Influence of spleen-qi deficiency syndrome in type 2 diabetes mellitus on Ankle-Brachial Index / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To investigate the influence of T2DM Spleen-qi Deficiency syndrome on Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI).Methods:The clinical data of 298 patients with T2DM who were hospitalized in Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the diagnostic criteria of spleen-qi deficiency syndrome, the patients were divided into two groups: spleen-qi deficiency syndrome group and non-spleen-qi deficiency syndrome group. There were 142 patients in the spleen-qi deficiency syndrome group and 156 patients in the non-spleen-qi deficiency syndrome group. The differences of ABI between the two groups were compared, and the correlation between spleen-qi deficiency syndrome and clinical indicators (gender, age, body mass index, course of diabetes, history of hypertension, smoking history, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, platelet, hemoglobin, serum albumin, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate) and ABI in T2DM patients was analyzed.Results:The left ABI [1.09 (1.00, 1.19) vs. 1.13 (1.03, 1.22)] and the right ABI [1.09 (0.96, 1.17) vs. 1.12 (1.02, 1.20)] in T2DM spleen-qi deficiency syndrome group were significantly lower than those in non-spleen-qi deficiency group ( P<0.05).The left ABI was significantly correlated with spleen-qi deficiency syndrome ( r=0.122, P=0.035) and estimated glomerular filtration rate ( r=0.137, P=0.018), and the right ABI was significantly correlated with spleen-qi deficiency syndrome ( r=0.123, P=0.034) and PLT ( r=-0.115, P=0.047). After correcting for other confounding factors by multiple linear regression analysis, there was significantly correlation between spleen-qi deficiency syndrome and ABI. Conclusion:Compared with the non-spleen-qi deficiency syndrome group, T2DM patients in the spleen-qi deficiency group had a lower ankle-brachial index and were more likely to develop peripheral arterial disease.

Clinical study of Peiyuan Kangai Decoction combined with acupuncture in the treatment of advanced liver cancer with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of Peiyuan Kangai Decoction combined with acupuncture in the treatment of advanced liver cancer with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome.Methods:Randomized controlled trial. From May 2019 to May 2021, 162 advanced liver cancer patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome in Shizhong District Cancer Hospital of Leshan were randomly divided into three groups by random drawing method, with 54 in each group. All patients were given FOLFOX4 chemotherapy regimen. Based on the chemotherapy, the 1st control group was given Peiyuan Kangai Decoction, and the 2nd control group was given acupuncture therapy, and the combined group was given decoction and acupuncture therapy. All three groups were treated for 6 weeks. Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome score was performed before and after treatment, Piper fatigue scale was used to evaluate the fatigue degree of patients. Vimentin (VIM), Golgi transmembrane glycoprotein 73 (GP73) and chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) were determined by ELISA. The adverse reactions during treatment were observed and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results:The combined group showed the response rate was 61.11% (33/54), the disease control rate was 72.22% (39/54), the 1st control group showed the response rate was 40.74% (22/54), the disease control rate was 53.70% (29/54), and the 2nd control group showed the response rate was 38.89% (21/54), and the disease control rate was 51.85% (28/54). The response rate and disease control rate of the combined group were significantly higher than either the control group 1 and 2 ( χ2 values were 6.59, 5.68, respectively, and P values were 0.037, 0.043, respectively). After treatment, the scores of liver swelling and pain, fatigue and shortness of breath, anorexia, sallow and emaciation in the combined group were significantly lower than those in the control group 1 and the control group 2 ( F values were 13.90, 15.69, 13.20, 10.55, respectively, P<0.01); the scores of emotions, feeling, behavior and cognition were significantly lower than those in the control group 1 and control group 2 ( F values were 49.55, 27.42, 19.69, 20.55, respectively, P<0.01). After treatment, the levels of serum VIM [(52.54±6.69) ng/L vs. (61.29±7.89) ng/L, (65.11±7.92) ng/L, F=39.63], GP73 [(19.72±3.90) ng/L vs. (24.42±4.23) ng/L, (25.12±4.76) ng/L, F=25.05], CXCL1 [(3.12±0.72) ng/L vs. (4.85±0.95) ng/L, (4.98±0.91) ng/L, F=77.67] in the combined group were significantly lower than those in the control group 1 and the control group 2 ( P<0.01). During the treatment, the incidence of toxic and side effects in the combined group was 18.52% (10/54), the control group 1 was 27.78% (15/54), and the control group 2 was 24.07% (13/54). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of toxic and side effects among the three groups ( χ2=1.31, P=0.520). Conclusion:On the basis of FOLFOX4 chemotherapy, combined therapy with Peiyuan Kangai Decoction and acupuncture treatment can improve the symptoms and fatigue of patients with advanced liver cancer, reduce the levels of serum VIM, GP-73, CXCL1, improve the efficacy safely.

Clinical study of Qigui Tangtongning Granules combined with conventional western medicine in treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of Qigui Tangtongning Granules in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) with qi deficiency and blood stasis.Methods:Prospective cohort study. A total of 80 DPN patients with Qi deficiency and blood stasis in Endocrinology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from May 2021 to May 2022 who met the inclusion criteria were divided into 2 groups by random number table method, with 40 cases in each group. The control group was treated with epalrestat on the basis of routine hypoglycemia, and the treatment group was treated with Qigui Tangtongning Granules on the basis of control group. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. TCM syndromes were scored before and after treatment. Disease severity was assessed using the Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS). The motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) of median nerve and common peroneal nerve were detected by electromyography/induced potentiometer. Serum CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by ELISA, fasting blood glucose (FPG) and two hours post-meal blood glucose (2 hPG) were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was detected by automatic HBA1C analyzer. Adverse reactions were recorded and clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results:The total effective rate was 95.0% (38/40) in the treatment group and 77.5% (31/40) in the control group, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ2=5.17, P=0.023). After treatment, the TCM syndrome score and TCSS score of the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t=-3.19 and -7.63, P<0.01); Median nerve SNCV [(47.90±4.51) m/s vs. (44.76±3.72) m/s, t=3.40], MNCV [(53.79±3.65) m/s vs. (51.32±4.25) m/s, t=2.79] and common peroneal nerve SNCV [(44.21±2.08) m/s vs. (40.51±2.49) m/s, t=7.23], MNCV [(44.63±4.72) m/s vs. (41.36±4.87) m/s, t=3.05] were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P<0.01); FPG [(5.05±0.63) mmol/L vs. (7.05±1.23) mmol/L, t=-9.17], 2 hPG [(9.10±1.64) mmol/L vs. (12.19±2.61) mmol/L, t=-6.35], HbA1c [(6.79±0.90) % vs. (7.22±1.02) %, t=-2.02] were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.01 or P<0.05); TNF-α [(15.75±5.44) ng/L vs. (32.01±5.33) ng/L, t=-13.51], hs-CRP [(2.58±0.80) mg/L vs. (3.79±1.04) mg/L, t=-5.83], IL-6 [(18.20±4.92) ng/L vs. (29.97±5.18) ng/L, t=-10.41] were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.01). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in 2 groups during treatment. Conclusion:Qigui Tangtongning Granules combined with conventional Western medicine can improve nerve conduction velocity, reduce inflammation and improve clinical efficacy in DPN patients with Qi-deficiency and blood-stasis syndrome.

Clinical Efficacy and Mechanism of Erzhi Tiangui Prescription in Treatment of Patients with Repeated Implantation Failure of Kidney Deficiency Syndrome Based on sPD-1 and Th17/Treg Cytokines / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy and possible mechanism of Erzhi Tiangui prescription on repeated implantation failure （RIF） of kidney deficiency syndrome. MethodSeventy patients with RIF of kidney deficiency syndrome who underwent natural cycle frozen-thawed embryo transfer （FET） in the Reproductive and Genetic Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were enrolled and randomly divided into a treatment group （35 cases） and a control group （35 cases）. Patients in the treatment group took oral Erzhi Tiangui prescription from the third day of each menstrual cycle two months before the FET cycle and continued to take it until the day of transplantation from the third day of the menstrual cycle in the month of transplantation. Those in the control group did not accept traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. In addition，10 patients who successfully achieved clinical pregnancy after the first natural cycle FET were screened from the reproductive medical record bank of this hospital and assigned to the normal group. Peripheral blood samples of patients in the three groups on the day of embryo transfer were collected from the specimen bank of the Reproductive and Genetic Center. Serum soluble programmed death molecule-1 （sPD-1），soluble programmed death molecule-ligand 1 （sPD-L1），transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β），interleukin-17 （IL-17）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The changes in kidney deficiency syndrome scores， the final biochemical pregnancy rates， clinical pregnancy rates， and embryo implantation rates of the treatment group and the control group before and after treatment were observed. ResultCompared with the normal group，the model group showed increased serum levels of sPD-1 and IL-17（r=0.347，P<0.05），decreased levels of IL-10 and TGF-β （P<0.01），and non-significant change in sPD-L1 level. Serum sPD-1 was positively correlated with IL-17 （P<0.05） and negatively correlated with IL-10（r=-0.521，P<0.01） and TGF-β（r=-0.457，P<0.01） in RIF patients with kidney deficiency syndrome. After TCM treatment，compared with the control group， the treatment group showed improved TCM syndrome score （P<0.05） and increased clinical pregnancy rate and embryo transfer rate（P<0.05），but there was no statistically significant difference in the biochemical pregnancy rate between the two groups. ConclusionAbnormal expression of sPD-1 in patients with RIF of kidney deficiency syndrome breaks the balance of T helper 17 （Th17）/regulatory T cell （Treg），which is not conducive to embryo implantation and pregnancy maintenance. Erzhi Tiangui prescription，a TCM for tonifying the kidney，can significantly improve the symptoms of kidney deficiency in patients with RIF of kidney deficiency syndrome，reduce the concentrations of sPD-1 and IL-17 in the peripheral serum，increase the levels of TGF-β and IL-10，regulate the peripheral Th17/Treg immune balance，and increase the implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate，which has a high clinical value.

Distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns and Analysis of Factors Related to Acute Exacerbation in Group E of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo analyze the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） patterns as well as factors related to acute exacerbation in group E of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）. MethodsThe general data of 161 COPD patients， including gender， age， body mass index （BMI）， disease course， smoking history， and past history， were collected. In terms of the four examinations of TCM， the differentiated patterns included phlegm-heat obstructing the lung， turbid phlegm obstructing the lung， phlegm stasis obstructing the lung， lung-spleen qi deficiency， and lung-kidney deficiency. The modified British Medical Research Council （mMRC） scale and COPD assessment test （CAT）， the pulmonary function indicators including forced expiratory volume in the first second （FEV1） and ratio of forced expiratory volume to forced vital capacity at second 1 （FEV1/FVC）， GOLD grade， and the patient's acute exacerbations in the previous year were recorded. Multivariate regression analysis was performed using logistic regression model to determine the relevant factors of patients in COPD group E. The distribution of acute exacerbations in different TCM symptom patients in group E was analyzed. ResultsThere were 80 patients （49.69%） in group E and 81 patients （50.31%） in non-group E. In group E， 23 （28.75%） patients had a history of two acute exacerbations， while 35 （43.75%） had three acute exacerbations， and 22 （27.5%） had more than three acute exacerbations. There were 13 （16.25%） cases of phlegm-heat obstructing the lung pattern， 6 （7.5%） cases of turbid phlegm obstructing the lung pattern， 8 （10%） cases of phlegm stasis obstructing the lung pattern， 22 cases （27.5%） of lung-spleen qi deficiency pattern， and 31 （38.75%） cases of lung-kidney deficiency pattern. There were significant differences in smoking history， disease course， TCM pattern， TCM syndrome score， mMRC score， and CAT score between groups （P＜0.05）. A total of 107 of the 161 patients completed pulmonary function tests， and the differences in FEV1， FEV1/FVC and GOLD grades between groups were statistically significant （P＜0.05）. Multivariate regression analysis showed that TCM pattern， TCM syndrome score and CAT score were statistically significant factors for COPD patients in group E （P＜0.05）. There were statistically significant differences in the number of acute exacerbations in different TCM patterns in group E （P＜0.05）. The patients with two acute exacerbations in the past year were mainly phlegm-heat obstructing the lung and lung-spleen qi deficiency patterns， while the three acute exacerbations were mainly seen in lung-spleen qi deficiency and lung-kidney deficiency patterns， and more than three exacerbations were more common with lung -kidney deficiency pattern. ConclusionsPatients in COPD group E were mainly the lung-spleen qi deficiency and lung-kidney deficiency patterns. Deficiency of healthy qi is the main reason for the increase in the number of acute exacerbations， and TCM patterns and CAT score were the main related factors.

Chinese Medicine Intervention on Autophagy in Lung Cancer from Theory of Healthy Qi Deficiency and Pathogenic Qi Stagnation： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Autophagy， a mechanism of cell self-protection and self-renewal， is associated with the occurrence and development of lung cancer. Favorable autophagy can slow down the progression of lung cancer， while unfavorable autophagy can promote the progression. Therefore， regulating the level of autophagy is of great significance in the treatment of lung cancer. Healthy Qi deficiency and pathogenic Qi stagnation is an extension of the theory of deficiency and Qi stagnation proposed by the Academician WANG Yongyan. It refers to the pathological process that the abnormal body fluid metabolism caused by Qi deficiency of lung， spleen， and kidney results in phlegm and blood stasis. Lung cancer has the root cause of Qi deficiency of lung， spleen， and kidney and the syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis. The autophagy in lung cancer is interconnected with healthy Qi deficiency and pathogenic Qi stagnation. The Qi deficiency of lung， spleen， and kidney is the key factor for the weakening of favorable autophagy in lung cancer， which inhibits the apoptosis of tumor cells and leads to the accumulation of harmful substances. Phlegm and blood stasis is a direct factor enhancing the unfavorable autophagy in lung cancer， which promotes the autophagic death of normal cells， weakens the immunosuppressive effect of immune cells on tumor cells， and leads to the proliferation and migration of tumor cells. The combination of healthy Qi deficiency and pathogenic Qi stagnation results in the development of autophagy in an unfavorable direction and finally leads to the continuous progression of lung cancer. Therefore， the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatment of lung cancer should follow the principle of reinforcing healthy Qi and expelling pathogenic Qi， removing phlegm and resolving stasis， so as to enhance favorable autophagy while inhibiting unfavorable autophagy. Such therapy can inhibit the proliferation and migration of tumor cells and promote the remission of lung cancer. According to the existing literature， Chinese medicine monomers are mainly used to treat lung cancer by regulating autophagy. The Chinese medicine intervention of autophagy in lung cancer mainly aims to promote the activation of autophagy. This may be because the favorable autophagy weakening caused by the Qi deficiency of lung， spleen， and kidney is the fundamental reason for the development of lung cancer.

Establishment and Evaluation of Heart Failure Model with Qi Deficiency Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo establish and evaluate a mouse model of heart failure with Qi deficiency syndrome. MethodForty-four KM mice were randomly divided into sham operation group， model group， and modified Si Junzitang group （12.89 g·kg-1）. The model group and the modified Si Junzitang group underwent thoracic aortic constriction （TAC）， while the sham operation group only underwent suture without constriction. Echocardiography and pathological examination were used to assess the heart failure model and evaluate the pharmacological effects. Macroscopic characterization， microscopic biology， and formula identification were conducted to collect general signs， body weight， open-field behavior， grip strength， mitochondrial ultrastructure， and other macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of mice. Mitochondrial fission and fusion protein expression were measured to determine the syndrome type. ResultEight weeks after TAC， compared with the sham operation group， the model group showed a significant decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） （P<0.01）， and modified Si Junzitang improved LVEF in mice （P<0.05）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining of the heart showed inflammatory cell infiltration and thickening of blood vessel walls in the model group， which was significantly improved by modified Si Junzitang. After 6-8 weeks， compared with the sham operation group and the modified Si Junzitang group， the model group exhibited significant hair loss， hair yellowing， decreased activity， and depression. Moreover， compared with the sham operation group， the model group had a significantly lower increase in body weight （P<0.05）， while the modified Si Junzitang group showed a significant increase in body weight （P<0.05） compared with the model group. After 6-8 weeks， compared with the sham operation group， the model group showed a significant decrease in open-field distance and speed （P<0.05）， while the modified Si Junzitang group exhibited significantly improved open-field distance and speed in the 8th week （P<0.05）. After 6-8 weeks， compared with the sham operation group， the model group exhibited a significant decrease in maximum grip strength （P<0.05）， while the modified Si Junzitang group showed a significant increase in maximum grip strength 8 weeks after TAC （P<0.05）. Transmission electron microscopy of the gastrocnemius muscle showed uneven muscle tissue matrix， mitochondrial swelling， increased volume， matrix dissolution， ridge loss， and vacuolization in the model group， while modified Si Junzitang improved mitochondrial swelling， ridge fracture， and matrix vacuolization. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of the kinetic associated protein 1 （DRP1） in the gastrocnemius muscle of the model group significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the expression of mitochondrial fusion hormone 1 （MFN1） significantly decreased （P<0.05） as compared with those in the sham operation group. Furthermore， compared with the model group， the modified Si Junzitang group exhibited a significant decrease in the expression of DRP1 （P<0.05） and a significant increase in MFN1 expression （P<0.01）. ConclusionMice exhibited significant manifestations of qi deficiency syndrome 6-8 weeks after TAC， accompanied by abnormal mitochondrial morphology and function in the gastrocnemius muscle， which were significantly improved by modified Si Junzitang.

Effect of physical rehabilitation combined with Xiaoqinglong Decoction on the syndrome of lung and spleen deficiency in children with asthma remission / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To investigate the effect of physical therapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating the syndrome of lung and spleen qi deficiency in children at asthma remission stage and the effect on serological indicators. 【Methods】 A total of 130 children with asthma in remission treated in our hospital from May 2018 to May 2020 were selected and randomly divided into combination group (n=65) and physical group (n=65). The physical group was treated with physical therapy and Montelukaste sodium chewable tablet, while the combination group was treated with Xiaoqinglong Decoction based on soil preparation and gold generation method. Both groups were treated for three months. The scores of chest tightness (attack), cough, asthma and laryngeal wheezing were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The average score of TCM syndrome was recorded before treatment (T0), 1, 2 and 3 months after treatment (T1, T2 and T3), and 6 and 9 months after treatment (T4 and T5). Serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), immunoglobulin (IgE) and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) were detected before and after treatment. 【Results】 After treatment, the total effective rate in the combination group (86.15%) was higher than that in the physical group (73.85%) (χ2=4.333, P<0.05). After treatment, the TCM syndrome scores of asthma, laryngeal phlegm were significantly lower in the combination group than in the physical group (P<0.05). The average score of TCM syndrome in T3, T4 and T5 combination group was lower than that in the physical group (t=3.167, 3.317, 4.168, 4.267, P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of IL-6, IgE and TNF-α were decreased (P<0.05), and the levels of IgE and TNF-α in the combination group were lower than those in the physical group (t=12.164, 5.136, P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Physical therapy combined with Xiaoqinglong Decoction can improve clinical symptoms and regulate immunity of children at asthma remission stage.

Effect of Yiqi Liangxue Shengji Formula （益气凉血生肌方） on Recurrence of Angina Pectoris and Quality of Life after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Coronary Heart Disease Patients with Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis Syndrome and Binding of Stasis and Heat Syndrome： A Randomized， Triple-blind， Placebo-controlled Parallel Trial / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of Yiqi Liangxue Shengji Formula （益气凉血生肌方， YLSF） on recurrence of angina pectoris and quality of life at eight weeks after perecutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）. MethodsEighty-two coronary artery disease （CAD） patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis and binding of stasis and heat syndrome who had underwent PCI were randomly divided into two groups with 41 patients each in the treatment group and the control group. Based on conventional western medicine after PCI， patients in the treatment group orally took YLSF granules while those in the control group were administered with placebo， one dose daily for 8 weeks. The recurrence rate of angina pectoris and readmission rate within eight weeks after PCI were recorded. Before and after treatment， total traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， Seattle Angina Questionnaire （SAQ） scores （physical limitation， angina stability， angina frequency， treatment satisfaction and disease perception）， and the SF-36 scores for quality of life （physical and mental health） were evaluated. The adverse reactions during medication in both groups were recorded. ResultsWithin eight weeks after PCI， the recurrence rate of angina pectoris in the treatment group （4/41， 9.76%） was significantly lower than that in the control group （11/41， 26.83%， P＜0.05）. The readmission rate in the treatment group was 2.44% （1/41）， while that in the control group was 12.20% （5/41）， with no significantly statistical difference （P＞0.05）. After treatment， total TCM syndrome score significantly decreased in both groups， while in terms of quality of life， the SAQ scores on domains of angina stability， angina frequency and disease perception as well as SF-36 total scores， physical health and mental health scores significantly increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared between the two groups， total TCM syndrome score was significantly lower in the treatment group than the control group （P＜0.01）， while no significant differences were found in SAQ scores and SF-36 total， physical and mental health scores （P＞0.05）. No adverse reactions occurred in both groups during the treatment period. ConclusionYLSF can reduce the recurrence rate of angina pectoris within eight weeks after PCI for coronary artery disease， and can improve the TCM syndrome score， and have sound safety， with comparable effect to that of placebo in improving postoperative short-term quality of life.

Mechanism of Bugansan Decoction in ameliorating learning and memory impairment in D-galactose-induced aging rats based on AGEs/RAGE/NF-κB pathway / 数字中医药（英文）

@#Objective To investigate the underlying mechanism of the compound Bugansan Decoction (补肝散, BGSD) in intervening learning and memory in D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aging rats. @*Methods@#A total of 40 rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control, model, BGSD [14.06 g/(kg·d)], and piracetam [0.4 g/(kg·d)] groups, with 10 rats in each group. D-gal [400 mg/(kg·d)] was injected intraperitoneally to establish the aging rat model. The rats' body weight, water intake, food intake, and gripping strength were recorded each week. The eightarm maze and step-down test were used to measure the rats' capacity for learning and memory. Liver, thymus, spleen, and brain tissues were weighed to calculate the corresponding organ indices; serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was adopted to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in the hippocampus. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β mRNA in the hippocampus. Western blot (WB) was employed to detect the expression levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), RAGE, and NF-κB protein in the hippocampus. @*Results@#In D-gal-induced aging rats, BGSD significantly increased food intake, water intake, body weight, gripping strength, and organ indices (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased working memory error (WME), reference memory error (RME), and total memory errors (TE) in an eight-arm maze (P < 0.05). In the step-down test, step-down latency was prolonged and the frequency of errors dropped (P < 0.05). Additionally, BGSD could lessen the harm done to hippocampus neurons, increase serum SOD activity, lower MDA levels, and down-regulate the expression levels of the pro-inflammatory molecules TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β (P < 0.05). Further findings showed that BGSD significantly decreased hippocampal AGEs, RAGE, and NF-κB expression (P < 0.05). @*Conclusion@#By blocking the AGEs/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway, BGSD may regulate the neuroinflammatory damage in D-gal-induced aging rats, and thus improve learning and memory.

Clinical Effect of Qifu Yixin Prescription on Chronic Heart Failure in Patients with Syndrome of Heart Qi Deficiency / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Qifu Yixin prescription in treating chronic heart failure in the patients with the syndrome of heart Qi deficiency， so as to provide clinical evidence for the treatment of chronic heart failure with this prescription and promote the clinical application and transformation of this prescription. MethodA total of 106 chronic heart failure patients with the syndrome of heart Qi deficiency who met the criteria in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） from September 2022 to May 2023 were selected and randomized into an observation group （53 cases） and a control group （53 cases）. Both groups received routine Western medicine treatment. In addition， the observation group received Qifu Yixin prescription， while the control group received placebo. The treatment course for both groups was 12 weeks. The New York heart association （NYHA） cardiac function grading， N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP）， soluble growth-stimulating expression gene 2 （sST2）， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， the ratio of early diastolic maximum mitral flow velocity （E） to early diastolic mitral annular motion velocity （e'） （E/e'）， left ventricular end diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， TCM syndrome scores， 6-minute walking test （6MWT）， Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire （MLHFQ）， and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire （KCCQ） were determined before and after treatment. ResultFinally， 102 patients were included for analysis， including 51 patients in the observation group and 51 patients in the control group. After treatment， 42 patients in the observation group showed improved cardiac function grading， with a total response rate of 82.35%， and 32 patients in the control group showed improved cardiac function grading， with a total response rate of 62.75%. The total response rate regarding the cardiac function in the observation group was higher than that in the control group （χ2=4.923， P<0.05）. The observation group outperformed the control group in lowering the NT-proBNP level， elevating LVEF， decreasing the E/e' ratio （P<0.05）， reducing LVEDD and sST2 levels， and recovering TCM syndrome score， 6MWT score， MLHFQ score， and KCCQ score （P<0.05）. None of the safety indexes in the two groups showed abnormal values before and after treatment， and no serious adverse reaction was observed. ConclusionQifu Yixin prescription can improve the heart function， exercise tolerance， and quality of life and alleviate the TCM syndrome of the chronic heart failure patients with the syndrome of heart Qi deficiency by inhibiting myocardial fibrosis.

Establishment and Evaluation of Rat Model for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Lung-spleen Qi Deficiency / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo establish and evaluate a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） model with lung-spleen qi deficiency. MethodA rat model mimicking COPD with lung-spleen qi deficiency was established by the combination of cigarette smoking and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide （LPS） along with gavage of Sennae Folium infusion. Forty male SPF-grade SD rats were randomly assigned to blank， model， and low- （L-FXY）， medium- （M-FXY）， and high-dose （H-FXY） Sennae Folium infusion groups. Other groups except the blank group were exposed to daily cigarette smoke， with LPS administrated via intratracheal instillation on the 1st and 14th days. On the 28th day of modeling， the L-FXY， M-FXY， and H-FXY groups were administrated with Sennae Folium infusion at 5， 10， and 20 g·kg-1， respectively， and at 4 ℃ for three weeks. The modeling lasted for 49 days. The general conditions （body mass， food intake， fecal water content， and anal temperature） and behaviors （grip strength test and tail suspension test） of rats in different groups were examined. The lung function， lung histopathology， D-xylose， amylase， and gastrin levels in the serum， interleukin（IL）-1β and IL-6 levels in the alveolar lavage fluid， levels of T-lymphocyte subsets （CD4+， CD8+， and CD4+/CD8+） in the peripheral blood， and thymus and spleen indices were measured. ResultTwo rats died in the H-FXY group. Compared with the blank group， both the M-FXY and H-FXY groups exhibited reduced body mass and food intake （P<0.01） and increased fecal water content （P<0.01）. The anal temperature in the H-FXY group was lower than that in the blank group （P<0.01）. The grip strength decreased in the modeling groups compared with the blank group （P<0.01）， and the duration of immobility in the tail suspension test increased in the M-FXY and H-FXY groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the modeling groups showed reduced 0.3 second forced expiratory volume （FEV0.3）， FEV0.3/forced vital capacity （FVC）（P<0.01）， thickening of bronchial walls， proliferation of goblet cells， and the presence of emphysematous changes. In terms of gastrointestinal function， the M-FXY and H-FXY groups had lower levels of D-xylose， gastrin， and α-amylase than the blank group （P<0.01）. Regarding the immune and inflammatory indices， the M-FXY and H-FXY groups showed lower thymus and spleen indices than the blank group （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the modeling groups presented lowered CD4+ level （P<0.01） and CD4+/CD8+ ratio （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the peripheral blood and elevated levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the alveolar lavage fluid （P<0.01） than the blank group. ConclusionA model of COPD with lung-spleen Qi deficiency was established through the combination of daily cigarette smoke， intratracheal instillation with LPS， and gavage of Sennae Folium infusion. The comprehensive evaluation results suggested medium-dose （10 g·kg-1） Sennae Folium infusion for gavage during the modeling of COPD with lung-spleen Qi deficiency.

Clinical Trial of Buyang Huanwutang in Treatment of Connective Tissue Disease-associated Pulmonary Fibrosis with Syndrome of Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect and safety of Buyang Huanwutang in treatment of connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary fibrosis in the patients with syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis and explore the possible anti-fibrosis mechanism of Buyang Huanwutang. MethodSixty-six patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary fibrosis with syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis were randomized to receive either Buyang Huanwutang combined with routine therapy or routine therapy for 4 weeks. The primary outcome indicator was change in forced vital capacity （FVC） from the baseline， and the secondary outcome indicators included the changes in percentage of predicted forced vital capacity （FVC%pred）， percentage of forced expiratory volume in first second to predicted value （FEV1%pred）， King's Brief Interstitial Lung Disease （K-BILD） total score， 6 minute walking distance （6MWD）， hydroxyproline （HYP）， matrix metalloproteinase （MMP）， tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 （TIMP-1）， and transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β） from baseline. Patients in line with the inclusion criteria were included in the primary analysis， and sensitivity analysis was performed after multiple imputation of missing data. Safety set was adopted for safety analysis. ResultThe 66 patients （included in the sensitivity analysis） meeting the inclusion criteria included 34 in the observation group and 32 in the control group， and 60 patients finally received the whole trial intervention （included for primary analysis）. Compared with the baseline， the FVC increased in the observation group and decreased in the control group after intervention （P<0.01）， which was consistent between the sensitivity analysis and the primary analysis. The changes in FVC%pred， FEV1%pred， 6MWD， and K-BILD total score from baseline in the observation group were superior to those in the control group （P<0.01）， with consistent results between the sensitivity analysis and the primary analysis. TIMP-1 in the observation group decreased compared with baseline （P<0.05）， while TIMP-1 in the two groups showed no significant changes from the baseline The observation group outperformed the control group in the changes in HYP， MMP-9， and TGF-β from baseline （P<0.05）. The common adverse events were cough， diarrhea， nausea， rash， and upper gastrointestinal tract infection， the incidence of which showed no statistical difference between the two groups. ConclusionBuyang Huanwutang can improve lung function， motor function， and quality of life in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary fibrosis and has good safety. The mechanism may be related to the reduction of TGF-β， MMP-9， and TIMP-1 levels and maintaining of MMP-9/TIMP-1 balance.

A Case of Qi-deficiency Fever Successfully Treated with Hochuekkito / 日本東洋医学雑誌

We report a case of qi-deficiency fever that was successfully treated with hochuekkito. A 26-year-old woman presented to our clinic with a complaint of pain of her fingers. Clinical findings revealed no evidence of rheumatoid arthritis. Since she wanted treatment for the recent mild fever, additional examination was performed. Infection, malignant tumor, and collagen disease were ruled out as probable cause of the fever. Clinically, she was diagnosed with qi-deficiency fever. After treatment with hochuekkito, her body temperature normalized, indicating that treatment with hochuekkito was effective. Hochuekkito was originally prescribed for treatment of qi deficiency due to yin fire ; however, it is currently used for treatment of other diseases. In this report, we described a case using hochuekkito.

Three Cases of Easy Fatigability and Tiredness Successfully Treated with Hangekobokuto / 日本東洋医学雑誌

We describe 3 cases of easy fatigability successfully treated with hangekobokuto. Case 1 was a 44-year-old woman who had been experiencing fatigue for a long time due to her busy work schedule. Juzentaihoto was ineffective, and she felt abdominal swelling and showed epigastric resistance upon abdominal examination. Case 2 was a 13-year-old woman who became easily tired, had palpitations, felt uneasy, and showed epigastric resistance upon abdominal examination, after moving from overseas to Japan. Case 3 was an 18-year-old woman who became easily tired under the pressure of her studies after entering university, felt uneasy, felt abdominal swelling, and showed epigastric resistance upon abdominal examination. Hangekobokuto relieved these symptoms. In Case 2 and Case 3, there were obvious stressors, and qi stagnation was strongly suspected. In Case 1, although the patient did not complain of obvious stress, she did not respond well to juzentaihoto, which compensates for qi deficiency, so we also considered qi stagnation. For symptoms such as “get tired easily,” qi-tonifying formulas are often used, but qi-regulating formulas including hangekobokuto may also be effective. It is also important to focus on the patient’s mental state and living environment.

Application and efficiency of kidney-helping and blood-activating paste in senile diabetic kidney disease of Qi-Yin Deficiency Syndrome / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To observe the application and efficiency of Bushen Huoxue Plaster in senile subjects with diabetic kidney disease with Qi-Yin Deficiency with Blood stasis.Methods:A total of 100 elderly diabetic kidney disease(DKD)patients with Qi-Yin deficiency and Blood stasis syndrome in Endocrinology Department of Zhejiang Province Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital from February 2020 to May 2021were randomly divided into observation group(n=50)receiving TonifyingKidney and Activating Blood Paste plus TCM directional drug penetration therapy instrument for 10 days and control group(n=50)receiving placebo paste plus TCM directional drug penetration therapy instrument for 10 d. Main symptom score, overall syndrome score, urinary albumin/ creatinine ratio were observed and recorded.Results:After treatment, the observation group versus the control groups showed the statistically significant improvement in dry mouth and pharynx[(0.06±0.24)versus(0.30±0.68)score point, in feeling tired[(0.49±0.76)versus(0.98±1.02)score point], in spontaneous sweating or sweating after exercise[(0.08±0.27) vs.(0.32±0.69)score point], in limb numbness[(0.49±0.64) vs.(0.83±0.93)score point], in urination obstruction[(0.20±0.53) vs.(0.55±0.92)score point], and in total syndrome score[(1.65±2.06) vs.(3.36±2.53)score point, (all P<0.05)].The mean Ridit value of urinary albumin/creatinine ratio decreased in the observation group of chronic kidney disease stage A2 was 0.595 being higher than 0.405 in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.05). Conclusions:The kidney-helping and blood-activating paste can improve the clinical symptoms of senile patients, and may have a certain effect on improving the urine albumin/creatinine ratio of patients with early diabetic kidney disease, and it is worthy of clinical application.

Immune regulation of the population with Qi-deficiency by the treatment of ear holographic tongbian scraping / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of ear holographic tongbian scraping on the constitution, related symptoms and immune function of the population with Qi-deficiency.Methods:From April 2020 to June 2020, 80 subjects judged as Qi-deficiency by the "Traditional Chinese Medicine constitution test" in Suzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine were recruited offline and online. They were divided into control group and experimental group by random number table method, with 40 cases in each group. On the basis of online health education, the control group received online health education, while the experimental group was given ear holographic tongbian scraping, once a week, 4 times as a course of treatment, a total of 3 courses. Related symptom scores, Qi-deficiency transformation scores, peripheral blood CD4 + proportion, CD8 + proportion, CD4 +/CD8 + ratio were compared between two groups. Results:Totally 38 cases were included in experimental group and 34 cases in control group. After intervention, symptom scores of fatigue, shortness of breath, easy to catch a cold, laziness to speak, low voice and Qi-deficiency transformation scores were 3.26 ± 0.76, 2.92 ± 0.82, 3.08 ± 0.82, 2.66 ± 0.97, 2.71 ± 0.80, 46.16 ± 17.96 in experimental group and 4.12 ± 0.41, 3.76 ± 0.55, 3.50 ± 0.56, 3.65 ± 0.65, 3.18 ± 0.67, 56.88 ± 10.80 in control group, the differences were statistically significant ( t values were -6.02 - -2.51, all P<0.05). Peripheral blood test results also showed that the proportion of CD8 + was 24.76(19.92, 28.23)% in experimental group and 27.19(24.39, 31.57)% in control group, the difference was statistically significant ( Z=-2.25, P<0.05). Conclusions:Ear holographic tongbian scraping can regulate the Qi-deficiency constitution and improve the immune function of people with Qi-deficiency.

Biological Basis of Invigorating Qi and Activating Blood Cirulation in Regulating Neural Repair After Ischemic Stroke： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability. Therefore， it is critical to develop the approaches for improving recovery and neural repair after stroke. Recovery after stroke involves complex interrelated systems of neural repair. The whole process of neural repair requires a series of coordinated interactions， such as response of neuronal cell body to traumatic stimuli， neural stem cell proliferation and migration， axoplasmic transport of signaling molecules， construction of cytoskeleton， and formation of axonal growth cone， to achieve regeneration and growth. As a potential new target for the treatment of neurologic defects， neural remodeling has important research significance in both the specific mechanism of neural repair and the clinical treatment of neurologic defects. After brain injury， single therapy is often ineffective due to the complex mechanism of internal repair， and thus comprehensive therapy becomes the development direction to improve the brain repair. Invigorating qi and promoting blood can promote nerve function remodeling after injury through neural protection， angiogenesis， neurogenesis， loop reconstruction， and cytokine regulation， playing a key role in nerve repair after stroke. Its mechanism is associated with autophagy， immunomodulation， and microRNA regulation， which fully embodies the multi-pathway， multi-target， and overall regulation characteristics of invigorating Qi and activating blood. Therefore， it is of theoretical and guiding significance to study the brain function rehabilitation after stroke by invigorating qi and activating blood.

Clinical Efficacy of Dapagliflozin Combined with Shexiang Baoxinwan in Treatment of Acute Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the clinical efficacy of dapagliflozin combined with Shexiang Baoxinwan （SXBXW） in the treatment of acute heart failure with reduced ejection fraction （HFrEF） and syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis. MethodA total of 176 patients hospitalized due to acute HFrEF （syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis） were selected and randomized into control group， SXBXW group， dapagliflozin group， and SXBXW + dapagliflozin group （the latter three groups were called the intervention groups）. The New York Heart Association （NYHA） class， 6-minute walk test （6MWT） score， Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire （KCCQ） score， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP）， soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 （sST2）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and hypersensitive C-reactive protein （hs-CRP） of the patients were evaluated and measured at the time of admission， 1 week after treatment， and 2 weeks of treatment. Furthermore， the hospital stay， in-hospital mortality， and 30-day re-admission rate were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of each group. ResultAfter 1 week of treatment， the SXBXW group exhibited superior NYHA class， KCCQ score， TCM syndrome score and curative effect， IL-6， and hs-CRP to the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. After 2 weeks of treatment， the SXBXW group showed superior TCM syndrome score， TCM curative effect， and hs-CRP （P<0.05， P<0.01） to the control group. The dapagliflozin group was superior to the control group in terms of TCM syndrome score， NT-proBNP， and sST2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） after 1 week of treatment and in terms of NYHA class， KCCQ score， NT-proBNP， sST2， and hospital stay （P<0.05， P<0.01） after 2 weeks of treatment. The SXBXW + dapagliflozin group exhibited better efficacy than the control group in terms of NYHA class， 6MWT score， KCCQ score， TCM syndrome score and curative effect， NT-proBNP， sST2， IL-6， and hs-CRP （P=0.014） after 1 week of treatment and in terms of NYHA class， KCCQ score， TCM syndrome score and curative effect， NT-proBNP， sST2， IL-6， hs-CRP， and hospital stay （P<0.01） after 2 weeks of treatment. ConclusionSXBXW and dapagliflozin have good therapeutic effect on acute HFrEF and syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis， and their combination demonstrated better therapeutic effect， with good safety and tolerability.

Meaning， Efficacy and Mechanism of Huoxin Pills in Treating Coronary Heart Disease with Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Cardiovascular diseases， with high incidence and high mortality， belong to the category of "chest impediment and heart pain" in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. Chinese medicines have unique effect on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases with little side effects. Huoxin pills， one of the National Essential Drugs， is formulated based on the basic pathogenesis of weak pulse at Yang and wiry pulse at Yin and the pathological basis of myocardial ischemia and hypoxia and used for treating angina pectoris of coronary heart disease （Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome）. This medicine is derived from the classic famous prescription and is composed of ten precious Chinese medicinal herbs. It can replenish Qi， activate blood， and warm collaterals to diffuse impediment by enhancing myocardial contractility and cardiac output to improve micro-circulation and increase coronary blood flow， regulating immune functions， alleviating inflammation， detoxifying， and tranquilizing mind. Clinically， it is suitable for patients with angina pectoris caused by the lack of heart Yang， chest tightness， shortness of breath， palpitation， fear of cold for limbs and so on， especially for the elderly with Yang deficiency or the patients with a history of myocardial infarction. On the basis of the available research reports， this paper explains the formula meaning of Huoxin pills from the perspective of the basic pathogenesis of coronary heart disease and predicts its action targets， location and links. Furthermore， we expound the mechanism of action of Huoxin pills based on basic research and clinical evidence-based research， aiming to provide data support and evidence for the clinical application of this medicine.