Association between tongue coating thickness and clinical characteristics among idiopathic membranous nephropathy patients.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tongue coating diagnosis is a useful tool to examine the changes of a human body in Chinese Medicine. Tongue coating varies in thickness in kidney disease. However, little information exists regarding the association between clinical characters and tongue coating thickness in CKD patients. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was carried out to determine whether there is an association between tongue coating thickness and laboratory, histological variables in idiopathic membranous nephropathy patients: one group with thin tongue coating, the other with thick tongue coating. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During July 2012-March 2014, idiopathic membranous nephropathy patients(CKD 1-2 stage) with tongue coating thickness Score ≤7, or ≥11, were enrolled as thin tongue coating group or thick tongue coating group, from Hangzhou Hospital of TCM. Laboratory variables (Hemoglobin (Hb), albumin (Alb); eGFR; alanine transferase (ALT); aspartate aminotransferase (AST); triglyceride (TG); total cholesterone (TC); high density lipoprotein (HDL); low density lipoprotein (LDL); immunoglobin A, G, M; Complement 3, 4) and renal histological data (glomerular lesions; tubular-interstitial damage) were compared, between these two groups. RESULTS: 12 idiopathic MN patients (CKD 1-2 stage) with thin tongue coating (tongue coating thickness score ≤7) and 11 with thick tongue coating (tongue coating thickness score ≥11) were enrolled in our study. We found a significant lower level of TC and LDL, a significant lower level of AST, ALT in those thick tongue coating patients, compared with thin. No significant difference was observed in pathological lesion between thick and thin tongue coating patients. CONCLUSION: Tongue coating thickness is associated with lipid metabolism in idiopathic MN patients (CKD 1-2 stages).

Chiropractic and acupuncture therapy in the treatment of spleen deficiency anorexia in children: clinical observation of 50 cases / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective To explore the Chinese massage therapy for the treatment of infantile anorexia of spleen and stomach type clinical curative effect.Methods 2 to 6 years old anorexia children treated from September 2010 to September 2012 for general treatment and health care in our hospital were randomly recruited into a Qi deficiency of both spleen and stomach group and a Yin deficiency of both spleen and stomach group with 25 cases in each group.Both groups were treated with chiropractic therapy.On this basis,Qi deficiency of both spleen and stomach group was applied point-massage on Weishu,Pishu,and Zusanli; Yin deficiency of both spleen and stomach group was applied point-massage on Weishu,Ganshu,and Shenshu.Results ① The comparison of disease and syndromes:the total effective rate was 92％ (23/25)and 88％ (22/25) in Qi deficiency of both spleen and stomach group and Yin deficiency of both spleen and stomach group separately,showing no significant difference (x2=0.886,P＞0.05); the total symptoms improving rate was 92％(23/25) and 76％(19/25)in Qi deficiency of both spleen and stomach group and Yin deficiency of both spleen and stomach group separately,the difference showing statistically significant (x2=0.625,P＜0.05).② Symptom score comparison before and after treatment:The main symptoms score and accompanied symptoms score before and after the treatment were [(18.32±2.42) ％,(4.12±0.17) points] and [(16.80±3.77) ％,(5.30 ±0.41) points] in the Qi deficiency group and [(18.18±2.10),(4.45±0.30) points] and [(19.66 ± 3.62)％,(6.01 ± 1.02) points] in the Yin deficiency group.Both groups showed obvious improvements in the main and accompanied symptom scores after the treatment (P＜0.01),but no significant difference between the two groups (P＞0.05).Conclusion The treatment of anorexia due to deficiency of both spleen and stomch with chiropractic and point-massage was effective.

Changes of lung, spleen and kidney aquaporin-1 in rats with Kidney Yang Deficiency: the "water metabolism theory" in traditional Chinese medicine / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the experimental basis of the "water metabolism theory" in traditional Chinese medicine by observing the changes of aquaporin-1 in the lung, spleen and kidney.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rat models of Kidney Yang Deficiency induced by gavage with 2% adenine suspension for 4 weeks were treated with cistanches decoction for 6 weeks. Urinary 17-hydroxy cortisol, urine creatinine, urine osmolality value content, and aquaporin-1 mRNA and protein expressions in the lung, spleen and kidney tissues were detected after the treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Treatment with adenine induced Kidney Yang Deficiency in rats by causing a reduction in urinary 17-hydroxy cortisol, urine creatinine and urine osmolality. Aquaporin-1 mRNA expression in the spleen and kidney were down-regulated after adenine treatment. Compared with the rat models, intervention with cistanche significantly increased aquaporin-1 mRNA expression in the lung and kidney tissues. Adenine resulted in increased aquaporin-1 protein expression in the lung, spleen and kidney of the rats, while cistanche intervention lowered its expression in lung and kidney tissues.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The lung, spleen, kidneys are involved in water metabolism, and aquaporin-1 is one of its molecular basis. Cistanche can increase aquaporin-1 expressions, which is also regulated by other factors.</p>