[Clinical symptoms and distribution characteristics traditional Chinese medicine syndromes of pulmonary nodules].

A cross-sectional study method combined with two types of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome differentiation methods was adopted to investigate the clinical symptoms and distribution characteristics of TCM syndromes in patients with pulmonary nodules from the perspectives of number, size, nature, and stability of pulmonary nodules by using the χ~2 test, systematic clustering and Apriori algorithm correlation analysis. The common clinical symptoms of pulmonary nodules were fatigue(77.35%) and irritability(75.40%), and 40 symptoms were clustered into 3 groups(digestive system symptoms, respiratory system symptoms, and emotional and systemic symptoms) and 8 major symptom categories. The proportion of cold and heat in complexity syndrome(63.43%) was higher based on cold-heat syndrome differentiation. The top two syndromes were Qi deficiency syndrome(88.03%) and Qi depression syndrome(83.17%) based on disease syndrome differentiation. Yang deficiency syndrome(60.52%) was more than Yin deficiency syndrome(50.16%). There were higher proportions of phlegm syndrome(78.67%) and Yang deficiency syndrome(69.33%) of so-litary pulmonary nodules in terms of the number of pulmonary nodules. In terms of size, the proportion of phlegm syndrome decreased as the mean diameter of pulmonary nodules increased, while the proportions of Yang deficiency syndrome and blood stasis syndrome increased. The distribution of Qi depression syndrome was more in those with mean diameter<10 mm(85.02%, P=0.044) and cold syndrome was more in those with mean diameter ≥10 mm(16.67%, P=0.024). In terms of the nature of pulmonary nodules, the proportions of Qi depression syndrome and heat syndrome decreased with the increase in solid components of pulmonary nodules, while the proportions of Yin deficiency syndrome and cold and heat in complexity syndrome increased. The blood stasis syndrome accounted for a higher proportion of pulmonary nodules with solid components. In terms of the stability of pulmonary nodules, dampness syndrome(72.97%), blood stasis syndrome(37.84%), and cold and heat in complexity syndrome(70.27%) accounted for higher proportions. In addition, patients with new nodules presented higher proportions in Qi inversion syndrome(52.00%, P=0.007) and cold and heat in complexity syndrome(66.00%, P=0.008). Meanwhile, 11 syndromes were associated and 4 common compound syndromes were obtained(Qi deficiency and depression syndrome, Qi depression and phlegm coagulation syndrome, Qi deficiency and phlegm coagulation syndrome, and Qi deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome). Qi deficiency syndrome and Qi depression syndrome could be associated with other syndromes. The results show that the main clinical symptoms of pulmonary nodules are fatigue and irritability. The main TCM syndromes of pulmonary nodules are Qi deficiency syndrome, Qi depression syndrome, Yang deficiency syndrome, and cold and heat in complexity syndrome. The distribution of TCM syndromes is significantly correlated with the size of pulmonary nodules and the presence or absence of new nodules. The common compound syndromes are Qi deficiency and depression syndrome, Qi depression and phlegm coagulation syndrome, Qi deficiency and phlegm coagulation syndrome, and Qi deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome.

[Traditional application and modern research progress on new foreign medicinal resources].

Chinese medicinal resources are the material basis for the survival and development of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and the sustainable development of Chinese medicinal resources is also an important project for the modernization of TCM in China. With the increasing demand for Chinese medicinal resources in China, over-exploitation has destroyed Chinese medicinal resources, resulting in a shortage of many natural medicinal resources in China and making the sustainable development of TCM in trouble. The introduced new foreign medicinal resources have become effective supplement and replacement for Chinese medicinal resources to some extent. However, the development and utilization of new foreign medicinal resources in China are different. To fully understand the development of new foreign medicinal resources in China, this paper, taking 43 new foreign medicinal resources such as Acacia nilotica as objects, sorted out the introduction forms and policies of new foreign medicinal resources, overviewed its current development status in China, summarized the application experience of new foreign medicinal resources in the place of origin, as well as the research progress and problems of new foreign medicinal resources in China and abroad, and analyzed the research situation, which can enrich Chinese medicinal resources and other uses, promote the sustainable development of Chinese medicinal resources, and provide ideas for further development and research of new foreign medicinal resources.

[Materia medica resources benefits Lancang-Mekong River:a new approach for sub-regional cooperation on traditional medicine].

Lancang-Mekong Cooperation is a new type of subregional cooperation mechanism initiated and built by China and other five countries of the Lancang-Mekong subregion, namely Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Countries in the Lancang-Mekong subregion are geographically and culturally connected, and they have nurtured their unique traditional medicine. By combing the history of traditional medicine exchanges between China and other Lancang-Mekong countries and their progress of modern research, this paper summarized the challenges and opportunities of traditional medicine cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong subregion. It has been found that many regional cooperation mechanisms coexist for a long time in the Lancang-Mekong subregion and the medicinal resources are abundant. However, the degree of their development and utilization varies, and modern scientific research is insufficient. Lancang-Mekong Cooperation has provided a strong support for integrating the advantageous resources in Lancang-Mekong subregion countries and making progress together. Focusing on the development and protection of medicinal resources, this paper puts forward a new path of cooperation in the intellectual property rights and characteristic seed resource protection, the compilation of universal herbal pharmacopoeia in various countries, the research and development of public health products, and the construction of traditional herbal industry bases, thus enabling the traditional medicine to better protect the public health and building a human health community.

[Advantages and problems of traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of acute pharyngitis].

This paper systematically studies relevant literatures at home and abroad in recent years. China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) was used to collect the literatures for acute pharyngitis treated with traditional Chinese medicine from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2016, and the bibliometric method was employed for statistical analysis. A total of 493 papers were preliminarily selected. According to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, 182 eligible articles were selected. According to the evaluation and analysis of the literatures, the Guidelines for Clinical Research of New Drugs is currently used as the common standards for the diagnosis and treatment of acute pharyngitis; Chinese patent medicines are the main traditional Chinese medicine for treating this disease; Decoctions for treatment of this disease include Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Scutellariae Radix, Platycodonis Radix, Forsythiae Fructus, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Scrophdlariae Radix, Isatidis Radix, and Ophiopogonis Radix; The bloodletting puncture is the common external therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine have their own characteristics in the treatment of this disease. Western medicine for the treatment of acute pharyngitis are mainly antiviral, antibiotic and glucocorticoid drugs, whose disadvantages are toxicity, side effects, drug resistance and double infections. Traditional Chinese medicine doctors have rich experiences in the treatment of the disease, which is characterized by treatment determination based on syndrome differentiation, safe and reliable medication, significant curative effect, low drug resistance, and wide varieties of traditional Chinese medicine forms, convenient portability and taking, low price, and low toxic and side effects. It is an arduous and significant task to explore traditional Chinese medicine, and study and develop new-type effective drugs.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Combined with Chinese Medicine Five-Element Music on Depression for Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of progressive muscle relaxation training (PMRT) combined with fifive elements music therapy of Chinese medicine (CM) for improving anxiety and depression of cancer patients. METHODS: From June 2015 to March 2016, 60 cancer patients were included into the study. The patients were randomly assigned to a control group and a treatment group by envelope randomization, receiving PMRT and PMRT plus CM five elements music therapy, respectively, for 8 weeks. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Benefit Finding Scales (BFS), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual (FACIT-Sp), and Intervention Expectations Questionnaire (IEQU) were adopted to assess the depression of the two groups before and after the treatment. RESULTS: Four cases dropped out during the study, and 29 cases in the treatment group and 27 in the control group were included in the fifinal analysis. Prior to the treatments, the baselines of the 4 questionnaires in the two groups showed no difference. After the 8-week treatment, the treatment group presented better levels of HADS, BFS and FACIT-Sp scores compared with the control group (P<0.05). Among the single items of HADS, 4 items involving vexation, feeling fifidgeted, pleasure and prospecting the future in the treatment group were improved compared with the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: As a simple and reliable and effective intervention, PMRT combined with fifive elements music therapy mitigated anxiety and depression of cancer patients. Cancer patients have been found to respond well to psychological intervention in areas regarding stabilisation of emotions, disease awareness, and therapeutic compliance. This brings about a great difference in improving their quality of life and psychological state, offers an effective approach to better self-management in cancer treatment.

Chinese herbal decoction based on syndrome differentiation as maintenance therapy in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: an exploratory and small prospective cohort study.

Objective. To investigate the treatment effect and treatment length of Chinese herbal decoction (CHD) as maintenance therapy on patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) and to reflect the real syndrome differentiation (Bian Zheng) practices of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Patients and Methods. Different CHDs were prescribed for each patient based on syndrome differentiation. The length of CHD treatment was divided into two phases for analyzing progression-free survival (PFS) and postprogression survival (PPS). Results. Three hundred and fifty-seven CHDs were prescribed based on syndrome differentiation during the study period. Median PFS was significantly longer in patients who received CHD >3 months than patients who received CHD ≤3 months in the first phase (8.7 months versus 4.5 months; hazard ratio (HR), 0.52; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.41-0.99; P = 0.0009). Median PPS was significantly longer in patients who received CHD >7 months than patients who received CHD ≤7 months in the second phase (11.7 months versus 5.1 months; HR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.90-2.74; P = 0.002). Conclusion. CHD could improve PFS and PPS, which are closely related to treatment time and deepness of response of first-line therapy. In addition, CHD could improve body function and keep patients in a relatively stable state.

Effects of Chinese medicine five-element music on the quality of life for advanced cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of the Chinese medicine (CM) five-element music on quality of life for senior and non-senior advanced cancer patients. METHODS: With a randomized controlled trial, 170 advanced cancer patients were randomly assigned to three groups: the CM five-element music group (68 patients), the Western music therapy group (68 cases), and the no music therapy group (34 cases). All patients of 70 years old or older were considered seniors and the remaining patients younger than 70 years were considered nonseniors. Patients in the CM five-element music group listened to CM five-element music, the patients in the Western music group listened to Western music, and the patients in the no music group did not listen to music. A course of treatment was 3 weeks, with 30 min each day, 5 days a week. The Hospice Quality of Life Index-Revised (HQOLI-R) and Karnofsky performance score (KPS) were measured in the three groups before and after treatment. The symptom diary score was measured in the three groups every 3 days, 7 times in total. RESULTS: CM five-element music group showed a significant difference of HQOLI-R, KPS and symptom diary score with other groups (all P<0.01). There were significant differences of HQOLI-R, symptom diary score, and KPS after treatment in CM five-element music group and other groups in the non-senior subgroup (P<0.05). Additionally, there were significant differences in HQOLI-R and KPS after treatment among the three groups in the senior subgroup (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CM five-element music therapy could improve the quality of life and KPS for senior and non senior advanced cancer patients, and it could improve subjective symptoms for non-senior advanced cancer patients.