Using the Symptom Patient Similarity Network to Explore the Difference between the Chinese and Western Medicine Pathways of Ischemic Stroke and its Comorbidities.

METHODS: Individualized treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) provides a theoretical basis for the study of the personalized classification of complex diseases. Utilizing the TCM clinical electronic medical records (EMRs) of 7170 in patients with IS, a patient similarity network (PSN) with shared symptoms was constructed. Next, patient subgroups were identified using community detection methods and enrichment analyses were performed. Finally, genetic data of symptoms, herbs, and drugs were used for pathway and GO analysis to explore the characteristics of pathways of subgroups and to compare the similarities and differences in genetic pathways of herbs and drugs from the perspective of molecular pathways of symptoms. RESULTS: We identified 34 patient modules from the PSN, of which 7 modules include 98.48% of the whole cases. The 7 patient subgroups have their own characteristics of risk factors, complications, and comorbidities and the underlying genetic pathways of symptoms, drugs, and herbs. Each subgroup has the largest number of herb pathways. For specific symptom pathways, the number of herb pathways is more than that of drugs. CONCLUSION: The research of disease classification based on community detection of symptom-shared patient networks is practical; the common molecular pathway of symptoms and herbs reflects the rationality of TCM herbs on symptoms and the wide range of therapeutic targets.

Study on the Effective Material Basis and Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prescription (QJC) Against Stress Diarrhea in Mice.

Stress diarrhea is a major challenge for weaned piglets and restricts pig production efficiency and incurs massive economic losses. A traditional Chinese medicine prescription (QJC) composed of Astragalus propinquus Schischkin (HQ), Zingiber officinale Roscoe (SJ), and Plantago asiatica L. (CQC) has been developed by our laboratory and shows marked anti-stress diarrhea effect. However, the active compounds, potential targets, and mechanism of this effect remain unclear and warrant further investigation. In our study, we verified the bioactive compounds of QJC and relevant mechanisms underlying the anti-stress diarrhea effect through network pharmacology and in vivo experimental studies. After establishing a successful stress-induced diarrhea model, histomorphology of intestinal mucosa was studied, and Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) probe was used for the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway to verify the therapeutic effect of QJC on diarrhea. First, using the network pharmacology approach, we identified 35 active components and 130 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways in QJC. From among these, we speculated that quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, scutellarein, and stigmasterol were the main bioactive compounds and assumed that the anti-diarrhea effect of QJC was related to the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The RT-qPCR indicated that QJC and its bioactive components increased the expression levels of PI3K and Akt, inhibited the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and activated the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to relieve stress-induced diarrhea. Furthermore, we found that QJC alleviated the pathological condition of small intestine tissue and improved the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Taken together, our study showed that the traditional Chinese medicine QJC, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, scutellarein, and stigmasterol alleviated the pathological condition of small intestine tissue and relieved stress-induced diarrhea by increasing the expression levels of PI3K and Akt and inhibiting the expression levels of PTEN.

Antiviral Strategies of Chinese Herbal Medicine Against PRRSV Infection.

Bioactive compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) are gradually becoming an effective alternative in the control of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) because most of the commercially available PRRSV vaccines cannot provide full protection against the genetically diverse strains isolated from farms. Besides, the incomplete attenuation procedure involved in the production of modified live vaccines (MLV) may cause them to revert to the more virulence forms. TCMs have shown some promising potentials in bridging this gap. Several investigations have revealed that herbal extracts from TCMs contain molecules with significant antiviral activities against the various stages of the life cycle of PRRSV, and they do this through different mechanisms. They either block PRRSV attachment and entry into cells or inhibits the replication of viral RNA or viral particles assembly and release or act as immunomodulators and pathogenic pathway inhibitors through cytokines regulations. Here, we summarized the various antiviral strategies employed by some TCMs against the different stages of the life cycle of PRRSV under two major classes, including direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and indirect-acting antivirals (IAAs). We highlighted their mechanisms of action. In conclusion, we recommended that in making plans for the use of TCMs to control PRRSV, the pathway forward must be built on a real understanding of the mechanisms by which bioactive compounds exert their effects. This will provide a template that will guide the focus of collaborative studies among researchers in the areas of bioinformatics, chemistry, and proteomics. Furthermore, available data and procedures to support the efficacy, safety, and quality control levels of TCMs should be well documented without any breach of data integrity and good manufacturing practices.

[Effect of acupuncture intervention on hippocampal neuron loss and astrocytosis in SAMP 8 mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of "Sanjiao Acupuncture Therapy" on hippocampal selective neuron loss and astrocytosis in senile accelerated mice (SAM) so as to reveal its mechanism underlying improvement of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: A total of 18 seven-month old male SAM prone 8 (SAMP 8) were selected and randomly allocated into model group, acupuncture group, and non-acupoint group. Moreover, 6 age- and sex-matched SAM resistant 1 (SAMR 1) were enrolled as the homology normal control group. For mice of the acupuncture group, "Sanjiao Acupuncture Therapy" [manual acupuncture stimulation of "Danzhong" (CV 17), "Zhongwan" (CV 12), "Qihai" (CV 6), "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Xuehai"(SP 10)] was given, and for rats of the non-acupoint group, manual acupuncture stimulation was applied to bilateral costal region (non-acupoints, below the costal region and 10 and 15 mm superior to the iliac crest). The treatment was conducted once daily for 14 days. At the end of each experiment, the mouse's hippocampus tissue was taken out after routine perfusion and fixing for paraffin sections which were stained by toluidine blue technique for observing changes of neurons and by immunohistochemistry for analyzing glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoactivity of astrocytes. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, a marked neuron loss was found in the model, acupuncture and non-acupoint groups (P < 0.01). The numbers of neurons of hippocampal CA 1 and CA 3 regions in the acupuncture group were significantly more than those in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression level of hippocampal GFAP was markedly increased in the model group (P < 0.01). In comparison with the control group, the average expression area, optical density values and the number of GFAP-labeled astocytes were significantly upregulated in the model group (P < 0.01). While in comparison with the model group, these 3 indexes were apparently downregulated in the acupuncture group (P < 0.01) but not in the non-acupoint group except the average expression area, suggesting a reduction of hippocampal astrocyte activity after acupuncture intervention. A negative correlation was found between the expression level of GFAP and the number of astrocytes. CONCLUSION: "Sanjiao Acupuncture Therapy" can lower or delay neuron loss, suppress astrocytosis, and regulate the relationship between neuron and astrocyte, which may contribute to its function in relieving AD.

Chemical studies on Taxus canadensis.

A series of new taxanes, 1-93, have been isolated, together with 37 known taxoids including Taxol(®) (paclitaxel) and cephalomannine, from the Canadian yew, Taxus canadensis (Taxaceae) in the past 30 years. These new taxoids possess various skeletons containing 5/7/6, 6/10/6, 6/5/5/6, 6/8/6, and 6/12 ring systems and six new taxanes with four novel skeletons, i.e., a taxane with a 6/6/8/6 ring system, a taxane with a [3.3.3] propellane skeleton, three taxanes with [3.3.3] [3.4.5] dipropellane sytems, as well as a novel taxane with a unique 5/5/4/6/6/6 hexacyclic skeleton, containing a unique [3.3.2] propellane, were isolated for the first time from natural sources. It should be emphasized that 13-acetyl-9-dihydrobaccatin III, a very useful starting material for the semisynthesis of Taxol(®) and Taxotere(®) , represents the most abundant taxane in the needles of this yew tree. These findings establish the above mentioned yew tree as significantly different from the remaining species. On the other hand, some chemical modifications on the taxanes isolated from this plant were carried out.

Acupuncture plus cupping for treating insomnia in college students.

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture plus cupping for treating insomnia in college students. METHODS: Ninety two college students suffering from insomnia were randomly divided into a treatment group (52 cases) and a control group (40 cases). Acupuncture plus cupping was used for profiting the brain and tranquilizing the mind in the treatment group, and conventional differentiation of symptoms and signs was used in the control group. Therapeutic effect, number of treatment, self-rating sleeping scaling (SRSS), and subtracted rate were evaluated after one month of treatment. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in effective rate between the two groups (P < 0.05). For the cases with moderate insomnia, the effective rate was obviously better in the treatment group than that in the control group (P < 0.05), and for the cases with slight and moderate insomnia, the average treatment number was remarkably less in the former than that in the latter (P < 0.01). SRSS was reduced in both groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The subtracted rate in the former was more than that in the latter (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect in the treatment group was better than that in the control group, showing superiority in the cases with moderate insomnia with less treatments and more improved and cured rates.

[Comparison between therapeutic effects of acupuncture and intravenous injection of amiodarone in the treatment of paroxymal atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter].

OBJECTIVE: To probe the feasibility of acupuncture in conversion of paroxymal atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. METHODS: Eighty cases of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter were randomly divided into 2 groups, a treatment group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated with acupuncture at Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Danzhong (CV 17) and others, and the control group with intravenous injection of amiodarone. The cardiac rhythms and side effects were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate of 85.0% in the treatment group was better than 67.5% in the control group (P < 0.01). The average conversion time was (39.6 +/- 13.7) min in the treatment group and (50.1 +/- 14.8) min in the control group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). No adverse effect was found in the treatment group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture is a safe and effective therapy for conversion of paroxymal atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter.

[Professor Wu Lian-zhong's experience on four needling methods at Fengchi (GB 20)].

The paper introduces the manipulation and different clinical application examines of the 4 needling methods, oblique needling, horizontal needling, deep needling and transversal needling summarized by Prof. Wu Lian-zhong on the basis of many years's clinical work.

Application of organic polymeric flocculants in centrifugal dewatering of oil refinery sludge.

In order to evaluate the applicability of the organic polymeric flocculants (OPF) in the treatment of oil refinery sludge, experiments were conducted to show that OPF have better performance of flocculation than inorganic flocculants. Both the anionic and cationic OPF have satisfactory flocculation efficiency in oil sludge treatment, but the latter are more cost-efficient. Among the over 20 types of flocculants tested, 2 OPF (CPAM-2 and HPAM-2) were selected as the treatment agents, based on their good treatment performances, oil-resistance and economic feasibility. It was demonstrated in the industrial-scale centrifugal dewatering experiments that the application of either CPAM-2 or HPAM-2 could achieve high treatment efficiency of the oil sludge dewatering and reduce the COD of centrifugal liquid to less than 1000 mg/L.