Routine western medicine treatment plus qishen yiqi dripping pill for treating patients with chronic heart failure: a systematic review of randomized control trials / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To systematically review the safety and efficacy of Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pill (QYDP) as a complementary treatment for chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, PubMed and Cochrane Library were retrieved for papers on randomized control trials of treating CHF patients by routine western medical treatment plus QYDP. The quality of inclusive literatures was assessed by methods from Cochrane Handbook. Valid data were extracted and analyzed by Meta-analysis using RevMan 5.1.0 Software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 17 trials and 1840 patients in line with standard were included. Results of Meta-analysis showed, compared with the routine Western medical treatment group, additional use of QYDP could decrease re-admission rate [RR = 0.52, 95% CI (0.33, 0.81), P = 0.004] and the mortality rate, improve the clinical efficacy [RR = 1.18, 95% CI (1.12, 1.25), P < 0.01] and cardiac function [RR = 1.18, 95% CI (1.10, 1.27),P < 0.01], increase left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) [WMD = 5.57, 95% CI (4.16, 6.97), P < 0.01] of CHF patients. Subgroup analysis of LVEF showed that additional use of QYDP could further improve LVEF [ WMD = 8.34, 95% CI (6.23, 10.45), P < 0.01] of CHF patients and increase the distance of their 6-min walk test [WMD = 94.39, 95% CI (71.89, 116.89), P < 0.01]. But there was no statistical difference in plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) between the two groups. No obvious adverse reaction and liver or kidney damage was reported during the trial.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Compared with the Western medical treatment, additional use of QYDP was safe and could further improve clinical efficacy. However, larger and high-quality clinical trials are necessary for further evidence.</p>

Effect of prostaglandin E1 combined with Xuebijing injection on transforming growth factor-β₁ in rats with pulmonary interstitial fibrosis / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of prostaglandins E1 combined with Xuebijing injection on the expression of transforming growth factor-β₁ (TGF-β₁) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in rats with acute pulmonary interstitial fibrosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A rat model of pulmonary interstitial fibrosis was established by intratracheal injection of bleomycin (1 ml/kg). One hundred and eight Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups with 18 in each group, which were normal control group, model group, hormone (methylprednisolone) treatment group, Xuebijing treatment group, prostaglandin E1 treatment group and combination treatment group (prostaglandin E1 and Xuebijing injection). Except for those in the normal control group, the rats in each group were sacrificed on the 7th, 14th and 28th day after treatment. The TGF-β₁ expression in lung tissue was measured by immunohistochemical staining. The TNF-α concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of rat model was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The combination treatment group showed significantly more macrophages with TGF-β₁ expression in lung tissue at each time point, as compared with the model group, Xuebijing treatment group, methylprednisolone treatment group and prostaglandin E1 treatment group (P < 0.05). On the 7th day, the TNF-α concentration in BALF in the combination treatment group was significantly lower than those in the model group, methylprednisolone treatment group and prostaglandin E1 treatment group (P < 0.05); on the 14th day, the TNF-α concentration in BALF in the combination treatment group was significantly lower than that in the model group (P < 0.05); on the 28th day, the levels of TNF-α in the prostaglandin E1 treatment group and combination treatment group were significantly lower than that in the model group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Prostaglandin E1 combined with Xuebijing injection may significantly inhibit TGF-β₁ expression in the lung tissue of rats with acute pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, which reduces alveolar inflammatory response.</p>

Effects of Xue-Bi-Jing combined with forsythia suspension on the liver gene expression levels of rats with sepsis model / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of "XUE BI JING plus LIANQIAO" injection on gene expression levels of rats with sepsis model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and twenty rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, sepsis model group, Te-neng group and "XUE BI JING plus forsythia suspension" group. The sepsis model of rats was prepared by "CLP" method. Tai neng group was treated by peritoneal injection Imipenem/ Cilastatin (0.18 g/kg); "XUE BI JING plus LIANQIAO" group was treated by peritoneal injection Imipenem/ Cilastatin (0.18 g/kg) plus "xue-bi-jing" (10 ml/kg) and "liang ge san" (18 g/200 g) by intragastric administration 2 times a day; the sham operation group and model group were treated by peritoneal injection of normal saline (10 ml/kg). The survival rates at 48h and 72h were observed for all groups. The gene expression levels of livers in all groups were detected by BiostarR-40s chip. The NCBI database was used to inquest Gene function and class.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The survival rates at 48h and 72h in "XUE BI JING+ forsythia suspension" group were 83.3% and 76.7% which were significantly higher than those (30.0% and 16.7%) in sepsis model group and those (60.0% and 33.3%) in Te-neng group (P < 0.01). Model group/control group have 305 differential expression genes with 159 up-regulation genes and 146 down-regulation genes. Tai-neng group/model group have 386 differential expression genes with 206 up-regulation genes and 180 down-regulation genes. "XUE BI JING plus forsythia suspension" group/model group have 342 differential expression genes with 102 up-regulation genes and 240 downregulation genes. The genes with up-regulation in model group/ control group and with down-regulation in"XUE BI JING plus forsythia suspension" group/model group were 24. The genes with down-regulation in the model group/ sham operation group and with up-regulation in "XUE BI JING plus forsythia suspension"group/model group were 16.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>"XUE BI JING plus forsythia suspension" can reduce the mortality of rats with sepsis, which could be due to the expression of relative regulation genes.</p>

Study on the effect of mild moxibustion combined with cupping therapy on serum creatine kinase in gym-athletes / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To probe into eliminating action of mild moxibustion combined with cupping therapy on athletic fatigue.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Observe changes of serum creatine kinase activity in gym-athletes with once great intensity training or periodic great intensity training, and the interfering effect of mild moxibustion combined with cupping therapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mild moxibustion combined with cupping therapy has a significant promoting action on recovery of the increased serum creatine kinase activity induced by once great intensity training or periodic great intensity training in gym-athletes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method has a better action of eliminating athletic fatigue.</p>

Clinical observation on treatment of 18 patients with pulmonary infection after renal transplantation by integrative traditional Chinese and Western medicine / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic effect of integrative traditional Chinese and Western medicine in treating patients with pulmonary infection after renal transplantation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-four inpatients were randomly divided into the treated group (n=18) and the control group (n=16). They were treated with conventional therapy, including corticosteroid, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, symptomatic and supporting therapy, to the treated group, the modified qingwen baidu decoction (MQBD) was administered additionally.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Fifty of the 18 patients in the treated group were cured, 2 improved and 1 died, the cure rate being 83.3% and the total effective rate 94.4%; while 8 of the 16 patients in the control group were cured, 2 improved and 6 died, the cure rate being 50.0% and the total effective rate 62.5%, comparison between these two groups showed significant difference (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Promising effect could be obtained for treatment of patients with pulmonary infection after renal transplantation by adding MQBD, a Chinese herbal medicine for clearing heat and detoxication, cooling blood and removing fire, on the basis of conventional western medical treatment.</p>