Study of the mechanism of action of sand therapy on atherosclerosis based on the two-phase flow-Casson model.

BACKGROUND: Sand therapy is a non-pharmacological physiotherapy method that uses the natural environment and resources of Xinjiang to treat through the heat transfer and magnetic effects of sand. OBJECTIVE: Employing the two-phase flow-Casson blood flow model, we investigate the mechanism of atherosclerosis prevention via sand therapy, offering a biomechanical theoretical rationale for the prevention of atherosclerosis through sand therapy via the prism of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). METHODS: Sand therapy experiments were conducted to obtain popliteal artery blood flow velocity, and blood was considered as a two-phase flow composed of plasma and red blood cells, and CFD method was applied to analyze the hemodynamic effects of Casson's blood viscosity model before and after sand therapy. RESULTS: (1) The blood flow velocity increased by 0.24 m/s and 0.04 m/s at peak systolic and diastolic phases, respectively, after sand therapy; the axial velocity of blood vessels increased by 28.56% after sand therapy. (2) The average red blood cell viscosity decreased by 0.00014 Pa ⋅ s after sand therapy. (3) The low wall shear stress increased by 1.09 Pa and the high wall shear stress reached 41.47 Pa after sand therapy. (4) The time-averaged wall shear stress, shear oscillation index and relative retention time were reduced after sand therapy. CONCLUSION: The increase of blood flow velocity after sand therapy can reduce the excessive deposition of cholesterol and other substances, the decrease of erythrocyte viscosity is beneficial to the migration of erythrocytes to the vascular center, the increase of low wall shear stress has a positive effect on the prevention of atherosclerosis, and the decrease of time-averaged wall shear stress, shear oscillation index and relative retention time can reduce the occurrence of thrombosis.

Electroacupuncture ameliorates cardiac dysfunction in myocardial ischemia model rats: a potential role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the hypothesis that electroacupuncture inhibits the hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulating the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the hippocampus of acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) rats. METHODS: Sixty-six healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: Sham, AMI (Model), electroacupuncture at Shenmen (HT7)-Tongli (HT5) segment (EA), non-acupoint electroacupuncture (Control), and Model + corticosterone (Model + CORT). AMI was induced occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, followed by 3 d of electroacupuncture at Shenmen (HT7)-Tongli (HT5) segment. In the Control group, electroacupuncture was applied at points lying 5 and 10 mm from the base of the tail. The AMI + CORT group was injected with CORT (20 mg/kg) in saline. Hemorheology, electrocardiography (ECG), hematoxylin and eosin staining, and expression of glycogen phosphorylase BB (GPBB) and heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) were used to assess cardiac function. The effects of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and CORT were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Protein expression in the Sham and Model groups were screened by tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics analysis. Protein expression was evaluated by Western blotting (vimentin and GFAP) and immunofluorescence staining (GFAP). RESULTS: Compared with the Sham group, the hemorheology indicators, heart rate, ECG-ST segment elevation, and GPBB and H-FABP levels were higher in Model rats. The EA group showed reductions in these indicators compared with the Model group. Similarly, in Model rats, the expression of ACTH and CORT were significantly increased compared with the Sham group. The EA group also showed reduced expression of ACTH and CORT. Importantly, proteomics analysis showed that vimentin was differentially expressed in Model rats. Compared with the Sham group, vimentin and GFAP expression in the hippocampus was increased in the Model group but decreased in the AMI + EA group. Additionally, intraperitoneal injection of CORT aggravated the expression of GPBB, H-FABP and GFAP. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that electroacupuncture may protect against cardiac injury induced by AMI through regulation of HPA axis hyperactivity, and that hippocampal GFAP may play an important role in the regulation.

Clinical Predominance Disease of Traditional Chinese Medicine： Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Gastroesophageal reflux disease （GERD） is a frequently and commonly occurring disease in clinic. In recent decades， with the development in pathophysiology and drug researches， modern medicine has achieved remarkable progress and results in diagnosis and treatment. However， the treatments for non-erosive reflux disease， refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease， proton pump inhibitor resistance， overlap of disease symptoms， and extraesophageal symptoms are limited and ineffective. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） was widely used in clinical practice， which has been proved effective in relieving symptoms and improving the quality of life. Sponsored by China Association of Chinese Medicine （CACM） and undertaken by the Spleen and Stomach Disease Branch of CACM， "the 12th Youth Salon of Clinical Predominance Disease Series （GERD）" invited 18 authoritative digestive experts of TCM and western medicine to discuss "the difficulties of clinical diagnosis and treatment of GERD and TCM advantages". The focus issues such as modern medical diagnosis and treatment achievements and contributions， improvement and maintenance of symptoms， response to overlapping disease symptoms， reduction and withdrawal of acid suppressors， and treatment of extra-esophageal symptoms were discussed in depth. TCM and western medicine exchanged and complemented each other's strengths， combing the difficulties of modern medical diagnosis and treatment， which clarified the positioning and advantages of TCM and provided guidance for clinical and scientific research.

Mechanism of Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules in clearing heat and removing food stagnation in suckling rats with fever and food accumulation based on metabolomics / 中国中药杂志

Children's fever is often accompanied by food accumulation. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that removing food stagnation while clearing heat of children can effectively avoid heat damage. To systematically evaluate the efficacy of Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules(XRCQ) in clearing heat and removing food accumulation and explore its potential mechanism, this study combined suckling SD rats fed with high-sugar and high-fat diet with injection of carrageenan to induce rat model of fever and food accumulation. This study provided references for the study on the pharmacodynamics and mechanism of XRCQ. The results showed that XRCQ effectively reduced the rectal temperature of suckling rats, improved the inflammatory environment such as the content of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-2(IL-2), interferon-γ(IFN-γ), white blood cells, and monocytes. XRCQ also effectively repaired intestinal injury and enhanced intestinal propulsion function. According to the confirmation of its efficacy of clearing heat, the thermolytic mechanism of XRCQ was further explored by non-targeted and targeted metabolomics methods based on LTQ-Orbitrap MS/MS and UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS. Non-target metabolomics analysis of brain tissue samples was performed by QI software combined with SIMCA-P software, and 22 endogenous metabolites that could be significantly regulated were screened out. MetaboAnalyst pathway enrichment results showed that the intervention mechanism was mainly focused on tyrosine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, inositol phosphate metabolism, and other pathways. At the same time, the results of targeted metabolomics of brain tissue samples showed that XRCQ changed the vitality of digestive system, and inhibited abnormal energy metabolism and inflammatory response, playing a role in clearing heat and removing food stagnation from multiple levels.

Effect of post-discharge pharmacist-led follow-up on drug treatment in patients with deep venous thrombosis in primary hospitals in China.

Warfarin and rivaroxaban were the two most commonly-used anticoagulant drugs for Deep venous thrombosis (DVT). The aim of this study was to explore the effects of post-discharge pharmacist-led follow-up on drug treatment in patients with DVT in primary hospitals from a pharmacological perspective. A total of 125 patients were recruited from July 2017 to June 2019 and randomized to either a control group or an intervention group. The control group was given routine medication guidance, clinical pharmacists followed up at 3 and 6 months after discharge. The intervention group was based on the control group and was followed up weekly for 6 months after discharge. For patients taking warfarin, the percentage of time in therapeutic range (TTR) and TTR>65% were significantly higher in the intervention group (p<0.05) and they also had less frequent dose changes. For patients taking warfarin or rivaroxaban, vascular ultrasonography showed better improvement rate in the intervention group (p<0.05). Pharmacist-led follow-up showed that the medication adherence (p<0.05) were significantly improved. There were lower risks of total and minor hemorrhage events and thrombosis events in the intervention group (p<0.05). Pharmacist-led follow-up not only reduced the risk of hemorrhage and thrombosis events, but also improved adherence to anticoagulation drugs.

Effect and mechanism of Jingqi Yukui Capsules on gastric ulcer mucosa healing quality: based on network pharmacology and animal experiment / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to identify the active components and the mechanism of Jingqi Yukui Capsules(JQYK) in the treatment of gastric ulcer based on network pharmacology, and verify some key targets and signaling pathways through animal experiment. To be specific, first, the active components and targets of JQYK were retrieved from a Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine(BATMAN-TCM) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP), and the targets of gastric ulcer from GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM) with the search term "gastric ulcer". The common targets of the two were the potential targets of the prescription for the treatment of the di-sease. Then, protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of key targets were constructed based on STRING and Cytoscape 3.7.2, followed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment by matescape database and pathway visualization by Omicshare. For the animal experiment, the improved method of Okabe was used to induce gastric ulcer in rats, and the model rats were classified into the model group, JQYK high-dose(JQYK-H), medium-dose(JQYK-M), and low-dose(JQYK-L) groups, Anweiyang Capsules(WYA) group, and Rabeprazole Sodium Enteric Capsules(RBPZ) group. Normal rats were included in the blank group. Rats in the blank group and model group were given distilled water and those in the administration groups received corresponding drugs. Then gastric ulcer healing in rats was observed. The changes of the gastric histomorphology in rats were evaluated based on hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, and the content of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) in rat gastric tissue was detected with Coomassie brilliant blue method. The mRNA and protein levels of some proteins in rat gastric tissue were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) and Western blot(WB) to further validate some key targets and signaling pathways. A total of 206 active components and 535 targets of JQYK, 1 305 targets of gastric ulcer, and 166 common targets of the disease and the drug were yielded. According to PPI analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, multiple key targets, such as interleukin-6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor(TNF), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1), MAPK3, and MAPK14, as well as nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB) signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and leukocyte transendothelial migration in the top 20 key signaling pathways were closely related to inflammation. The key protein p38 MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway were selected for further verification by animal experiment. The gastric ulcer in the JQYK-H group recovered nearly to the level in the blank group, with significant decrease in the content of iNOS in rat gastric tissue and significant reduction in the mRNA and phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK and the mRNA and protein levels of NF-κB p65 in rat gastric tissue. The results indicated that JQYK can inhibit the phosphorylation of the key protein p38 MAPK and the expression of NF-κB p65 in the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby exerting the anti-inflammatory effect and effectively improving the quality of gastric ulcer healing in rats. Thus, the animal experiment result verifies some predictions of network pharmacology.

Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Radiomics for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence Prediction After Thermal Ablation.

PURPOSE: To develop a radiomics model based on dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to predict early and late recurrence in patients with a single HCC lesion ≤ 5 cm in diameter after thermal ablation. PROCEDURES: We enrolled patients who underwent thermal ablation for HCC in our hospital from April 2004 to April 2017. Radiomics based on two branch convolution recurrent network was utilized to analyze preoperative dynamic CEUS image of HCC lesions to establish CEUS model, in comparison to the conventional ultrasound (US), clinical, and combined models. Clinical follow-up of HCC recurrence after ablation were taken as reference standard to evaluate the predicted performance of CEUS model and other models. RESULTS: We finally analyzed 318 patients (training cohort: test cohort = 255:63). The combined model showed better performance for early recurrence than CUES (in training cohort, AUC, 0.89 vs. 0.84, P < 0.001; in test cohort, AUC, 0.84 vs. 0.83, P = 0.272), US (P < 0.001), or clinical model (P < 0.001). For late recurrence prediction, the combined model showed the best performance than the CEUS (C-index, in training cohort, 0.77 vs. 0.76, P = 0.009; in test cohort, 0.77 vs. 0.68, P < 0.001), US (P < 0.001), or clinical model (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The CEUS model based on dynamic CEUS radiomics performed well in predicting early HCC recurrence after ablation. The combined model combining CEUS, US radiomics, and clinical factors could stratify the high risk of late recurrence.

Inhibitory effect of Qing-Fei-Pai-Du decoction on coronavirus in vitro / 药学学报

Qing-Fei-Pai-Du decoction (QFPDD) is a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and plays an important role in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study investigated the inhibitory effect of QFPDD on coronavirus replication and antiviral mechanism. The cytotoxicity of QFPDD was determined by PrestoBlue cell viability assay. Quantitive reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunofluorescence assay (IF) were used to detect the inhibitory effects of QFPDD on coronavirus at RNA and protein levels. qRT-PCR was used to detect the adsorption and penetration of coronavirus after QFPDD treatment. The effects of QFPDD on interferon (IFN) and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were also detected by qRT-PCR. The results showed that QFPDD inhibited coronavirus at RNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner at non-toxic concentration, and QFPDD targeted in the early stages of coronavirus infection cycle. Preliminary mechanism studies have shown that QFPDD can directly block the virus entry into the cell by inhibiting virus adsorption, and QFPDD can also play an antiviral role by up-regulating the expression of IFN and ISGs. These results indicate QFPDD as a drug potential to treat coronavirus infection.

Corrigendum to “Metabolic profiling of icaritin in rats using UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS” Chinese Herbal Medicines 11 (2019) 185–191 (Chinese Herbal Medicines (2019) 11(2) (185–191), (S1674638419300255), (10.1016/j.chmed.2019.03.008)) / 中草药·英文版

When this paper was first published the following ethical statement was omitted in error: The studies were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The animals were cared according to the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Identification of chemical constituents of Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules based on UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS and network pharmacology analysis / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to qualitatively analyze the chemical components in Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules(XRCQ) by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS and identify its material basis. The absorbed components in plasma were combined for exploring the potential action mechanism by integrated network pharmacology. ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.8 μm) column and mobile phase system of 0.1% formic acid solution(A)-acetonitrile(B) were used for gradient elution, followed by high resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in both positive and negative ion scanning modes. According to the precise relative molecular mass and MS/MS fragment ions, a total of 124 chemical components were identified in XRCQ by the comparison with references and literature reports, among which 29 compounds were completely confirmed by comparison with reference substances. Then, the main absorbed components of XRCQ in plasma were also analyzed and clarified by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS. BATMAN-TCM and SwissTargetPrediction were used for target prediction of absorbed components in plasma. Following the plotting of association network with Cytoscape 3.8.2, the core targets were subjected to GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and a component-target-pathway network was constructed. A total of eight main targets of XRCQ against fever in children were obtained together with eight absorbed components in plasma, including glycyrhydinic acid, hesperidin, emodin, reticuline, daidzein, magnolignan C, magnolignan A, and magnolaldehyde D. It was inferred that XRCQ might improve alimentary system abnormality, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and endocrine disorder through tumor necrosis factor, PI3 K-AKT, and other signaling pathways. The present study comprehensively expounded the chemical profiles of XRCQ and the main absorbed components in plasma and predicted the potential mechanism of XRCQ based on integrated network pharmacology, which has provided certain theoretical reference for the clinical application of XRCQ.

Progress of classification algorithms for motor imagery electroencephalogram signals / 生物医学工程学杂志

Motor imagery (MI), motion intention of the specific body without actual movements, has attracted wide attention in fields as neuroscience. Classification algorithms for motor imagery electroencephalogram (MI-EEG) signals are able to distinguish different MI tasks based on the physiological information contained by the EEG signals, especially the features extracted from them. In recent years, there have been some new advances in classification algorithms for MI-EEG signals in terms of classifiers versus machine learning strategies. In terms of classifiers, traditional machine learning classifiers have been improved by some researchers, deep learning and Riemannian geometry classifiers have been widely applied as well. In terms of machine learning strategies, ensemble learning, adaptive learning, and transfer learning strategies have been utilized to improve classification accuracies or reach other targets. This paper reviewed the progress of classification algorithms for MI-EEG signals, summarized and evaluated the existing classifiers and machine learning strategies, to provide new ideas for developing classification algorithms with higher performance.

Effect of electroacupuncture preconditioning of "Neiguan"(PC6) on myocardial LKB1/AMPK/PFK2 pathway in myocardial ischemia rats / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) preconditioning on the expression of liver protein kinase 1 (LKB1), adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (PFK2) in cardiomyocytes of rats with acute myocardial ischemia (AMI), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying cardioprotective effect. METHODS: Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham-operation, model and EA pretreatment groups (n＝10 rats per group). The AMI model was established by ligation of the left anterior descending branch of coronary artery. Before modeling, EA preconditioning (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to bilateral "Neiguan"(PC6) for 30 min, once daily for 14 days. Histopathological changes of myocardium was observed by microscope after H．E. staining. The level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum was detected by ELISA. The expression of autophagy-associated proteins and mRNAs as LKB1, AMPKa1, AMPKa2 and PFK2 were detected by Western blot and real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operation group, serum LDH content, and expression levels of myocardial AMPKa2 and PFK2 proteins and mRNAs were significantly up-regulated (P<0.01), and those of LKB1 and AMPKa1 proteins and mRNAs were increased in the model group (P<0.05). Following the intervention, serum LDH were apparently down-regulated (P<0.01), and expression levels of myocardial LKB1, AMPKa1 and PFK2 proteins and mRNAs were apparently up-regulated (P<0.01), but that of AMPKa2 protein and mRNA was remarkably down-regulated in the EA group (P<0.01). H．E. staining showed cell swelling, disordered arrangement of myocardial fibers with obvious rupture, interstitial bleeding and inflammatory infiltration, which was relatively milder in the EA preconditioning group. CONCLUSION: EA pretreatment can trigger LKB1/AMPK/PFK2 signaling pathway in AMI rats, which may contribute to its cardioprotective effect against ischemic myocardial injury by activating autophagy of cardiomyocytes.　.

A study on quality of Paridis Rhizoma and consideration on standards of Paridis Rhizoma in Chinese Pharmacopoeia / 中国中药杂志

Thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and multivariate statistical analysis were integrated in current study to provide a basis for the quality evaluation and the standard improvement of Paridis Rhizoma(Chinese name: Chong-lou). The results demonstrated that the primary saponins in the two authorized sources of Paridis Rhizoma were polyphyllinsⅠ, Ⅱ and Ⅶ, while the rhizome of Trillium tschonoskii an adulterant of Paridis Rhizoma was rich of polyphyllin Ⅵ. Therefore, the apparent content of polyphyllin Ⅵ plays a determinant role towards the source authentication of raw materials and decoction slices of Paridis Rhizoma, whose adulterants frequently occur in the market. Moreover, the contents of polyphyllin Ⅵ in the two authorized sources could meet the requirements of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Therefore, we suggested that polyphyllin Ⅵ should not be omitted from the quality standard of Paridis Rhizoma in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and on the other side, polyphyllinsⅠ, Ⅱ and Ⅶ should be the eligible quality indicators. The study aims to sound information and evidences for the quality evaluation of Paridis Rhizoma, and also to provide a theoretical basis for the standard revision of Paridis Rhizoma in the future Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Electro-acupuncture regulates the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 中西医结合学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Acupuncture has a definite therapeutic effect on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) has been shown to be involved in regulation of inflammation. In this study, we investigated whether electro-acupuncture (EA) affects the CAP in COPD.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sprague-Dawley rats were induced into COPD through exposure to cigarette smoke combined with lipopolysaccharide. EA treatment was applied at Zusanli (ST36) and Feishu (BL13) points for 30 min/d for 7 d. Seventy-two rats were randomly divided into six study groups, including normal, normal + EA, normal + α-bungarotoxin (α-BGT) (the antagonist of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subunit (α7nAChR)) + EA, COPD, COPD + EA, and COPD + α-BGT + EA. Lung function, pathology and vagus nerve discharge were tested. The levels of acetylcholine (ACh), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mRNA and protein expression and immunoreactivity of α7nAChR and its postreceptor inflammation signal pathway, including janus kinase 2 (JAK2), signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), were observed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with normal rats, there were a significant decline in lung function and discharge of the vagus nerve (P < 0.01), a marked sign of lung inflammation and an increase of ACh, AChE, IL-6 and TNF-α level in BALF or lung tissue (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) and higher expression of α7nAChR, JAK2, STAT3 and NF-κB (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the COPD rats. In rats receiving EA, the lung function and vagal discharge were enhanced (P < 0.01), lung inflammation was improved and the levels of ACh, AChE, IL-6 and TNF-α were decreased (P < 0.01). Further, the expression of α7nAChR, JAK2, STAT3 and NF-κB was downregulated (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). However, the above effects of EA were blocked in rats injected with α-BGT (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA treatment can reduce the lung inflammatory response and improve lung function in COPD, which may be related to its involvement in the regulation of CAP.</p>

Systematic Review of Therapeutic Effect of Electroacupuncture for Idiopathic Facial Palsy at Acute Stage / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To make a systematic review of therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture(EA) for idiopathic facial palsy at acute stage. Methods With reference to the included criteria and excluded criteria, clinical controlled trials of EA for idiopathic facial palsy at acute stage were screened from the databases of CBM, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP by computer retrieval and from the primary domestic academic journals of acupuncture by manual retrieval. Systematic review was performed following the Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook, and RevMan 5.3 was used for Meta-analysis. Results Sixteen clinical trials were included. The Meta-analysis results showed that the cure rate evaluated with 3 kinds of therapeutic effect criteria in the observation group was superior to that of the control group, the difference being significant (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the effects on improving days for cure, cure case number within one month, blink reflex, and case number with complications in the observation group were also superior to that of the control group, the difference being significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion EA exerts certain therapeutic effect for idiopathic facial palsy at acute stage. But for the quantity and quality of the included trials are not satisfactory, the conclusion still needs more high-quality, large-size and long-term follow-up trials to verify.

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Hippocampal IL-6, IL-1 β, TNF-α and Norepinephrine Levels in Acute Myocardial Ischemia Rats / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: We have repeatedly demonstrated that electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Shenmen" (HT 7)- "Tongli" (HT 5) segment of the Heart Meridian can improve acute myocardial ischemia (AMI). This study aimed at observing the effect of EA on contents of hippocampal norepinephrine (NE), and interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-1 β and tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α) in AMI rats, so as to explore its underlying mechanism. METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham operation (sham), model and EA(n=6 rats in each). The anterior descending branch (ADB) of the left coronary artery was occluded to make an AMI model. For rats of the sham group, a surgical suture was simply threaded beneath the ADB without ligation. EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to bilateral "Shenmen" (HT 7)- "Tongli" (HT 5) and the middle-point between HT 7 and HT 5 for 30 min, once daily for 3 days. Electrocardiogram (ECG) of the neck-thoracic lead was recorded by using PowerLab 16. The contents of serum creatine kinase (CK), hippocampal IL-6, IL-1 β and TNF-α were assayed by ELISA. The concentration of NE in hippocampal CA 1 area was detected by microdialysis combined with electrochemical detector. RESULTS: Compared with the sham group, the ECG-ST height, serum CK, hippocampal NE, IL-6, IL-1 β and TNF-α contents of the CA 1 region were significantly increased in the model group (P<0.001). Whereas, after EA intervention, the serum CK, hippocampal NE, IL-6, IL-1 β and TNF-α contents were obviously down-regulated relevant to the model group (P<0.05, P<0.001), and the IL-6, IL-1 β and TNF-α contents were positively correlated with the NE level (P<0.001, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EA stimulation of the Heart Meridian may improve ischemic myocardial injury in AMI rats, probably by reducing the proinflammatory factors and hippocampal NE.

Analysis of Regularity of Acupoint Selection in Acupuncture Treatment of Urticaria Based on Data Mining Technology / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the regularity of acupoint selection, main acupoints and theoretical basis in acupuncture treatment of urticaria. METHODS: Papers collected from the time of establishment of each database to September of 2017 were retrieved from databases CNKI, CBM, VIP and WF by using keywords of "acupuncture" "moxibustion" "blood-letting therapy" "autohemotherapy" "cupping" "acupoint catgut embedding" "auricular points" "acupoint injection" "fire-needle" (or red-hot needle), "dermal needle" "needle-embedding" "urticaria" in both Chinese and English. The collected papers were brought into analysis according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, from which the prescriptions for acupuncture treatment of urticaria were subjected into descriptive statistical analysis, association rule analysis, and cluster analysis by using Access 2010, Clementine 18.0 and Stata software. RESULTS: Outcomes of analysis indicated that the treatment methods of urticaria with acupuncture and moxibustion, with different emphases, may be classified into eight categories. For treating the exterior syndrome of urticaria, acupoints of the Bladder Meridian, Governor Vessel and Conception Vessel were often employed to harmonize Ying and Wei and to dispel the pathogenic wind, while for treating the interior syndrome, acupoints of the Large Intestine Meridian, Spleen Meridian, and Stomach Meridian were usually used to invigorate the spleen to dispel dampness and to regulate blood circulation. The top five frequently used acupoints were Quchi (LI 11), Xuehai (SP 10), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Geshu (BL 17). It was crucial to make use of the specific acupoints with adequate meridian-qi, such as He-Sea points, Back-Shu points, and Yuan-Primary points. There were some fixed forms in the combination of acupoints, including LI 11, SP 10, Dazhui (GV 14) and auricular Lung, Shenmen, Fengxi, Adrenal gland, which had the highest confidence coefficient for the meridian points and ear acu-points, respectively. The outcomes of cluster analysis about the acupoint prescriptions showed that 12 acupoint groups as the SP 6-Hegu (LI 4)-LI 11-SP 10-ST 36, etc. were frequently used. CONCLUSION: The regularity of acupuncture treatment of urticaria can be discovered using data mining technology, resulting in an in-depth understanding and having a solid theoretical basis.

Effect of integrated Chinese and Western medicine therapy on severe hand, foot and mouth disease: A prospective, randomized, controlled trial / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicine (CM) plus Western medicine (WM) in the treatment of pediatric patients with severe hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) by conducting a prospective, controlled, and randomized trial.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 451 pediatric patients with severe HFMD were randomly assigned to receive WM therapy alone (224 cases, WM therapy group) or CM [Reduning Injection ( ) or Xiyanping Injection ()] plus WM therapy (227 cases, CM plus WM therapy group) for 7-10 days, according to a web-based randomization system. The primary outcome was fever clearance time, which was presented as temperature decreased half-life time. The secondary outcomes included the rate of rash/herpes disappearance within 120 h, as well as the rate for cough, runny nose, lethargy and weakness, agitation or irritability, and vomiting clearance within 120 h. The drug-related adverse events were also recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The temperature decreased half-life time was 40.4 h in the WM therapy group, significantly longer than 27.2 h in the CM plus WM therapy group (P<0.01). Moreover, the rate for rash/herpes disappearance within 120 h was 43.6% (99/227) in the CM plus WM therapy group, significantly higher than 29.5% (66/224) in the WM therapy group (P<0.01). In addition, the rate for cough, lethargy and weakness, agitation or irritability disappearance within 120 h was 32.6% (74/227) in the CM plus WM therapy group, significantly higher than 19.2% (43/224) in the WM therapy group (P<0.01). No drug-related adverse events were observed during the course of the study.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The combined CM and WM therapy achieved a better therapeutic efficacy in treating severe HFMD than the WM therapy alone. Reduning or Xiyanping Injections may become an important complementary therapy to WM for relieving the symptoms of severe HFMD. (Registration No. NCT01145664).</p>

Research progress of berberine in treatment of diabetic kidney disease / 中国中药杂志

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a chronic renal microvascular complication associated with abnormal glucose metabolism, which is an important cause of end stage renal disease. Diabetes can damage the kidney through many ways, including renal vascular, glomerular, tubular, and renal interstitial damages. Therefore, a comprehensive treatment process must be taken for the treatment of DKD, and the selection of appropriate drugs has important significance in the treatment of DKD. Berberine has significant curative effect in the treatment of DKD, and the mechanism is related to the reduction of blood sugar, improvement of renal hemodynamics abnormality, regulation of blood lipid profile and the attenuation of systemic and local inflammation.

The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on fatigue and sleep quality for breast cancer patients un-dergoing chemotherapy / 中华护理杂志

Objective To evaluate the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction(MBSR) on fatigue and sleep quality for breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods Totally 96 patients with breast cancer under-going chemotherapy were assigned into the intervention group and the control group with 48 cases in each group from a tertiary hospital in Zhengzhou city. Both groups received routine care,and the intervention group also received 8 weeks of MBSR. The Revised Piper Fatigue Scale(PFS-R) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI) were used to assess fatigue and sleep quality of two groups during chemotherapy before the intervention(T1),after the interven-tion(T2) and 3 months after the intervention (T3). Results There were significant differences in sensory,behav-ioral,emotional and total fatigue scores between the two groups(P<0.05);the time effect on fatigue of the various dimensions scores and total fatigue scores was significant(P<0.05);sensory aspects,emotional aspects,behavioral aspects,and total fatigue scores were interfered between intervention and time factors(P<0.05). There were signifi-cant differences in sleep quality,fall sleep time,sleep time,sleep efficiency and sleep scores between the two groups(P<0.05);the time effect on sleep quality,sleep time, fall sleep time was significant(P<0.05);there were interac-tion effects between intervention and time on sleep quality,sleep time,sleep disturbance and sleep total score(P<0.05). Conclusion MBSR can effectively relieve fatigue and improve sleep quality for breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.