Advances and prospects of pharmacological activities of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo polysaccharides / 药学学报

italic>Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale) has been used as a valuable traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2 000 years in China. Modern research has confirmed a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as regulating blood sugar, improving gastrointestinal inflammation, and regulating immunity. Polysaccharides are the main active ingredients of D. officinale. With the intensive studies of the pharmacological activities of D. officinale, evidence for the pharmacological effects and potential mechanisms of D. officinale polysaccharides has increased dramatically. In this review, we summarized the latest progress in the pharmacological and mechanical studies of D. officinale polysaccharides, and based on the pharmacological efficacy and oral absorption and utilization characteristics of D. officinale polysaccharides, it is proposed that regulating the gut microbiota may be one of the key mechanisms for D. officinale to exert its beneficial effects. Research on the mechanism of D. officinale polysaccharides puts forward new research directions and prospects.

Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid with traditional Chinese medicine on biochemical response in patients with primary biliary cholangitis: a real-world cohort study / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective@#To examine the effects of ursodeoxycholic acid combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine on biochemical response in patients with primary biliary cholangitis.@*Methods@#According to the method of receiving treatment, 197 patients with primary biliary cholangitis were divided into Traditional Chinese Medicine plus Western medicine group (93 cases, 47.2%) and Western medicine group (104 cases, 52.8%). From the baseline date, the combined group was treated with ursodeoxycholic acid plus traditional Chinese medicine decoction or Chinese patent medicine for at least one month and the Western medicine group simply took ursodeoxycholic acid . Additionally, Traditional Chinese medicine decoction prescriptions were mainly Xiaoyaosan and Yinchenhao. Chinese patent medicine were restricted to Biejia Ruangan tablets, Fuzheng Huayu capsules, Jiuweigantai capsules and Yinzhihuang capsules, which were used to treat liver fibrosis and cholestasis. The primary efficacy endpoint was defined as ALP level < 1.67 × ULN and ≥ 15% decrease in ALP with baseline level and TBIL≤ULN after 12 months of treatment.@*Results@#The overall biochemical response rate of patients was 35.0% (69/197). The response rate of TCM+ Western medicine group was 43.0% (40/93), and that of Western medicine group was 27.9% (29/104). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (χ2 = 4.936, P < 0.05). Further analysis showed that the Chinese and Western medicine group was superior to the Western medicine group alone in reducing γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and TBiL [the median decline were GGT: 160.1 U/L and 111.3 U/L (Z = -2.474, P < 0.05), TBiL: 5.2 umol/l and 3.1 umol/l (Z = -2.125, P < 0.05)].@*Conclusion@#UDCA combined with TCM therapy can remarkably improve the biochemical response rate in patients with PBC and distinctly decrease the TBIL and GGT levels than UDCA monotherapy.

Advances in germplasm resources and genetics and breeding of Dendrobium officinale / 药学学报

Dendrobium officinale is a member of the family Orchidaceae. The dried stem of D. officinale is used as a valuable traditional Chinese medicine, known as Dendrobii Officamlis Caulis (called TiepiShihu in Chinese). According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Dendrobii Officamlis Caulis has effects of tonifying stomach, promoting fluid, nourishing Yin and clearing heat. At present, the planting area of D. officinale is over 100 000 Mu (over 6 670 hm2) and the annual output of its fresh stem is in excess of 10 000 tons. Good variety is the guarantee of herbal medicine's quality, while germplasm resource is the base for breeding excellent variety. In this paper, we summed the characteristics of present main varieties of D. officinale and reviewed the progress on germplasm resources and genetics and breeding of the plant, in order to provide a scientific basis for the further research.

Progress and prospect of diagnosis and treatment of hepatic fibrosis by integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy / 临床肝胆病杂志

In recent years,non-invasive methods for assessment of hepatic fibrosis have attracted more and more attention,and the appli-cation of non-invasive diagnostic techniques such as serum markers and transient elastography (FibroScan)for hepatic fibrosis is reviewed. Anti-fibrosis treatments should integrate etiological treatment,anti-inflammatory and liver-protecting therapy,and inhibiting the synthe-sis of extracellular matrix and degrading excessively deposited extracellular matrix.Antiviral treatment is the basis for resisting hepatic fibro-sis due to chronic viral hepatitis.In this aspect,traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)has advantages in inhibiting the synthesis of extracellu-lar matrix and degrading excessively deposited extracellular matrix,because it effects on multiple links,at multiple levels,and against multi-ple targets.So integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy is a promising treatment strategy.However,the benefit of inte-grative therapy against hepatic fibrosis still needs to be supported by rigorously designed,multicenter,large-sample clinical studies,and the mechanism of anti-fibrosis TCM treatment deserves further studies.

Treatment of the 3rd lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome with spatula / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the application and clinical effects of spatula for the treatment of the 3rd lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From December 2009 to October 2010, 38 patients with the 3rd lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome were treated by spatula, of them, 33 patients were follow-up. Among the patients,19 cases were male and 14 cases were female,with an average age of (37.6+/-7.8) years (ranged from 28 to 58 years). The course of this diseases ranged from 10 days to 14 months with an average of (126.9+/-14.7) days. The main symptoms of the patients including unilateral lumbar pain, lateral bend waist limitation,the ache became even worse after exertion or prolonged sitting and radiated to the affected side of thigh and popliteal fossa,but the pain never exceed knee joint. The tenderness at the tip of the 3rd lumbar vertebrae was obviously and the contract muscle bundle could be touched. The X-rays showed the two sides of the transverse were asymmetric. CT or MRI was used to exclude spinal stenosis,tumor,and intervertebral disk hernia. Spatula was applied for sow discord and solution accretion, and injected compound medicine (0.2% Lidocaine 3 ml, Triamcinolone acetonide 5 ml, add 0.9% physiological sailine 2 ml to 10 ml). If the symptoms did not improved after the first treatment, start the second treatment one week later, but it was not more than three times. According to the standard of JOA score, the effects before and after treatment were evaluated by low back pain, leg pain or numbness, gait, Straight Leg Raising test, sensory and movement disorder,bladder function test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thirty-three patients were followed up for 2-12 months with an average of 4 months. All of the incisions were healed without complications. The clinical symptoms were improved and 22 cases were treated once, 7 cases twice and 4 cases 3 times. According to JOA evaluation criteria,the score before and after treatment was increased from (7.03+/-3.81) to (13.29+/-3.78), and 26 cases got excellent result, 5 good, 2 fair.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>3rd lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome is one of the indications of the spatula. If the diagnose is correct, lesions position precisely located and operation performed properly, the treatment by spatula showed confirmed therapeutic effects, low complication and high safety.</p>