Acupuncture for glaucoma-induced optic atrophy: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture for glaucoma-induced optic atrophy.@*METHODS@#A total of 70 patients (89 affected eyes) with glaucoma-induced optic atrophy were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 35 cases in each group. The control group was given basic western medicine treatment. In the observation group, on the basis of the treatment in the control group, acupuncture was applied at main acupoints i.e. Baihui (GV 20), Shangjingming (Extra), Chengqi (ST 1), Fengchi (GB 20), Zusanli (ST 36), combined with supplementary acupoints based on syndrome differentiation, once every three days, twice a week. The treatment for 3 months was required in both groups. Before treatment, after treatment and in follow-up of 6 months after treatment, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), indexes of visual field (visual field index [VFI], mean deviation [MD], pattern standard deviation [PSD]) and mean thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were observed in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, BCVA was decreased after treatment and in follow-up in the control group (P<0.05); in the follow-up, BCVA in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). On each time point before and after treatment, there was no significant difference within or between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment and in the follow-up, the mean thickness of RNFL was larger than the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#On the basis of the basic western medicine treatment, acupuncture can delay the decline of vision and the thinning of retinal nerve fiber layer in patients with glaucoma-induced optic atrophy.

Corrigendum to “Quantitative determination of multi-class bioactive constituents for quality assessment of ten Anoectochilus, four Goodyera and one Ludisia species in China” Chinese Herbal Medicines 12 (2020) 430–439 (Chinese Herbal Medicines (2020) 12(4) (430–439), (S1674638420300824), (10.1016/j.chmed.2020.07.002)) / 中草药·英文版

The authors regret for the changes in Fig. 6 as follow: [Figure presented] Fig. 6. HPLC-ELSD chromatograms of ten Anoectochilus, four Goodyera and one Ludisia species on AQ-C

Interaction between homologous functional food Astragali Radix and intestinal flora / 中国中药杂志

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the treasure of our culture, and TCM theory is the core of traditional Chinese medicine. Many of its concepts can be unified and balanced with modern functional food ideas. Even in ancient days, people had already found that medicine and food have the same source. Nowadays, homology between drug and food has been accepted widely. Astragali Radix and some other herbs have been used both as food and medicine, with a variety of bio-active substances, so such herbs can be used as characteristics resources to be developed into functional food. It's a combination of traditional medicine and modern ideas. Flavonoids, polysaccharides and saponins, the main compositions of Astragali Radix, can keep intestinal microenvironment homeostasis and human health by influencing the population structure, metabolism and intestinal cell function of intestinal flora. On the other hand, intestinal flora is also involved in the absorption, metabolism, transformation and other steps of these active ingredients in the body, which has an impact on their effectiveness and improves their bioavailability, playing an essential role in the relevant mechanism of their effectiveness. In this paper, we summarize the interaction between the above three functional ingredients in Astragali Radix and intestinal flora, sum up the interaction between these three functional ingredients of other homologous drugs and intestinal flora, provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism and application of functional food materials, and propose some suggestions and prospects for their future development.

Herbal medicine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease / 中国结合医学杂志

Associated with the aging of our world population is a sharp increase in the incidence of Alzheimer's disease, which not only poses a significant health issue but also presents a serious social problem. Although pharmacological treatments were developed based on existing hypotheses, the disease pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. Given the complexity of Alzheimer's disease, Chinese herbal medicine appears to have therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease through multi-target and multi-pathway approach at cellular and molecular levels and holistic adjustment of the body at organ system levels. Recently, a significant breakthrough has been made in the research of Chinese medicine for Alzheimer's disease. In this article, we review the experimental research progress in understanding how Chinese medicine could be used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.