Roles and mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine and its active ingredients in treating epilepsy / 中国中药杂志

At present,Western medicine is widely used in the treatment of epilepsy.However,about 30%-40% of epileptic patients are resistant to them and are affected by the side effects of these drugs.Traditional Chinese medicine is effective in treating epileptic seizures and relieving complications caused by Western medicine.However,the active ingredients and mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine remain unclear.This article reviews and summarizes the advances and mechanisms in treating epilepsy,such as Chinese medicine monomer,the extracts of single Chinese medicine and Chinese medicine compound.Chinese medicine monomers,including gastrodin,asarone,rhynchophylline,ligustrazine,tanshinone ⅡA,curcumin,etc.,have antiepileptic effects via regulating excitatory neurotransmitters and receptors,the expression of inflammatory factors,sodium/potassium ion channels and the expression of apoptotic protein,therefore protecting neurons.The extracts of single Chinese herbal including the extracts of Gastrodiae Rhizoma,Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma,Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma,Ganoderma,Scutellariae Radix and Ginkgo Folium,etc.,have antiepileptic effects related to the inhibition of γ-aminobutyric acid receptor,upregulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling pathway and reduction of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity and oxidative stress response.Furthermore,these extracts can regulate ion channels and reduce oxidative damage of neurons.Chinese medicine compounds including Dianxian Qing Granules,Danxing Ningxian Granules,Huoxue Dingxian formulae,etc.,can improve the therapeutic effect on epilepsy through simultaneously regulating excitatory transmitters,apoptosis factors and cytokines.

Light propagation along the pericardium meridian at human wrist as evidenced by the optical experiment and Monte Carlo method / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the characteristics of light propagation along the Pericardium Meridian and its surrounding areas at human wrist by using optical experiment and Monte Carlo method.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>An experiment was carried out to obtain the distribution of diffuse light on Pericardium Meridian line and its surrounding areas at the wrist, and then a simplified model based on the anatomical structure was proposed to simulate the light transportation within the same area by using Monte Carlo method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The experimental results showed strong accordance with the Monte Carlo simulation that the light propagation along the Pericardium Meridian had an advantage over its surrounding areas at the wrist.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The advantage of light transport along Pericardium Merdian line was related to components and structure of tissue, also the anatomical structure of the area that the Pericardium Meridian line runs.</p>

Discussion on strengthening yin of chinese herbs with bitter-flavor clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology noun terminology standardization research / 中国中药杂志

Clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology is the subject that study of basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine, property of Chinese materia medica and clinical application. The study on the standardization research of the terminology of clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology is an important premise and foundation to standardization, modernization and internationalization, informationization construction of clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology and is also the important content of the subject construction. To provide some exploring ideas for clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology noun terminology standardization, this article elaborates the concept of strengthening Yin with bitter-flavor herbs in several aspects, such as connotation and the historical origin, the clinical application in the traditional, modern clinic application, and the modern basic research and so on.

Application of Dachengqi Granule in the perioperative period of total laparoscopic hysterectomy / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of Dachengqi Granule (DCG) in the recovery of gastrointestinal function and the condition of patients in the perioperative period of total laparoscopic hysterectomy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two hundred and one patients received total laparoscopic hysterectomy were assigned to 2 groups, the treated group (103 cases) was orally administered DCG twice, 9 g at 4:00 pm, one day before operation and 6 g at 16 h after operation, while to the control group, enema with 400 mL of soap solution at 8:00 pm one day before operation and acupoint ST 36 injection with 1 mL neostigmine at 16 h after operation were given.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Total laparoscopic hysterectomy was accomplished successfully in all patients, no need to receive open abdominal operation, and with no post-operational complications. In the treated group, the operation time was (116.8 +/- 29.7) min, the operative blood loss was (141.6 +/- 25.1) mL, the post-operative temperature was (37.38 +/- 1.39) degrees C, while those in the control group were (119.6 +/- 28.4) min, (150.6 +/- 22.1) mL, and (37.55 +/- 0.43) degrees C, correspondingly, showing insignificant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The white blood cell count on the 1st day after operation was (11.18 +/- 2.93) x 10(9)/L in the treated group, and (12.57 +/- 3.55) x 10(9)/L in the control group (P < 0.01); time for post-operative aerofluxus in them was (35.66 +/- 5.72) h, and (41.77 +/- 6.06) h; time for post-operative defecation (48.47 +/- 18.97) h, and (54.81 +/- 21.30) h, respectively, all showed statistical difference between the two groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Administering DCG before and early after operation can effect better than pre-operational enema in ensuring the gynecological operation progression smoothly, and it could also promote the recovery of post-operational gastrointestinal function and improve patients' condition in the perioperative period.</p>

Effects of L-arginine on the expression of insulin-like growth factors and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 in rats with intrauterine growth retardation / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) may contribute to the disorder of development of fetal brains. L-arginine has been known to be effective in blood vessel distension and improving the blood circulation of placentas. Recent studies have shown that L-arginine can ameliorate the placental hypoxia and improve the development of fetus. This study aimed to explore the effects of L-arginine on the expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II, IGF binding protein-3(IGFBP3)and IGF-I mRNA in brains of IUGR rats and the possible mechanisms of L-arginine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-six pregnant rats were randomly assigned into four groups: Control, Model, Low dose L-arginine (100 mg/kg) and High-dose L-arginine (200 mg/kg L-arginine) groups (n=9 each). IUGR was induced by passive smoking in rats from the last three groups. L-arginine was administered for the last two groups between days 8 and 20 of gestation. On day 21 of gestation, the pup rats were delivered by cesarean section. The levels of IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP3 in the brains of pup rats were measured by enzyme-linked immunoadsordent assay (ELISA) and the expression of IGF-I mRNA was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of IGF-I, IGF-II and IGF-I mRNA expression in the Model group were significantly lower than in the Control group, with the IGF-I levels of 0.789 +/- 0.062 ng/mg vs 0.947 +/- 0.042 ng/mg, the IGF-II levels of 0.270 +/- 0.020 ng/mg vs 0.374 +/- 0.015 ng/mg and the IGF-I mRNA expression of (13.12 +/- 1.39) x 10(4) cps/mug RNA vs (21.28 +/- 3.54) x 10(4) cps/mug RNA (P < 0.01). In contrast, the IGFBP3 levels in the Model group were significantly higher than in the Control group (0.253 +/- 0.011 ng/mg vs 0.089 +/- 0.015 ng/mg; P < 0.01). Low or high dose L-arginine treatment increased significantly the IGF-I levels from 0.789 +/- 0.062 ng/mg (Model group) to 0.937 +/- 0.067 ng/mg (low dose group) or 0.858 +/- 0.077 ng/mg (high dose group), the IGF-II levels from 0.270 +/- 0.020 ng/mg (Model group) to 0.318 +/- 0.018 ng/mg (low dose group) or 0.354 +/- 0.021 ng/mg (high dose group) and the IGF-I mRNA expression from (13.12 +/- 1.39) x 10(4) cps/mug RNA (Model group) to (19.24 +/- 2.48) x 10(4) cps/mug RNA (low dose group) or (17.35 +/- 2.30) x 10(4) cps/mug RNA (high dose group) (P < 0.01). The IGFBP3 levels were significantly reduced after low or high dose L-arginine treatment (0.132 +/- 0.006 ng/mg or 0.146 +/- 0.009 ng/mg) compared with those of the Model group (0.253 +/- 0.011 ng/mg) ( P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>L-arginine can increase the levels of IGF-I and IGF-II and the IGF-I mRNA expression, and decrease the IGFBP3 level in the brain of rats with IUGR induced by passive smoking, thereby offering protective effects against IUGR.</p>