[Effects of Mijiandao suppository on intestinal laxation in rats and its mechanisms].

Objective: To investigate the effects of Mijian Daotong Bowel Suppository (MJDs) on the compound diphenoxylate induced constipation model of male rats and its mechanisms. Methods: Sixty SD male rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group, positive group and MJDs group. The constipation model was established by using compound diphenoxylate gavage. The rats in blank group and model group were treated with saline by enema, the rats in positive group and MJDs group were given Kaisailu and honey decoction laxative suppository by enema, respectively, once a day for 10 days. The body weight, fecal water content, gastric emptying rate (GER) and carbon ink propulsion rate (CIPR) of rats were observed during modeling and administration. The effects of MJDs on the pathological changes of colon tissue in constipation rats were investigated by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The effect of MJDs on 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the colon of constipation rats was investigated by ELISA kit. The effects of MJDs on the expressions of aquaporins 3 (AQP3) and aquaporins 4 (AQP4) in the colon of constipation rats were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: After 10 days of administration, compared with the blank group, the body weight, fecal water content, carbon ink propulsion rate and colon 5-HT content in the model group were decreased significantly, while the expression levels of AQP3 and AQP4 in the colon were increased significantly (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). Compared with the model group, the fecal water content and colon 5-HT content in the positive group were increased significantly, and the expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 in the colon were decreased significantly. The body weight, fecal water content and colon 5-HT content in the MJDs group were increased significantly, and the expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 was decreased significantly (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). Compared with the positive group, the fecal water content of the MJDs group was decreased significantly, and the expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 in the colon of the MJDs group was decreased significantly (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). Gastric emptying rate was not statistically significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: MJDs has good therapeutic effects on constipation, and its mechanisms may be related to up-regulating the content of 5-HT in the colon and down-regulating the expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 in the colon.

Effectiveness and safety of oral Chinese patent medicines as adjuvant treatment for unstable angina pectoris on the national essential drugs list of China: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Achieving efficacious and safe treatments for unstable angina pectoris (UAP) is still a challenging clinical problem. The availability of different oral Chinese patent medicines frequently poses a practical challenge to clinicians, namely, which one to choose as first-line regimen for treatment. This study aims to examine the comparative effectiveness and safety of oral Chinese patent medicines for UAP on the national essential drugs list of China. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a network meta-analysis (NMA) of all randomised controlled trials to evaluate the use of oral Chinese patent medicines as adjuvant for the treatment of UAP. We will explore eight electronic databases from their inception to June 2018 and search for grey literature. Primary outcomes include mortality and the cardiovascular events. Secondary outcomes include: (1) symptom improvement; (2) ECG improvement; (3) frequency of acute angina attack; (4) duration of angina; (5) adverse effects. Two independent authors will screen titles and abstracts, review full texts, extract data, assess the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and assess the quality of evidence and strength of the recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). If adequate data are available, NMA will be performed with Bayesian analysis methods. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The NMA will help us to reduce the uncertainty of interventions and help clinicians to make optimal and more accurate therapeutic decisions for adults with UAP. Therefore, we will publish the findings of this study in a peer-reviewed journal. No ethics approval is necessary for this study based on the nature of its design. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018092822.

A bibliometric analysis of clinical study literature of traditional Chinese medicine therapies for smoking cessation.

INTRODUCTION: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is commonly used for smoking cessation in China. The aim of this study is to perform a comprehensive literature search to identify clinical studies on TCM therapies for smoking cessation. METHODS: Publications of randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical studies, cohort studies, case-control studies, case series and case reports, reviews and cross-sectional studies on smoking cessation using TCM therapies were retrieved from seven databases from their inception to February 2017. The following data were extracted and analyzed: study type, year of publication, language, country or region, journals, participants, intervention and comparison, and outcome. RESULTS: In total, 260 publications on TCM therapies for smoking cessation were identified from 1980 to 2016, including 52 randomized clinical trials, 7 controlled clinical studies, 1 cohort study, 110 case series, 18 case reports, 50 narrative reviews, 17 systematic reviews, and 5 cross-sectional studies. Of these, 68.5% (178) were published in Chinese and the remaining published in English. Mainland China (n=129, 49.6%) was the leading country in this field, followed by USA (n=27, 10.4%) and UK (n=25, 9.6%). A total of 36 645 participants from 40 countries with age ranging from 12 to 86 years were involved in 188 clinical studies (excluding reviews and cross-sectional studies). The most commonly reported therapies were auricular acupressure (25, 13.3%), body acupuncture (14, 7.4%), and body acupuncture plus auricular acupressure (14, 7.4%). Composite outcomes were most frequently reported (110, 58.5%). CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of clinical studies have been conducted and published on TCM therapy for smoking cessation, mainly focusing on acupuncture stimulation techniques. The findings suggest that future research should pay more attention to acupuncture for smoking cessation.