A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of Pu'er tea extract on the regulation of metabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the regulative efficacy of Pu'er tea () extract on metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Ninety patients with metabolic syndrome were randomly divided into two groups, the intervention group administered with Pu'er tea extract, and the placebo group with placebo capsules. After 3 months' treatment, body mass index, waist hip ratio, blood lipids, blood sugar, immune and inflammatory index, and oxidation index of the patients with metabolic syndrome were tested and analyzed. RESULTS: In the intervention group, the body mass index, waist-hip ratio, fasting and 2 h postprandial blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein B-100 all decreased in the patients with metabolic syndrome, and also the high-density lipoprotein level increased and apolipoprotein A-1 showed the tendency to increase. Serum C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 were decreased in the intervention group. Interleukin-10 level was increased, MDA was decreased and superoxide dismutase was increased. Compared with before treatment and the placebo group, there were significant differences (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Pu'er tea demonstrated excellent potential in improving central obesity, adjusting blood lipid, lowering blood sugar, regulating immunity and resisting oxidation. It can adjust the metabolic syndrome of different clinical phenotypes to different degrees, and is ideally fit for early prevention of metabolic syndrome.

Anti-proliferative efficacy of icariin on HepG2 hepatoma and its possible mechanism of action.

The aim of the present work was to explore the anti-hepatoma effects of icariin both in vitro and in vivo and to elucidate its potential mechanism of action. The MTT assay was applied to test the anti-proliferative effects of icariin in vitro. HepG2 bearing NMRI nu/nu mice were used to test the anticancer effects of icariin in vivo. Immunohistochemical assay and flow cytometry assay (FACS) were applied to detect the possible mechanisms of action of icariin. MTT assay illustrated that icariin inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a concentration dependent manner; meanwhile, icariin inhibited the tumor growth in HepG2 bearing NMRI nu/nu mice. The tumor weight was inhibited by 55.6% and tumor volume was inhibited by 47.2%. Icariin did not influence the spleen and body weights or blood parameters. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that the expressions of both CD31 and Ki67 in the icariin treated group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.01). FACS assay showed that icariin dramatically decreased the percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in bone marrow and CD19+ cells in blood on day 8. On day 17, the percentage of CD8+ cells in blood was lower than those in the control group. CD4/CD8 ratio in icariin group was significantly elevated in bone marrow on day 17. Icariin showed anticancer efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. The possible mechanism of action could be related to its anti-angiogenesis and anti-proliferative effects in tumors.

[A retrospective study on type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with integrated Chinese and Western medicine].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic efficacy and cost-efficacy of different treatment methods for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Based on the electronic inpatient clinical information systems, clinical materials of T2DM patients were collected and assigned according to the therapeutic method used, to the groups of Western medicinal (WM) treatment (A), WM combined Chinese drug injection treatment (B) and the WM combined Chinese decoction or patent drugs treatment (C). Depending on the data of symptom scores, blood sugar and blood lipids, etc., the efficacy of different treatments were analyzed in terms of improving symptoms, elevating the quality of life (QOL), controlling blood sugar, reducing dosage of insulin used and diminishing economic expense, with the enumeration data analyzed by chi2 test and the measurement data by ANOVA. RESULTS: Treatment C showed a better efficacy than the other two in improving symptoms, elevating QOL, controlling blood sugar, reducing dose of insulin used and lightening the financial burden (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Selective use of Chinese drugs depending on syndrome differentiation is recommended during combined application of Chinese and Western medicine; and the Chinese medicine injection is not advised as the first scheme for treatment of T2DM.

[Study on anti-tumor effect of dry and fresh Gekko swinhonis freeze-dried powders on mice sarcoma S180 and acute toxicity testing of two powders].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-tumor activity of dry Gekko swinhonis freeze-dried powder (DGFP) and fresh G. swinhonis freeze-dried powder (FGFP) on mice sarcoma S180 and acute toxicity testing of the two powders. METHOD: Mice xenotransplant model of sarcoma S180 was established. Eighty mice were randomly divided into 8 groups. Control group were orally administrated by saline, another intraperitoneally injected with 5-Fu, the other six groups were orally administrated by DGFP and FGFP, each at three different doses (low, moderate and high). Rate of restraining tumor, index of thymus and spleen were calculated after 10 days' treatment. Acute toxicity testing tried to figure out LDs and LD, of DGFP and FGFP. RESULT: The restraining tumor rates of DGFP and FGFP each at three doses were 31.4%, 50.8%, 37.7% and 14.8%, 19.1%, 54.7%. DGFP and FGFP elevated the thymic weight and thymic index of the mice to different extent. There were no significant differences among the eight groups in their spleen weight and spleen index. Acute toxicity testing did not figure out LD50 of DGFP and FGFP. In LD0 test, the administrating dosages of DGFP and FGFP given to the mice were both more than 2000 times than those given to patients on clinic. The result showed nothing abnormal in DGFP group. Compared with the DGFP and control group there was only a significant body weight decrease (P < 0.01) in the FGFP group in the first three days. However, on the fifth day and the seventh day there was no significant difference. CONCLUSION: DGFP and FGFP have conspicuous anti-tumor effects in vivo. The mechanism may be related to the elevated cellular immune function. Acute toxicity testing reveals that DGFP and FGFP are quite safe for conventional oral use on clinic.

[Progress in studies on anti-hepatoma effect of traditional Chinese medicine by adjusting immune function].

We surveyed the literatures domestic and abroad, and summarized traditional Chinese medicine (single or complex prescription) with anti-hepatoma effects by adjusting immune function. Traditional Chinese medicine showed great advantages in improving the immune system function of the organism in various ways, so they could prohibit the generation and development of tumor, lessen the damage caused by chemotherapeutics, increase the sensitivity of chemotherapeutics, strengthen immune surveillance to tumor cells, elevate living quatity of patients and prolong their living time. It is very promising to exploit much more effective anti-tumor drugs from TCM.

Effect of modified wuzi yanzong granule on patients with mild cognitive impairment from oxidative damage aspect.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of modified Wuzi Yanzong Granule (WYG) on memory function and the activity of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, leukocyte mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion rate and beta-amyloid protein(1-28) (A beta(1-28)) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: Thirty-six patients with MCI were selected based on the internationally recognized Petersen's criteria, and equally and randomly assigned to two groups. The treated group was treated with WYG and the control group was treated with placebo for 3 months. In addition, 20 healthy subjects were included in the study as the normal control group. Changes of memory function, SOD activity, MDA content, leukocyte mtDNA deletion rate and A beta(1-28) content were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the memory quotient and SOD activity in patients with MCI decreased significantly (P < 0.01), while MDA, A beta(1-28) levels and the leukocyte mtDNA deletion rate increased significantly (P < 0.01). After treatment, levels of memory quotient and serum SOD activity increased while the serum MDA level, leukocyte mtDNA deletion rate and A beta(1-28) level decreased in the treated group compared with those before treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05). Meanwhile, leukocyte mtDNA deletion rate and A beta(1-28) content in the treated group were all lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: WYG could improve memory function in patients with MCI and the therapeutic mechanism is possibly related to the increased activity of anti-oxidase, the improved free radical metabolism and the alleviation of leukocyte mtDNA oxidation damage. WYG shows clinical significance in delaying the progression of MCI.