faecalibacterium, Lachnospiraceae, Lachnoclostridium, and Sutterella increased significantly, while pathogenic bacteria such as the Eggerthella and Clostridium innocuum group decreased. However, we could not find these changes in the control group. Redundancy analysis showed that the decline in 24-h proteinuria during follow-up was significantly correlated with various taxa of gut bacteria, such as Lachnospiraceae and the Lachnoclostridium genus in the YSHS group. KEGG analysis also showed the potential role of YSHS in regulating glycan, lipid, and vitamin metabolism. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The YSHS granule reduced proteinuria associated with mitigating intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in CKD patients. The definite mechanisms of YSHS to improve proteinuria need to be further explored. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2300076136, retrospectively registered.

Acupuncture for the treatment of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-numbness/tingling symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors: a feasibility trial.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer survivors following disease-modifying treatment frequently experience multiple-concurrent symptoms (Jansana et al. in Int J Cancer 149(10):1755 1767, 2021), negatively impacting their quality of life and increasing the risk of polypharmacy (Alwhaibi et al. in J Oncol Pharm Pract 26(5):1052 1059, 2020). This study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of acupuncture for the management of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-numbness/tingling symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors, and investigates relationships between the symptom cluster and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome diagnosis. METHODS: This was a single-arm, pre-test/post-test feasibility trial conducted at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse Hospital, Australia. Breast cancer survivors who completed treatment and experienced clinically significant levels of two or more symptoms (pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, numbness/tingling) were eligible to participate in the individualized, pragmatic 6-week acupuncture intervention. The primary outcome was feasibility and acceptability. Effectiveness was explored using a symptom cluster mean score. RESULTS: Twenty women enrolled in the study over an 11-week period and 90% completed the study. Most women agreed or completely agreed that acupuncture was feasible (85%), acceptable (90%), and appropriate (90%). Both mean and composite symptom cluster scores were significantly reduced (p < 0.001), as were individual symptom scores in fatigue (p < 0.001), sleep disturbance (p = 0.04), and numbness/tingling (p = 0.01). TCM syndromes most closely associated with this symptom cluster were Spleen qi deficiency and Heart fire. No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that acupuncture was safe and feasible, justifying a powered randomized control trial. Preliminary findings suggest beneficial effects of acupuncture for the management of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-numbness/tingling symptom cluster for women with breast cancer. TCM syndromes identified in this trial may be used to guide acupuncture treatment protocols. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622000590763) on 21 April 2022.

Exploring the mechanism of Jinlida granules against type 2 diabetes mellitus by an integrative pharmacology strategy.

Jinlida granule (JLD) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the mechanism of JLD treatment for T2DM is not fully revealed. In this study, we explored the mechanism of JLD against T2DM by an integrative pharmacology strategy. Active components and corresponding targets were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology (TCMSP), SwissADME and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine Database (BATMAN-TCM) database. T2DM-related targets were obtained from Drugbank and Genecards databases. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and analyzed with STRING (Search Toll for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/proteins) and Cytoscape to get the key targets. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed with the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Lastly, the binding capacities and reliability between potential active components and the targets were verified with molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. In total, 185 active components and 337 targets of JLD were obtained. 317 targets overlapped with T2DM-related targets. RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53), prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2), Caspase-3 (CASP3) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were identified as seven key targets by the topological analysis of the PPI network. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that the effects were primarily associated with gene expression, signal transduction, apoptosis and inflammation. The pathways were mainly enriched in PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation verified the good binding affinity between the key components and targets. The predicted results may provide a theoretical basis for drug screening of JLD and a new insight for the therapeutic effect of JLD on T2DM.

Summary of Outpatient Visits for Characteristic Nursing in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The aim of this study was to investigate the practical outcomes of traditional Chinese medicine specialty nursing clinics in the clinical setting. Outpatient services have become increasingly popular for seeking medical care. Establishing traditional Chinese medicine specialty nursing clinics can meet the medical needs of the general public, and provide patients with convenient and efficient medical services. This study employed a retrospective cross-sectional observational design to analyze the medical service status of all patients who attended the clinic since its opening. Five qualified traditional Chinese medicine nursing experts identified and implemented 5 categories of traditional Chinese medicine characteristic nursing techniques, including cupping, moxibustion, needle acupuncture, and massage. Nurses and patients evaluated the treatment outcomes for various diseases. Since the establishment of the nursing outpatient department 2 years ago, there have been over 7046 visits, with a satisfaction rate of 97.1%. Currently, 5 nursing experts are nurturing a total of 11 graduate students, conducting 5 free clinics in the nursing outpatient department, and organizing 3 visits by overseas experts. The traditional Chinese medicine specialty nursing outpatient service effectively meets the diverse medical needs of patients, alleviates the outpatient pressure on hospitals, enhances the specialized development of nurses, increases the prominence of traditional Chinese medicine specialty nursing techniques, and promotes traditional Chinese medicine culture.

Intervention of hypertension by acupuncture-related therapies: A network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of essential hypertension contributed significantly to morbidity and mortality rates. Acupuncture-related therapies were commonly employed in hypertension treatment. Nevertheless, a lack of conclusive evidence left uncertainties regarding the optimal strategies for managing hypertensive populations. OBJECTIVES: Conduct a comprehensive systematic review to evaluate the existing clinical evidence about the effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion-related therapies in managing hypertension, by employing network meta-analysis techniques. METHODS: A comprehensive electronic search was conducted across n of databases. This search covered studies available up to October 2022. Randomized controlled trials assessing acupuncture and moxibustion-related therapies in managing hypertension based on traditional Chinese medicine were screened. Primary outcome measures included the antihypertensive effectiveness rate, variations in blood pressure and the incorporation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome manifestations. The review follows the guidelines outlined in the PRISMA statement. RESULTS: We identified a total of 24 trials with 1867 patients, which evaluated the efficacy of various acupuncture-related therapies for hypertension management. Network meta-analysis showed that moxibustion and auricular point sticking combined with medication therapy had the best effect in terms of antihypertensive effective rate (medication + moxibustion + auricular pressure vs. medication = 1.29 [1.09, 1.54]; sucra = 85.9, p < .05) and hypertension symptom improvement (medication + moxibustion + auricular pressure vs. medication = -1.55 [-2.98, -0.13]; sucra = 96.1, p < .05). Acupuncture combined with moxibustion combined with medication therapy had the best effect in reducing systolic pressure (medication + moxibustion + acupuncture vs. medication = -8.50 [-10.19, -6.80]; sucra = 100, p < .05) and diastolic blood pressure (medication + moxibustion + acupuncture versus medication = -4.72 [-6.71, -2.72]; sucra = 99.71, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Network meta-analysis suggested that the combined use of moxibustion and auricular point application in conjunction with drug therapy showed the highest likelihood of being the most effective treatment in terms of antihypertensive efficiency rates and improvement in hypertension symptoms. Furthermore, the combination of acupuncture and moxibustion alongside drug treatment emerged as the most promising approach for reducing systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Limited by the methodological quality and quantity of the included studies, the results need to be interpreted with caution. It is necessary to conduct more high-quality randomized controlled trials of acupuncture-related therapies for the adjuvant treatment of hypertension in the future. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Clinicians can use acupuncture-related therapies to inform their treatment decisions and potentially incorporate acupuncture-related therapies into their hypertension management protocols.

Potential mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in treating insomnia: A network pharmacology, GEO validation, and molecular-docking study.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential mechanisms of Chinese herbs for the treatment of insomnia using a combination of data mining, network pharmacology, and molecular-docking validation. All the prescriptions for insomnia treated by the academician Qi Wang from 2020 to 2022 were collected. The Ancient and Modern Medical Case Cloud Platform v2.3 was used to identify high-frequency Chinese medicinal herbs and the core prescription. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and UniProt databases were utilized to predict the effective active components and targets of the core herbs. Insomnia-related targets were collected from 4 databases. The intersecting targets were utilized to build a protein-protein interaction network and conduct gene ontology enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis using the STRING database, Cytoscape software, and clusterProfiler package. Gene chip data (GSE208668) were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The limma package was applied to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between insomnia patients and healthy controls. To create a "transcription factor (TF)-miRNA-mRNA" network, the differentially expressed miRNAs were entered into the TransmiR, FunRich, Targetscan, and miRDB databases. Subsequently, the overlapping targets were validated using the DEGs, and further validations were conducted through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Among the 117 prescriptions, 65 herbs and a core prescription were identified. Network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis revealed that active components such as ß-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and canadine acted on hub targets, including interleukin-6, caspase-3, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. In GSE208668, 6417 DEGs and 7 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified. A "TF-miRNA-mRNA" network was constructed by 4 "TF-miRNA" interaction pairs and 66 "miRNA-mRNA" interaction pairs. Downstream mRNAs exert therapeutic effects on insomnia by regulating circadian rhythm. Molecular-docking analyses demonstrated good docking between core components and hub targets. Molecular dynamics simulation displayed the strong stability of the complex formed by small molecule and target. The core prescription by the academician Qi Wang for treating insomnia, which involves multiple components, targets, and pathways, showed the potential to improve sleep, providing a basis for clinical treatment of insomnia.

Potential Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Anti-Aging and Aging-Related Diseases: Current Evidence and Perspectives.

Aging and aging-related diseases present a global public health problem. Therefore, the development of efficient anti-aging drugs has become an important area of research. Traditional Chinese medicine is an important complementary and alternative branch of aging-related diseases therapy. Recently, a growing number of studies have revealed that traditional Chinese medicine has a certain delaying effect on the progression of aging and aging-related diseases. Here, we review the progress in research into using traditional Chinese medicine for aging and aging-related diseases (including neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer). Furthermore, we summarize the potential mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicine and provide references for further studies on aging and aging-related diseases.

Operation Procedure and Precautions of Lingnan Fire-Needle Therapy in Osteoporosis Model Rats.

Compared to filiform needle therapy, fire-needle therapy has both the stimulation of needles and the warming effect of heat, making it have unexpected effects on some chronic diseases and incurable diseases. Osteoporosis (OP) has a high incidence in postmenopausal women and middle-aged and elderly men, and the treatment cycle is long. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Lingnan fire-needle therapy has shown potential in treating osteoporosis. However, there is still a long way to go before it can be widely used. This article focuses on the application of Lingnan fire-needle therapy in the intervention of OP in rats. It covers the selection of needle tools, acupuncture point selection, positioning of rats' bodies, and fixation methods. We also outline the steps and precautions to be taken during and after needling with fire needles. The experiment was done with three groups: a normal group, a model group, and a fire-needle group, each containing 10 rats. The rats in the fire-needle group were treated with fire-needle intervention for six sessions. After the intervention period, we collected femoral specimens and performed micro-CT scans. The results suggest that fire needling can enhance bone morphology and mineral density in OP rats. This information can serve as a methodological basis for conducting basic research on fire-needle therapy.

Seven oral traditional Chinese medicine combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer: a network meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have emerged as potential adjuvant therapies to treat non-small cell lung cancer. More direct comparative studies must be conducted among various oral TCMs. OBJECTIVE: This network meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy and safety of seven oral TCMs combined with chemotherapy in treating NSCLC. METHODS: The analysis included Zilongjin, Banmao, Hongdoushan, Huachansu, Kanglaite, Xihuang, and Pingxiao TCMs. Randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) were identified from the following databases: China National Infrastructure, Wanfang, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to April 2023. Two researchers independently extracted data. RESULTS: Sixty-eight RCTs (5,099 patients) were included. Compared to chemotherapy, Banmao capsules [odds ratio (OR) = 2.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.96-3.69)] and Huachansu tablets [OR = 2.35, 95%CI (1.81, 3.05)] ranked in the top two in terms of increasing disease control rate. The two main TCMs to improve the objective response rate were Banmao capsules [OR = 3.49, 95%CI (2.17, 5.60)] and Zilongjin tablets [OR = 2.62, 95%CI (1.92, 3.57)]. Zilongjin tablets [OR = 3.47, 95%CI (2.14, 5.63)] and Huachansu tablets [OR = 3.30, 95%CI (1.65, 6.60)] were ranked as the top two in improving Karnofsky performance status. Hongdoushan capsules (SUCRA = 18.8%) and Banmao capsules (SUCRA = 19.8%) were the top two in reducing gastrointestinal toxicity. Zilongjin tablets (SUCRA = 18.9%) and Banmao capsules (SUCRA = 26.6%) were the top two to reduce liver and kidney toxicity. Hongdoushan capsules (SUCRA = 15.7%) and Huachansu tablets (SUCRA = 16.8%) ranked the top two in reducing thrombocytopenia. Banmao capsules (SUCRA = 14.3%) and Zilongjin tablets (SUCRA = 26.3%) were the top two decreasing leukopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Combining oral TCMs with platinum-based chemotherapy has shown superior efficacy compared to platinum-based chemotherapy alone in treating NSCLC.

Bibliometric analysis of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of literature on the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to explore its research status, hotspots, and development trends, providing ideas and references for further research. METHOD: We screened literature for treating IBD with TCM from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC), and used the VOSviewer software (1.6.18) to discover cooperation among countries, institutions, authors, and information on journals, keywords, etc. We use the CiteSpace software (6.2.R2) to analyze co-citation and burst discovery of references. RESULTS: In all, 440 relevant literature papers were searched and screened from the WOSCC database. The results showed that the number of publications concerning treating IBD with TCM has shown a significant growth in the past decade. China is far ahead in terms of article output, occupying a dominant position. The institution with the most published articles is Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The authors who have published most of the articles are Dai Yancheng, Shi Rui, and Zhou Lian. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology published maximum articles in this field, while Gastroenterology was the most cited journal. Ungaro et al.'s article entitled "Ulcerative colitis" (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)32126-2), published in The Lancet in 2017 was the most cited study. The high-frequency keywords mainly include ulcerative colitis, inflammation, NF-κB, expression, traditional Chinese medicine, gut microbiota, activation, mice, cells, etc. CONCLUSIONS: The research heat for treating IBD with TCM has risen over the past decade, with studies focusing on three main aspects: clinical studies of TCM, basic pharmacology, and animal experimental research. The research hotspot shifted from pathogenesis, clinical study of TCM, basic pharmacology, and complementary therapies to the study of network pharmacology and the mechanism of action of TCM related to gut microbiota. Network pharmacology and gut microbiota are at the frontiers of research and turning to be the future research trends to provide new insights and ideas for further research for treating IBD with TCM.

Clinical use and efficacy of Chinese patent medicines for external use containing pyritum, a mineral medicine mainly used for oral administration: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pyritum, a mineral drug, has been used primarily orally in traditional medicine to treat traumatic injuries, broken tendons, and fractures. Due to growing concerns about the accumulation of heavy metals in the body, this systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese patent medicine containing pyritum for external use (CPMPE) to determine the effectiveness of external use of pyritum. METHODS: A literature search was performed through China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and PubMed from inception to February 2023. "Pyrite," "pyritum," "zirantong," "traditional medicine," "oriental medicine," etc, were the keywords from the database. In this systematic review, RCTs and case reports were referred to analyze the efficacy rate and clinical status of CPMPE. RESULTS: About 36 studies were reviewed. Of 36 studies, 23 were RCTs and 13 were case reports. The total effective rate in 34 studies was used to evaluate the efficacy of CPMPE for various disease classifications. The effectiveness of CPMPE was confirmed in case reports, and RCTs showed that using CPMPE as a single or combined treatment had a more significant effect than not using CPMPE in anorectal diseases, orthopedic diseases, obstetrics and gynecology diseases, and skin diseases. CONCLUSIONS: This review concluded that CPMPE might be a safe and effective alternative treatment method for various diseases and has potential benefits in preventing postoperative complications, reducing pain, relieving symptoms, and accelerating healing compared to the control group, which employs unused CPMPE.

Time-/dose- series transcriptome data analysis and traditional Chinese medicine treatment of pneumoconiosis.

Pneumoconiosis' pathogenesis is still unclear and specific drugs for its treatment are lacking. Analysis of series transcriptome data often uses a single comparison method, and there are few reports on using such data to predict the treatment of pneumoconiosis with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Here, we proposed a new method for analyzing series transcriptomic data, series difference analysis (SDA), and applied it to pneumoconiosis. By comparison with 5 gene sets including existing pneumoconiosis-related genes and gene set functional enrichment analysis, we demonstrated that the new method was not inferior to two existing traditional analysis methods. Furthermore, based on the TCM-drug target interaction network, we predicted the TCM corresponding to the common pneumoconiosis-related genes obtained by multiple methods, and combined them with the high-frequency TCM for its treatment obtained through literature mining to form a new TCM formula for it. After feeding it to pneumoconiosis modeling mice for two months, compared with the untreated group, the coat color, mental state and tissue sections of the mice in the treated group were markedly improved, indicating that the new TCM formula has a certain efficacy. Our study provides new insights into method development for series transcriptomic data analysis and treatment of pneumoconiosis.

Dry cupping as an adjuvant treatment of individuals with severe pneumonia: study protocol for a placebo-controlled, randomised study.

BACKGROUND: Severe pneumonia (SP) stands as one of the most prevalent critical illnesses encountered in clinical practice, characterised by its rapid onset and progression, numerous complications and elevated mortality rates. While modern medical interventions primarily focus on symptomatic management such as anti-infective therapy and mechanical ventilation, challenges including high drug resistance and suboptimal therapeutic outcomes for certain patients persist. Dry cupping as an ancient practice with over a millennium of clinical use in China is renowned for its convenience and perceived clinical efficacy in various illnesses. Nevertheless, the lack of well-designed studies assessing its effects remains a notable gap in the literature. This protocol describes a placebo-controlled, randomised, single-blind study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dry cupping as an adjuvant treatment for SP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: 66 patients diagnosed with SP, aged 18-80 years, will be randomly divided into two groups: intervention group, receiving 10 times of dry cupping treatment; control group, receiving placebo dry cupping therapy. Both applications are used in bilateral Fei Shu (BL13), Pi Shu (BL21) and Shen Shu (BL22) cupping. The application will be conducted once a day for 10 days. Participants will be assessed before treatment (D0), after the first intervention (D1), after the fifth intervention (D5) and after treatment ended (D10). The assessments include blood oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, traditional Chinese medicine symptom score, inflammatory response, mechanical ventilation time and oxygen condition. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Seventh People's Hospital (2023-7th-HIBR-070). The results of the study will be disseminated to participants through social networks and will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal and scientific meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2300076958.

[Screening for Characteristic Genes of Different Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes of Psoriasis Vulgaris: A Study Based on Bioinformatics and Machine Learning]. / ç”Ÿç‰©ä¿¡æ¯å­¦å’Œæœºå™¨å­¦ä¹ ç­›é€‰é“¶å±‘ç— ä¸­åŒ»è¯åž‹ç‰¹å¾åŸºå› .

Objective: To screen for the key characteristic genes of the psoriasis vulgaris (PV) patients with different Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes, including blood-heat syndrome (BHS), blood stasis syndrome (BSS), and blood-dryness syndrome (BDS), through bioinformatics and machine learning and to provide a scientific basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PV of different TCM syndrome types. Methods: The GSE192867 dataset was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The limma package was used to screen for the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of PV, BHS, BSS, and BDS in PV patients and healthy populations. In addition, KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genes) pathway enrichment analysis was performed. The DEGs associated with PV, BHS, BSS, and BDS were identified in the screening and were intersected separately to obtain differentially characterized genes. Out of two algorithms, the support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF), the one that produced the optimal performance was used to analyze the characteristic genes and the top 5 genes were identified as the key characteristic genes. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the key characteristic genes were plotted by using the pROC package, the area under curve (AUC) was calculated, and the diagnostic performance was evaluated, accordingly. Results: The numbers of DEGs associated with PV, BHS, BSS, and BDS were 7699, 7291, 7654, and 6578, respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis was focused on Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), apoptosis, and other pathways. A total of 13 key characteristic genes were identified in the screening by machine learning. Among the 13 key characteristic genes, malectin (MLEC), TUB like protein 3 (TULP3), SET domain containing 9 (SETD9), nuclear envelope integral membrane protein 2 (NEMP2), and BTG anti-proliferation factor 3 (BTG3) were the key characteristic genes of BHS; phosphatase 15 (DUSP15), C1q and tumor necrosis factor related protein 7 (C1QTNF7), solute carrier family 12 member 5 (SLC12A5), tripartite motif containing 63 (TRIM63), and ubiquitin associated protein 1 like (UBAP1L) were the key characteristic genes of BSS; recombinant mouse protein (RRNAD1), GTPase-activating protein ASAP3 Protein (ASAP3), and human myomesin 2 (MYOM2) were the key characteristic genes of BDS. Moreover, all of them showed high diagnostic efficacy. Conclusion: There are significant differences in the characteristic genes of different PV syndromes and they may be potential biomarkers for diagnosing TCM syndromes of PV.

Exploring the mechanism of action of the combination of cinnamon and motherwort in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: A network pharmacology study.

Cinnamon and motherwort are traditional Chinese medicines and are often combined to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia; however, the specific therapeutic mechanisms involved remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we applied a network pharmacology approach to investigate the potential mechanisms of action of the drug pair cinnamon and motherwort (PCM) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Relevant targets for the use of PCM to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia were obtained through databases. Protein-protein interactions were then identified by the STRING database and core targets were screened. Enrichment analysis was conducted through the Metascape platform. Finally, molecular docking experiments were carried out to evaluate the affinity between the target proteins and ligands of PCM. We identified 22 active ingredients in PCM, 315 corresponding targets and 130 effective targets of PCM for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. These targets were related to the PI3K-Akt, MAPK, FoxO, TNF, and IL-17 signaling pathways. Network pharmacology was used to identify the effective components and action targets of PCM. We also identified potential mechanisms of action for PCM in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Our results provide a foundation for expanding the clinical application of PCM and provide new ideas and directions for further research on the mechanisms of action of PCM and its components for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Analysis of clinical evidence on traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy: a comprehensive review with evidence mapping.

Objective: This study aims to map evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews/Meta-analyses concerning the treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), understand the distribution of evidence in this field, and summarize the efficacy and existing problems of TCM in treating DN. The intention is to provide evidence-based data for TCM in preventing and treating DN and to offer a reference for defining future research directions. Methods: Comprehensive searches of major databases were performed, spanning from January 2016 to May 2023, to include clinical RCTs and systematic reviews/Meta-analyses of TCM in treating DN. The analysis encompasses the publishing trend of clinical studies, the staging of research subjects, TCM syndrome differentiation, study scale, intervention plans, and outcome indicators. Methodological quality of systematic reviews was evaluated using the AMSTAR (Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews) checklist, and evidence distribution characteristics were analyzed using a combination of text and charts. Results: A total of 1926 RCTs and 110 systematic reviews/Meta-analyses were included. The majority of studies focused on stage III DN, with Qi-Yin deficiency being the predominant syndrome type, and sample sizes most commonly ranging from 60 to 100. The TCM intervention durations were primarily between 12-24 weeks. Therapeutic measures mainly consisted of Chinese herbal decoctions and patented Chinese medicines, with a substantial focus on clinical efficacy rate, TCM symptomatology, and renal function indicators, while attention to quality of life, dosage of Western medicine, and disease progression was inadequate. Systematic reviews mostly scored between 5 and 8 on the AMSTAR scale, and evidence from 94 studies indicated potential positive effects. Conclusion: DN represents a significant health challenge, particularly for the elderly, with TCM showing promise in symptom alleviation and renal protection. Yet, the field is marred by research inconsistencies and methodological shortcomings. Future investigations should prioritize the development of standardized outcome sets tailored to DN, carefully select evaluation indicators that reflect TCM's unique intervention strategies, and aim to improve the robustness of clinical evidence. Emphasizing TCM's foundational theories while incorporating advanced scientific technologies will be essential for innovating research methodologies and uncovering the mechanisms underlying TCM's efficacy in DN management.