A national survey on how to improve traditional Chinese medicine learning internationally: Perceptions from both teachers and students.

Background: With the increasing popularity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by the global community, how to teach basic knowledge of TCM to international students and improve the teaching quality are important issues for teachers of TCM. The present study was to analyze the perceptions from both students and teachers on how to improve TCM learning internationally. Methods: A cross-sectional national survey was conducted at 23 universities/colleges across China. A structured, self-reported on-line questionnaire was administered to 34 Chinese teachers who taught TCM course in English and to 1016 international undergraduates who were enrolled in the TCM course in China between 2017 and 2021. Results: Thirty-three (97.1%) teachers and 900 (88.6%) undergraduates agreed Chinese culture should be fully integrated into TCM courses. All teachers and 944 (92.9%) undergraduates thought that TCM had important significance in the clinical practice. All teachers and 995 (97.9%) undergraduates agreed that modern research of TCM is valuable. Thirty-three (97.1%) teachers and 959 (94.4%) undergraduates thought comparing traditional medicine in different countries with TCM can help the students better understand TCM. Thirty-two (94.1%) teachers and 962 (94.7%) undergraduates agreed on the use of practical teaching method with case reports. From the perceptions of the undergraduates, the top three beneficial learning styles were practice (34.3%), teacher's lectures (32.5%), case studies (10.4%). The first choice of learning mode was attending to face-to-face teaching (82.3%). The top three interesting contents were acupuncture (75.5%), Chinese herbal medicine (63.8%), and massage (55.0%). Conclusion: To improve TCM learning among international undergraduates majoring in conventional medicine, integration of Chinese culture into TCM course, comparison of traditional medicine in different countries with TCM, application of the teaching method with case reports, and emphasization of clinical practice as well as modern research on TCM should be fully considered.

Effect of Acupuncture in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) through comparisons with those of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 and pinaverium bromide. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted at 7 hospitals in China and enrolled participants who met the Rome III diagnostic criteria for IBS between May 3, 2015, and June 29, 2018. Participants were first stratified into constipation-predominant or diarrhea-predominant IBS group. Participants in each group were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive acupuncture (18 sessions) or PEG 4000 (20 g/d, for IBS-C)/pinaverium bromide (150 mg/d, for IBS-D) over a 6-week period, followed by a 12-week follow-up. The primary outcome was change in total IBS-Symptom Severity Score from baseline to week 6. RESULTS: Of 531 patients with IBS who were randomized, 519 (344 in the acupuncture group and 175 in the PEG 4000/ pinaverium bromide group) were included in the full analysis set. From baseline to 6 weeks, the total IBS-Symptom Severity Score decreased by 123.51 (95% CI, 116.61 to 130.42) in the acupuncture group and 94.73 (95% CI, 85.03 to 104.43) in the PEG 4000/pinaverium bromide group. The between-group difference was 28.78 (95% CI, 16.84 to 40.72; P<.001). No participant experienced severe adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture may be more effective than PEG 4000 or pinaverium bromide for the treatment of IBS, with effects lasting up to 12 weeks. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trials Register, ChiCTR-IOR-15006259.

[A feasibility analysis on individualized acupuncture treatment of irritable bowel syndrome under help of genetic polymorphism technique].

Along with the application of genetic polymorphism techniques to individualized treatment of clinical disorders, the screening of polymorphisms markers of serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT) is a hot-spot of researches on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In the present paper, the authors introduce 1) optimized schemes of diagnosis and treatment of IBS on the basis of syndrome-differentiation for acupuncture in combination with Chinese herbal medicines, and application of 5-HT transporter polymorphism, 2) application of genetic polymorphism to researches on IBS, and 3) feasibility of genetic polymorphism techniques for guiding individualized treatment of IBS. Up to now, serotonin transporter length polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), serotonin transporter intron 2 variable number of tandem repeat (Stin 2 VNTR) and single nucleotide polymorphism rs 25531 in the long allele of the 5-HTTLPR have been identified. On the basis of the treatment of IBS, we need establishing a set of guide lines for the individualized acupuncture treatment. The genotyping methods for genetic polymorphism should be widely used in this research field. 5-HT TLPR/ Stin 2 VNTR/rs 25531 polymorphisms would have a bright future in the field of IBS research and treatment.

[Clinical observation on acupuncture for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome patients in syndrome of liver-stagnation and spleen-deficiency and its impact on Th1/Th2].

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effects of acupuncture for pattern of liver-stagnation and spleen-deficiency in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS) and its impact on cell factors. METHODS: Forty cases were selected and divided into an acupuncture group (21 cases) in which acupuncture was applied and a medicine group (19 cases) in which oral administration of dicetel and bifidobacterium lactobacillus triple viable capsules were applied. The symptom scores, level of Th1-type cytokine (IFN-gamma, IL-2) and Th2-type cytokine (IL-4, IL-10) and ratio of IFN-gamma to IL-4 were compared in two groups before and after treatment to analyze acupuncture effect. RESULTS: The clinical symptoms were improved after one-week treatment in the acupuncture group (P<0.05), which had faster onset than the medicine group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 90.48% (19/21) in the acupuncture group, which was superior to 78.95% (15/19) in the medicine group (P<0.05). Compared with medicine treatment, imbalanced condition of Th1/Th2 was turning towards the direction of Th2 after acupuncture, indicating a tendency to recover the balance. CONCLUSION: The clinical efficacy of acupuncture for D-IBS has close relationship with effectively improving balance of Th1/Th2 in patients with liver-stagnation and spleen-deficiency.