[Disease-syndrome combination in integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in andrology: Confusions and countermeasures in studies].

Researches on the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of the disease-syndrome combination approach in integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine are becoming a hot spot in andrology, but many recent studies of this kind have failed to explain the connotation of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in andrology. Related existing problems include repeated researches into the same indexes of action mechanisms of different therapeutic principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Chinese herbal compound and special prescriptions, studies focusing on individual diseases but ignoring symptoms, immature syndrome models for studies of mechanisms, and too much attention to uncertain or immature target mechanisms. The stress should be placed on the action mechanisms of Chinese herbal compound and special prescriptions on male diseases and, what is more important, on the clarification of the essential principles of differentiation and treatment of TCM syndromes. In the recent years, proteomics, genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics have shed some light upon researches into the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of the disease-syndrome combination approach in integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in andrology. An insight into the TCM syndrome, a macroscopic inductive analysis, and a comprehension of such microcosmic aspects as the gene, protein, metabolism and metagenome may contribute to some breakthroughs and new ideas in the studies of disease-syndrome combination in integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in andrology.

[Shugan Yiyang Capsules for the treatment of asthenospermia: A clinical study].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Shugan Yiyang Capsules in the treatment of asthenospermia and its action mechanisms. METHODS: We randomly assigned 135 asthenospermia patients to groups A (n = 47), B (n = 45), and C (n = 43) to be treated with Shugan Yiyang Capsules, oral levocarnitine, or combination of the two. We observed sperm quality and the level of α-glucosidase in the seminal plasma before and after medication. RESULTS: The total effectiveness rate was 70.21% in group A (markedly effective in 16 cases and effective in 17), 68.89% in group B (markedly effective in 15 cases and effective in 16), and 83.72% in group C (markedly effective in 16 cases and effective in 20), significantly higher in C than in A and B (P < 0.05). Both sperm quality and the level of α-glucosidase in the seminal plasma were improved in the three groups of patients, most obviously in group C. CONCLUSION: Shugan Yiyang Capsules can be used for the treatment of asthenospermia, and its effect can be enhanced in combination with oral levocarnitine.

Relaxant effects of Aike Mixture on isolated bladder and prostatic urethral smooth muscle of rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the relaxant effect of Aike Mixture (AKM) on isolated bladder and prostatic urethral smooth muscle of rabbits. METHODS: The isolated bladder and prostatic urethral smooth muscle from male rabbits were placed in a Magnus bath and smooth muscle contraction was measured using a biological signal acquisition and analysis system. The effects of AKM in combination with methoxyamine, carbachol and CaCl2 on the contractile tension of muscle strips were determined by cumulative dosing. RESULTS: AKM dose-dependently reduced contractile tension of bladder trigone smooth muscle (r=0.831, P<0.05), reduced contractile wave amplitude (r=0.837, P<0.05) and decreased contractile frequency (r=-0.917, P<0.01). AKM significantly inhibited the increases in smooth muscle contraction induced by methoxyamine, carbachol and CaCl2. CONCLUSION: AKM dose-dependently inhibited the contraction of rabbit isolated bladder and prostatic urethral smooth muscle by antagonizing α1-adrenergic receptors and M-cholinergic receptors.

Effect of Aike Mixture on the inflammatory infiltration in patients with chronic prostatitis type III A.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Aike Mixture (AKM) on prostatic inflammatory infiltration in patients with chronic prostatitis type III A (III A-CP/CPPS) and evaluate its anti-inflammatory action. METHODS METHODS: A total of 60 patients with III A-CP/CPPS suitable to operation and differentiated as Chinese medicine: Gan qi stagnancy syndrome type were selected. They were assigned with the random number table to two groups equally. Before operation, the patients in the treated group were administered with Proscar combined with AKM, but those in the control group treated with Proscar only. Suprapubic transvesical prostatectomy was performed two weeks later, and prostatic pathological examination was conducted. RESULTS: Grading of: inflammatory cell infiltration showed that the mean grade in the treated group was 0.78 ± 0.90 grades, which was significantly lower than that in the control group 1.68 ± 0.87 grades (P<0.05). However, the two groups were not different in the grades of fibroblast proliferation (1.50 ± 0.70 grades vs 1.62 ± 0.87 grades, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: AKM could suppress the inflammatory cell infiltration, be an effective and safe remedy for the treatment of IIIA-CP/CPPS of Gan-qi stagnancy syndrome type, and worthy for spreading in clinical use.

[Effect of aike mixture on fibroplasia and inflammatory infiltration in rats with non-bacterial prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the anti-inflammatory effect of Aike Mixture (AKM) on rats with nonbacterial prostatitis (NBP). METHODS: Rat model of NBP was established by injection of Xiaozhiling Injection. The experimental rats were randomized into 7 groups: the three AKM groups (A1, A2 and A3), treated with high, middle and low dose of AKM respectively, the 2 positive control groups (C1 and C2), treated by Bazheng Mixture (BZM) and Qianliexian Decoction (QLXD) respectively, the model control group (Cm) and the sham-operative control group (Cso). The pathological changes in rats' prostate were observed by light microscope and transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: Significant differences in the number and structure of acini, mesenchyma, as well as the degrees of anti-fibroplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration were shown between the treated groups (A1, A2, A3, C1, C1, C2) and the untreated groups (Cm, Cso), with statistical significance (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). However, the anti-fibroplasia and anti-inflammatory effects in A1 were better than that in the two positive control groups significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: AKM is a new TCM drug functioned for dispersing Gan-qi in treating NBP. It shows a better efficacy than that of BZM and QLXD, the two Chinese herbal medicines for clearing heat with remove dampness and activating blood circulation to remove stasis, respectively. Aike Mixture; prostatitis; pathological observation

[Aike mixture has good anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects on mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions of Aike Mixture (AKM). METHODS: A total of 100 male mice were randomly assigned into 5 groups: a normal control group, a drug control group (a hydrocortisone subgroup and an atropine subgroup), a high-dose AKM group, a mid-dose AKM group and a low-dose AKM group. Xylene was spread on the left ear of the experimental mice to induce inflammation, and 1% acetic acid solution injected into the abdominal cavity to produce pain so as to cause the body bend. Different doses of AKM were given and their actions observed. RESULTS: AKM had obvious anti-inflammatory effect on the xylene-induced ear tumefaction and inhibited the pain-caused body bend in the AKM groups, with significant difference from the normal control (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: AKM has good anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which is of clinical significance in the treatment of chronic prostatitis.

[Clinical study on treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome by three different TCM principles].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of various therapeutic principles of TCM in treating patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). METHODS: Adopting blinded controlled trial method, 218 patients with CP/CPPS were randomly assigned to 4 groups: Group A treated with Aike Decoction for smoothing Gan-qi; Group B with Bazhengsan Decoction for clearing heat and removing dampness; Group C with Qianliexianyan Decoction for promoting blood circulation to remove stasis; and Group D with placebo. The scores of NIH chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI), clinical symptoms, including pain, symptoms of urinary tract and quality of life (QOL), and TCM syndrome integral were estimated at the beginning, the end of the 2nd and 4th week in the study. RESULTS: Compared with the others, Group A showed a superiority in improving NIH-CPSI, scores of various clinical symptoms and TCM syndrome integral at the 2nd week, and improving NIH-CPSI, scores of pain and QOL at the 4th week (all P < 0.05), while the improvement on urinary tract symptoms and TCM syndrome integral in Group A at the 4th week were better than those in Group B and D, but insignificantly different to those in Group C, respectively. No adverse reaction occurred in Group A and D, but it did occur in the other two groups. CONCLUSION: TCM therapy for smoothing Gan-qi shows good efficacy with quick initiating and high safety, it is an important principle for the treatment of CP/CPPS.

[The treatment of method of regulating qi by alleviation of mental depress in chronic abacteria prostatitis].

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of method of regulating qi by alleviation of mental depress for chronic abacteria prostatitis (CAP). METHODS: From Aug. 2000 to Dec. 2000, 60 patients underwent TCM treatment with either method of regulating qi by alleviation of mental depress (31 cases) or promoting blood circulation (29 cases). RESULTS: The marked rate and effective rate were 83.86%, 93.55% in treatment group, and 65.52%, 93.10% in the control group, respectively. The marked rate in treatment group was higher than that of control group. Scores of NIH-CPSI were more decreased in treatment group than that in control group(P < 0.05). The quality of life improved significantly in treatment group than that in control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Method of regulating qi by alleviation of mental depress had its advantage over methods of promoting blood circulation for CAP and was an effective treatment modality for CAP.