Arrhythmia:innovative understanding from traditional Chinese medicine and treatment by classic herbal formulas / 中国中药杂志

Arrhythmia, a common and frequently occurring cardiovascular disease, causes a heavy burden on the public health of China. Approximately 20 million patients are suffering from this disease in China and treated by pharmacological and surgical therapies. However, antiarrhythmic drugs can cause arrhythmia and surgical treatment has the risks of failure and recurrence. Therefore, the clinical outcome of arrhythmia remains to be improved. According to the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theory, arrhythmia is a disease of palpitation induced by 7 conditions: liver depression and Qi stagnation, accumulation of turbid phlegm, fluid retention attacking the heart, fire-heat disturbing the heart, stasis obstruction of heart vessel, cold congealing in heart vessel, and the deficiency of Qi, blood, Yin, and Yang. Therefore, this study concisely proposed 7 TCM syndromes of arrhythmia, including the palpitation due to depression, phlegm, fluid retention, fire, blood stasis, cold, and deficiency. The corresponding treatment strategies were recommended as follows: Chaihu Longgu Muli Decoction for the palpitation due to depression, Wendan Decoction for the palpitation due to phlegm, Linggui Zhugan Decoction for the palpitation due to fluid retention, Sanhuang Xiexin Decoction for the palpitation due to fire, Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction for the palpitation due to blood stasis, and Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Decoction for the palpitation due to cold, and Guizhi Gancao Decoction, Guizhi Gancao Longgu Muli Decoction, Huanglian Ejiao Decoction, Zhigancao Decoction, and Guipi Decoction for the palpitation due to the deficiency of Qi, blood, Yin, and Yang. Multiple formulas should be combined if the patient presents several TCM syndromes simultaneously. According to the principles of the correspondence between formula and syndrome and the treatment with consideration to both pathogenesis and pathology and both herbal nature and pharmacology, this study proposed an integrated treatment model of "pathogenesis-pathology-nature-pharmacology" to enhance the clinical efficacy of classic herbal formulas in the treatment of arrhythmia.

Research ideas of core formulas-syndromes based on disease-syndrome-treatment combination / 中国中药杂志

The relationship between disease and syndrome is a research focus in integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine. Depending on the focus, the disease-syndrome combination for treatment is manifested as the different treatment methods for the same disease and the same treatment method for different diseases based on the syndrome, and different treatment methods for the same syndrome and the same treatment method for different syndromes based on the disease. The mainstream model is the combination of di-sease identification in modern medicine with syndrome identification and core pathogenesis in traditional Chinese medicine. However, current research on the combination of disease and syndrome and core pathogenesis tends to focus on the heterogeneity between disease and syndrome and the separation of syndrome and treatment. Therefore, the study proposed the research idea and model of core formulas-syndromes(CFS). According to the theory of formula-syndrome correspondence, the research idea of CFS deepens the research on core pathogenesis, which aims to summarize the core formulas and syndromes for diseases. The research fields include diagnostic criteria for the indications of formulas, distribution patterns of formulas and syndromes for diseases, the evolution of medicinal-syndrome based on formulas-syndromes, formula combination law based on formulas-syndromes, and the dynamic evolution of formulas-syndromes. Through the summary of ancient classics, clinical experience, and medical records, and with the methods of expert consultation, factor analysis, and clustering analysis, research on the diagnostic criteria for the indications of formulas aims to explore the diagnosis information such as the diseases, symptoms, signs, and pathophysiology. The research on the distribution patterns of formulas and syndromes for diseases tends to summarize the specific types of formulas and syndromes for the diseases through literature research and clinical cross-sectional studies based on the establishment of diagnostic criteria for the indications of formulas. The research on the evolution of medicinal-syndrome aims to clarify the medicinal-syndrome law through literature and clinical research. The formula combination law refers to the fact that the core prescriptions for a disease often appear in combination with other prescriptions on a regular basis. The dynamic evolution of formulas-syndromes refers to the continuous transformation and change of formulas and syndromes in the process of disease development with changes in time and space. The CFS is conducive to the unification of disease, syndrome and treatment and to the deepening of the research model of disease and syndrome integration.

TCM understanding and treatment strategy of hypertension complicated with sexual dysfunction / 中国中药杂志

Hypertension and its target organ damage have become a major public health problem. Sexual dysfunction is a new problem in the treatment of modern hypertension. Modern pathophysiological studies have shown that hypertension can lead to sexual dysfunction. In addition, three major hypotensive drugs represented by diuretics can also lead to sexual dysfunction. In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), hypertension belongs to "vertigo" "headache" "head wind", etc. In the past, the understanding of the TCM pathogenesis of hypertension was mainly from the perspectives of "liver wind" and "Yang hyperactivity". However, based on the in-depth research on ancient and modern literature and medical records and many years of clinical practice, it has been identified that kidney deficiency was the key pathogenesis. Hypertension complicated with sexual dysfunction belongs to the category of kidney deficiency syndrome in TCM, especially the deficiency of kidney Yin. Previous studies by other research groups showed that Yin-enriching and kidney-tonifying method could effectively reduce blood pressure, improve sexual dysfunction, reverse risk factors, and protect target organs. This article systematically discussed the TCM understanding, modern pathophysiological mechanism, and the clinical treatment strategy of kidney-tonifying drugs(single drugs and compounds) in the treatment of hypertension complicated with sexual dysfunction in order to provide a scientific basis for kidney-tonifying method in the treatment of hypertension complicated with sexual dysfunction.

Conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs combined with Chinese Herbal Medicines for rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) remains a major global public health challenge. Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are standard therapeutic drugs for RA. Conventional DMARDs (c-DMARDs) are a subgroup of approved synthetic DMARDs. The c-DMARDs experienced lesser response with longer disease duration or drug exposure, and unwanted adverse events (AEs). The combination treatments (CTs) of c-DMARDs and Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHMs) were often used in RA clinical trials for increasing the therapeutic effectiveness and reducing the AEs. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the CTs for RA. Databases were searched from inception to October 2020 for identification of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the CTs in the management of RA. Twenty-three RCTs with 2,441 participants were included. The assessments and analyses found CTs improved American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 (RR: 1.33, 95% CI [1.21, 1.45], 10 studies, n=1,075) and alleviated AEs (RR: -0.40, 95% CI [-0.30, -0.53], 19 studies, n=2,011) in comparison with c-DMARDs. The CTs also significantly improved RA symptoms and patient-reported outcomes; reduced disease activity score (DAS) 28, serum acute-phase reactants and RA biomarkers. The five most commonly used herbs in included studies were Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Clematidis Radix et Rhizoma. Pharmacological studies indicated these CHMs could contribute to the outcomes. The integrated CHMs potentially increased the overall effectiveness of c-DMARDs and alleviated AEs in management of RA. Large sample and rigorously designed RCTs are required for future studies.

Protective effect of quercetin on kidney diseases: From chemistry to herbal medicines.

Kidney injuries may trigger renal fibrosis and lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD), but effective therapeutic strategies are still limited. Quercetin is a natural flavonoid widely distributed in herbal medicines. A large number of studies have demonstrated that quercetin may protect kidneys by alleviating renal toxicity, apoptosis, fibrosis and inflammation in a variety of kidney diseases. Therefore, quercetin could be one of the promising drugs in the treatment of renal disorders. In the present study, we review the latest progress and highlight the beneficial role of quercetin in kidney diseases and its underlying mechanisms. The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of quercetin and its proportion in herbal medicine will also be discussed.

Determination of components in Radix paeoniae rubra based on QAMS.

The current study aimed to establish simple and quick quality evaluation method of Chishao based on QAMS. Oxypaeoniflorin is used as a marker in the Chishao root. Based on it, the content of other components could be obtained by establishing the mathematical relationship. UPLC method was used to collect data, and the detection wavelengths were 230nm (benzoic acid, paeoniflorin), 263nm (hydroxy paeoniflorin) 274nm (gallic acid, paeoniflorin, catechin), respectively. The stationary phase was an Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 and the mobile phase was acetonitrile -0.1% formic acid-water. The gradient elution method was adopted at the certain flow rate (0.3 mL/min). The column temperature set 40oC, and the injection volume was 1µL. Multiple reaction monitoring mode was selected for data collection. The linear ranges of benzoic acid, paeoniflorin, hydroxy-paeoniflorin, gallic acid, catechin and paeoniflorinhad good linearity (r ≥0.9995). The UPLC method was established to determine the content of paeoniflorin, benzoic acid, catechin, gallic acid, paeoniflorin, andhydroxy-paeoniflorin in Radix Paeoniae Rubra. In the current study, the method for the chemical components in Radix Paeoniae Rubra to provide the evaluation basis of medicinal effects.

Biological effects and mechanisms of matrine and other constituents of Sophora flavescens in colorectal cancer.

The plant Sophora flavescens Ait. has been used in the clinical management of colorectal cancer (CRC). Its constituent compounds, notably the alkaloids matrine, oxymatrine, and sophoridine, have received considerable research attention in experimental models of CRC in vivo and in vitro. This review found that extracts of S. flavescens and/or its constituent compounds have been reported to inhibit CRC cell proliferation by inducing cell-cycle arrest at the G1 phase, inducing apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway, interfering in cancer metabolism, inhibiting metastasis and angiogenesis, regulating senescence and telomeres, regulating the tumour microenvironment and down-regulating cancer-related inflammation. In addition, matrine and oxymatrine reversed multi-drug resistance and enhanced the effects of chemotherapies. These anti-cancer effects were associated with regulation of several cellular signalling pathways including: MAPK/ERK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, p38MAPK, NF-κB, Hippo/LATS2, TGF-ß/Smad, JAK/STAT3, RhoA/ROC, and Wnt/ ß-catenin pathways. These multiple actions in CRC suggest the alkaloids of S. flavescens may be therapeutic candidates for CRC management. Nevertheless, there remains considerable scope for future research into its flavonoid constituents, the effects of combinations of compounds, and the interaction between these compounds and anti-cancer drugs. In addition, more research is needed to investigate likely drug ligand-receptor interactions for each of the bioactive compounds.

[Yin-yang penetrating acupuncture with elongated needle for spastic limb dysfunction after stroke: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effect between yin-yang penetrating acupuncture with elongated needle and routine acupuncture for spastic limb dysfunction after stroke. METHODS: A total of 60 patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. Both groups received basic treatment, yin-yang penetrating acupuncture with elongated needle was applied from Yanglingquan (GB 34) to Xuanzhong (GB 39), Quchi (LI 11) to Wenliu (LI 7), Huantiao (GB 30) to Fengshi (GB 31), Jianyu (LI 15) to Quchi (LI 11), etc. on the affected side in the observation group; routine acupuncture was applied at Neiguan (PC 6), Shuigou (GV 26), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Jiquan (HT 1), Chize (LU 5), Weizhong (BL 40), Jianyu (LI 15), etc. on the affected side in the control group. Once a day, 5 times a week, 2 weeks as a course, 2 courses were required in the two groups. Before and after treatment，the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) grade, Fugl-Meyer assessment scale (FMA) score, activity of daily living scale (ADL) (Barthel index) score were observed, and the clinical effect was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the MAS grade after treatment was improved in the two groups (P<0.05), that in the observation group was superior to the control group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the FMA and ADL scores after treatment were increased in the two groups (P<0.05), the changes in the observation group were larger than the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 80.0% (24/30), which was superior to 70.0% (21/30) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Yin-yang penetrating acupuncture with elongated needle could improve muscle tension, spasm grade and motor function in patients with spastic limb dysfunction after stroke, enhance the activity of daily living, its clinical effect is superior to routine acupuncture.

Effect of Danhong Injection on platelet metabolites based on metabonomics technology / 中国中药杂志

The effect of Danhong Injection on the endogenous metabolites of rabbit platelets was analyzed by the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry( LC-MS) based metabonomic approach. Anti-platelet aggregation was detected after Danhong Injection treatment and the changes of platelet metabolites were analyzed by metabonomics. Principal component analysis( PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis( PLS-DA) were performed to investigate the effect of Danhong Injection on endogenous metabolites of platelets,characterize the biomarkers,and explore the relevant pathways and the underlying mechanism. As demonstrated by the pharmacodynamic results,Danhong Injection of different doses and concentrations antagonized platelet aggregation in a dose-and concentration-dependent manner. In contrast to the control group,25 differential metabolites such as nicotinic acid,nicotinic acid riboside,and hypoxanthine were screened out after platelets were treated by Danhong Injection. These metabolites,serving as important biomarkers,were mainly enriched in the nicotinic acid-niacinamide metabolic pathway and purine metabolic pathway. This study explored the therapeutic mechanism of Danhong Injection from a microscopic perspective by metabonomics,which is expected to provide a new idea for the investigation of platelet-related mechanisms.

Study on time-toxicity relationship and mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus extract on hepatoxicity in rats based on proteomics / 中国中药杂志

To study the time-toxicity relationship and mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus extract on the hepatoxicity in rats. Rats were randomly divided into C group(0 day), D5 group(5 days), D12 group(12 days), D19 group(19 days), and D26 group(7 days recovery after 19 days of administration). The rats in normal group received normal saline through intragastric administration, and the rats in other groups received 10 g·kg~(-1 )Gardeniae Fructus extract through intragastric administration. After the final administration, the livers were collected. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the liver tissue. Total liver proteins were extracted for proteomic analysis, detected by the Nano-ESI liquid-mass spectrometry system and identified by Protein Disco-very software. SIEVE software was used for relative quantitative and qualitative analysis of proteins. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed based on STRING. Cytoscape software was used for cluster analysis of differential proteins. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) database was used to perform enrichment signal pathway analysis. Pearson correlation analysis was performed for the screened differential protein expression and liver pathology degree score. The results showed that the severity of liver injury in D5, D12 and D19 groups was significantly higher than that in group C. The degree of liver damage in D5 group was slightly higher than that in D12 and D19 groups, with no significant difference between group D26 and group C. Totally 147 key differential proteins have been screened out by proteomics and mainly formed 6 clusters, involving in drug metabolism pathways, retinol metabolism pathways, proteasomes, amino acid biosynthesis pathways, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. The results of Pearson correlation analysis indicated that differential protein expressions had a certain temporal relationship with the change of liver pathological degree. The above results indicated that the severity of liver damage caused by Gardeniae Fructus extract did not increase with time and would recover after drug with drawal. The above pathways may be related to the mechanism of liver injury induced by Gardeniae Fructus extract.

The Synergistic Antitumor Effect of Tanshinone IIA Plus Adriamycin on Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Xenograft in BALB/C Nude Mice and Their Influences on Cytochrome P450 CYP3A4 In Vivo.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common diseases that seriously threaten human life and health. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effect of tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) combined with adriamycin (ADM) on human hepatocellular carcinoma and developed a platform to assess the function if Chinese herbal ingredients combined with chemotherapy drugs have synergistic antitumor effects in vivo. METHODS: Established animal model of human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cell in nude mice. Mice were divided into model control group, Tan IIA group, ADM group, and Tan IIA + ADM group. The changes from general condition, weight, tumor volume, and inhibition rate were observed. The data were gathered from serum AST level and histopathological changes. The content and activity of cytochrome P450 were determined by spectrophotometric analysis. CYP3A4 protein expression was analyzed by western blotting. The binding model crystal structure of Tan IIA and ADM with pregnane X receptor (PXR) was evaluated by Discovery Studio 2.1. RESULTS: A combination of Tan IIA with ADM could improve life quality by relieving ADM toxicity, decreasing tumor volume, declining serum AST level, and improving liner pathological section in tumor-bearing mice. The inhibitory rates of Tan IIA, ADM, and cotreatment were 32.77%, 60.96%, and 73.18%, respectively. The Tan IIA group significantly enhanced the content of cytochrome b5, P450, and erythromycin-N-demethylase activity. CYP3A4 protein expression was enhanced obviously by the Tan IIA + ADM group. Virtual molecular docking showed that both Tan IIA and ADM could be stably docked with the same binding site of PXR but different interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Tan IIA in combination with ADM could improve the life quality in tumor-bearing mice and enhance the antitumor effect. The Tan IIA group increased the concentration of cytochrome P450 enzymes and activity. Combined Tan IIA with ADM could upregulate the CYP3A4 protein expression and make relevant interaction with protein PXR by virtual docking.

Matrine induces apoptosis in multiple colorectal cancer cell lines in vitro and inhibits tumour growth with minimum side effects in vivo via Bcl-2 and caspase-3.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that colorectal cancer (CRC) was the third most common cancer in men and the second in women, worldwide. Our previous meta-analysis found Sophora flavescens increased tumour response rate in randomised controlled trials of CRC. We hypothesised that its principal constituent matrine had exerted anti-tumour effects. PURPOSE: To elucidate its mechanisms of action we investigated the dose-related anti-tumour effects of matrine on four human CRC cell-lines: LS174T, Caco-2, SW1116 and RKO. In a LS174T xenografted tumour model in nude mice we assessed the effects of matrine and oxaliplatin on tumour volume, weight and morphology. Computer simulated dockings for target proteins were also conducted. METHODS AND DESIGN: Cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry, and Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay respectively. Western blot was performed to examine the expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 in the cells. The xenograft model and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate the effect of matrine in vivo. Oxaliplatin was set as positive control. Molecular docking was performed to predict the binding modes of matrine and oxaliplatin with target proteins using CDOCKER algorithm. RESULTS: Matrine inhibited proliferation of cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Matrine induced cell-cycle arrest at G1/G0 phase, induced apoptosis and reduced expression of Bcl-2 and caspase-3 while up-regulating Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in the four CRC cells. In vivo, matrine significantly inhibited tumour growth without side effects on physical health compared to the negative (vehicle) control group. Mice in the oxaliplatin group lost vigour, became frail and lost weight. Expression of Bcl-2 in tumour tissue was lower and Bax expression was higher in the matrine-treated groups compared to the negative control. In computer-simulated docking, matrine successfully docked into active sites of Bcl-2 and caspase-3. CONCLUSION: Matrine inhibited growth of colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. A molecular mechanism was apoptosis induction via effects on Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3. Moreover, matrine showed minimum side effects and may provide a candidate for the development of new therapies for colorectal cancer.

Responses of Labile Organic Nitrogen Fractions and Enzyme Activities in eroded Mollisols After 8-year Manure Amendment.

Soil erosion will cause a degradation in soil nitrogen supplying capacity (SNSC) and manure amendment is an effective way to restored eroded soils. Both labile fractions of soil organic N (SON) and N transformation enzymes are indicators for SNSC, but the effect of manure amendments on labile SON fractions and the relationship between labile SON fractions and enzyme activities remains unclear. In this study, five degrees of erosion were simulated in Mollisols (removal of 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 cm of topsoil) to analyse the changes in labile SON fractions and nitrogen transformation enzyme activities after 8-year manure amendment. We found that soil total N (TN), labile SON fractions and enzyme activities all increased after manure amendments. The largest labile SON fraction was particle organic nitrogen (POM-N) and the second was light fraction organic nitrogen (LFOM-N), which accounted >60% for TN in total. Correlation analysis showed that both urease and protease activities were significantly correlated with POM-N, LFOM-N, microbial biomass N and dissolvable organic N, indicating that both urease and protease activities can be used to predict labile SON pools and enzyme activities worked similarly in indicating SNSC with labile SON fractions. Altogether, 8-year manure amendment could recover SNSC of lightly eroded Mollisols to natural levels, i.e. erosion depths at 5 cm and 10 cm; however, it is not able to recover SNSC in Mollisols suffering severe erosion.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong Granules on Postprandial Distress Syndrome-Predominant Functional Dyspepsia / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common upper gastrointestinal disorder worldwide, but the current treatments for FD are still unsatisfactory. The aims of this study were to investigate the efficacy and safety of Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules in patients with postprandial distress syndrome (PDS)-predominant FD.</p><p><b>Methods</b>The study was conducted as a randomized, double-blinded, multicenter, placebo-controlled design in 197 patients with PDS. All participants received placebo treatment for 1 week. Patients whose total symptom score decreased by <50% after the placebo treatment were recruited into the 4-week treatment period, in which they were randomly assigned to be treated with either Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules or placebo. The patients were then followed for 2 weeks without any treatment. Dyspeptic symptoms were scored at weeks 2 and 4 during the random treatment period and 2 weeks after the treatment. Anxiety and depression symptoms were also scored and compared.</p><p><b>Results</b>(1) The total effective rates in the Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules group at weeks 2 and 4 during the random treatment period and 2 weeks after treatment were all significantly higher than those in the placebo group (38.82% vs. 8.75%, P < 0.001; 69.14% vs. 16.25%, P < 0.001; 77.65% vs. 21.25%, P < 0.001). (2) The total dyspeptic symptoms scores in the Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules group at weeks 2 and 4 and 2 weeks after treatment were significantly lower than those in the placebo group. (3) The severity and frequency of each dyspeptic symptom at weeks 2 and 4 and the follow-up period were all significantly lower than those in the placebo group. (4) The anxiety scores in the Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules group were significantly lower than those in the placebo group. (5) Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules did not have more adverse effects than the placebo.</p><p><b>Conclusion</b>Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules offer significant symptomatic improvement in PDS with no more adverse effects than placebo.</p><p><b>Trial Registration</b>https://clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT02460601.</p>

Study of the thermal pain threshold latency of acupoints based on Fei Teng Ba Fa / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective:By applying moxibustion to the eight confluent points in different periods of time,to observe the changes in thermal pain threshold latency of acupoints based on Fei Teng Ba Fa.Methods:A total of 468 healthy college student volunteers received moxibustion at the eight confluent points in three different periods of time,i.e.Chen (7:00-9:00),Wu (11:00-13:00) and Xu (19:00-21:00).The thermal pain threshold latency was adopted to measure the changes in pain threshold of the eight confluent points under different conditions (different periods of time,different genders,different acupoints and different states of the acupoints) based on Fei Teng Ba Fa.Results:Finally,thirty subjects dropped out and 438 subjects were included.The comparison of thermal pain threshold latencies of the eight confluent points in the same opening or closing state based on Fei Teng Ba Fa:latencies of the closing points and adjunct points were significantly different in different periods of time (P＜0.05);the latencies of the males were significantly longer than those of the females (P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the latency between the left and right sides (P＞0.05);in the female group,there was a significant difference in the latency between the lower-limb points and the upper-limb points (P＜0.05).The comparison of thermal point threshold latencies of the eight confluent points in different opening or closing state:in the period of Wu (11:00-13:00),the latencies of the opening points were significantly longer than those of the closing points and adjunct points (P＜0.05);for men,their opening and closing points had significantly longer thermal pain threshold latencies than their adjunct points (P＜0.05);despite the gender,the latencies of the upper limb opening and closing points were significantly longer than the latency of the adjunct points (P＜0.05);in the female group,the latencies of the lower-limb opening points were significantly shorter than those of the lower-limb closing and adjunct points (P＜0.05).Conclusion:Based on Fei Teng Ba Fa,the pain thresholds of the eight confluent points vary in different periods of time,gender,acupoint location and opening/closing state,which can be taken as the evidence of making time-based acupuncture-moxibustion prescriptions.

Research of berberine in treatment of depression / 药学学报

Depression is a common mental disorder. It is estimated that by 2020, the global incidence of depression will be about 20%, which will bring huge economic burden to society. The pathogenesis of depression is complicated, the diagnostic method is not objective, and the cure rate is low. Antidepressants are often associated with adverse reactions during treatment, and patient compliance is poor. Therefore, a single component with antidepressant effects in natural medicines or a compound Chinese medicine gradually shows an advantage in the treatment of depression. Berberine (C20H18NO4) is one of the main components of traditional Chinese medicine Coptis. In recent years, a large amount of evidence indicates that berberine has a good antidepressant effect on different animal models of depression, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of monoamines and metabolism, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation in the brain. This article describes the antidepressant effect and mechanism of berberine, and provides a basis for further exploration and research on the antidepressant effect of berberine.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Antihypertensive Medication Use and Blood Pressure Control Among US Adults With Hypertension: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003 to 2012.

BACKGROUND: A key to reduce and eradicate racial disparities in hypertension outcomes is to understand their causes. We aimed at evaluating racial differences in antihypertensive drug utilization patterns and blood pressure control by insurance status, age, sex, and presence of comorbidities. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 8796 hypertensive individuals ≥18 years of age were identified from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2012) in a repeated cross-sectional study. During the study period, all 3 racial groups (whites, blacks, and Hispanics) experienced substantial increase in hypertension treatment and control. The overall treatment rates were 73.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 71.6%-76.2%), 70.8% (95% CI, 68.6%-73.0%), and 60.7% (95% CI, 57.0%-64.3%) and hypertension control rates were 42.9% (95% CI, 40.5%-45.2%), 36.9% (95% CI, 34.7%-39.2%), and 31.2% (95% CI, 28.6%-33.9%) for whites, blacks, and Hispanics, respectively. When stratified by insurance status, blacks (odds ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.64-0.86] for insured and 0.59 [95% CI, 0.36-0.94] for uninsured) and Hispanics (odds ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.60-0.91] for insured and 0.58 [95% CI, 0.36-0.94] for uninsured) persistently had lower rates of hypertension control compared with whites. Racial disparities also persisted in subgroups stratified by age (≥60 and <60 years of age) and presence of comorbidities but worsened among patients <60 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Black and Hispanic patients had poorer hypertension control compared with whites, and these differences were more pronounced in younger and uninsured patients. Although black patients received more intensive antihypertensive therapy, Hispanics were undertreated. Future studies should further explore all aspects of these disparities to improve cardiovascular outcomes.

"Treatment of Syndrome Differentiation for Consumptive Diseases Based on the Theory of""Rise and Fall of Middle Qi"" by HUANG Yuan-yu" / 中国中医药信息杂志

The famous TCM doctor, HUANG Yuan-yu, proposed the theory of rise and fall of middle qi, which was a main academic ideology for the understanding of human physiology and pathology. He believed that rise and fall of middle qi played an important role in qi-blood and yin-yang and normal operation of five zang viscera. He also emphasized that there was an important relationship between the consumptive diseases and function damage of other viscera caused by imbalance of middle qi. Based on the theory of rise and fall of middle qi, this article discussed its guiding function to the treatment of syndrome differentiation for consumptive diseases, with a purpose to provide new ideas for clinical treatment.

Tanshinone IIA combined with adriamycin inhibited malignant biological behaviors of NSCLC A549 cell line in a synergistic way.

BACKGROUND: The study was designed to develop a platform to verify whether the extract of herbs combined with chemotherapy drugs play a synergistic role in anti-tumor effects, and to provide experimental evidence and theoretical reference for finding new effective sensitizers. METHODS: Inhibition of tanshinone IIA and adriamycin on the proliferation of A549, PC9 and HLF cells were assessed by CCK8 assays. The combination index (CI) was calculated with the Chou-Talalay method, based on the median-effect principle. Migration and invasion ability of A549 cells were determined by wound healing assay and transwell assay. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis and the distribution of cell cycles. TUNEL staining was used to detect the apoptotic cells. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression of Cleaved Caspase-3. Western blotting was used to detect the proteins expression of relative apoptotic signal pathways. CDOCKER module in DS 2.5 was used to detect the binding modes of the drugs and the proteins. RESULTS: Both tanshinone IIA and adriamycin could inhibit the growth of A549, PC9, and HLF cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, while the proliferative inhibition effect of tanshinone IIA on cells was much weaker than that of adriamycin. Different from the cancer cells, HLF cells displayed a stronger sensitivity to adriamycin, and a weaker sensitivity to tanshinone IIA. When tanshinone IIA combined with adriamycin at a ratio of 20:1, they exhibited a synergistic anti-proliferation effect on A549 and PC9 cells, but not in HLF cells. Tanshinone IIA combined with adriamycin could synergistically inhibit migration, induce apoptosis and arrest cell cycle at the S and G2 phases in A549 cells. Both groups of the single drug treatment and the drug combination up-regulated the expressions of Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax, but down-regulated the expressions of VEGF, VEGFR2, p-PI3K, p-Akt, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3 protein. Compared with the single drug treatment groups, the drug combination groups were more statistically significant. The molecular docking algorithms indicated that tanshinone IIA could be docked into the active sites of all the tested proteins with H-bond and aromatic interactions, compared with that of adriamycin. CONCLUSIONS: Tanshinone IIA can be developed as a novel agent in the postoperative adjuvant therapy combined with other anti-tumor agents, and improve the sensibility of chemotherapeutics for non-small cell lung cancer with fewer side effects. In addition, this experiment can not only provide a reference for the development of more effective anti-tumor medicine ingredients, but also build a platform for evaluating the anti-tumor effects of Chinese herbal medicines in combination with chemotherapy drugs.

Proteomics research of intervention effect of "Qi enriching" herbs on "Qi deficiency" rats based on technology of NanoLC-LTQ-Orbitrap / 中国中药杂志

Proteomics method, based on NanoLC-LTQ-Orbitrap technology, was applied to explore the biological basis of intervention effect of "Qi enriching" herbs on "Qi deficiency" rats. The "Qi deficiency" rat model was established with caloric restriction combined with excessive swimming. Muscle proteins of vastus lateralis from the blank group, the model group and the ginseng group were detected by NanoLC-LTQ-Orbitrap system. The data were imported into Protein Discovery software to identify the proteins and all the raw datum were analyzed by SIEVE software. Compared with model group, 26 significant difference proteins were found in ginseng group, which the variation trend was consistent with the blank group. Through the biological function analysis, the found proteins could be classified into proteins involved in energy metabolism, proteins involved in glucose metabolism, electrolyte balance and material transfer related proteins, inflammation related protein and cytoskeleton protein. The above target proteins and their regulation pathways may be the biological basis which ginseng played a role of tonifying "Qi" of "Qi deficiency" symptom.