Shenfu injection: a review of pharmacological effects on cardiovascular diseases.

Shenfu injection (SFI), composed of ginseng and aconite, is a Chinese patent developed from the classic traditional prescription Shenfu Decoction created more than 700 years ago. SFI has been widely used in China for over 30 years for treating cardiovascular diseases. The main components in it include ginsenosides and aconitum alkaloids. In recent years, the role of SFI in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases has attracted much attention. The pharmacological effects and therapeutic applications of SFI in cardiovascular diseases are summarized here, highlighting pharmacological features and potential mechanisms developments, confirming that SFI can play a role in multiple ways and is a promising drug for treating cardiovascular diseases.

Identification of phytochemical compounds of Fagopyrum dibotrys and their targets by metabolomics, network pharmacology and molecular docking studies.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a clinically severe lung illness with high incidence rate and mortality. Especially, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a serious threat to world wide governmental fitness. It has distributed to almost from corner to corner of the universe, and the situation in the prevention and control of COVID-19 remains grave. Traditional Chinese medicine plays a vital role in the precaution and therapy of sicknesses. At present, there is a lack of drugs for treating these diseases, so it is necessary to develop drugs for treating COVID-19 related ALI. Fagopyrum dibotrys (D. Don) Hara is an annual plant of the Polygonaceae family and one of the long-history used traditional medicine in China. In recent years, its rhizomes (medicinal parts) have attracted the attention of scholars at home and abroad due to their significant anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer activities. It can work on SARS-COV-2 with numerous components, targets, and pathways, and has a certain effect on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related acute lung injury (ALI). However, there are few systematic studies on its aerial parts (including stems and leaves) and its potential therapeutic mechanism has not been studied. The phytochemical constituents of rhizome of F. dibotrys were collected using TCMSP database. And metabolites of F. dibotrys' s aerial parts were detected by metabonomics. The phytochemical targets of F. dibotrys were predicted by the PharmMapper website tool. COVID-19 and ALI-related genes were retrieved from GeneCards. Cross targets and active phytochemicals of COVID-19 and ALI related genes in F. dibotrys were enriched by gene ontology (GO) and KEGG by metscape bioinformatics tools. The interplay network entre active phytochemicals and anti COVID-19 and ALI targets was established and broke down using Cytoscape software. Discovery Studio (version 2019) was used to perform molecular docking of crux active plant chemicals with anti COVID-19 and ALI targets. We identified 1136 chemicals from the aerial parts of F. dibotrys, among which 47 were active flavonoids and phenolic chemicals. A total of 61 chemicals were searched from the rhizome of F. dibotrys, and 15 of them were active chemicals. So there are 6 commonly key active chemicals at the aerial parts and the rhizome of F. dibotrys, 89 these phytochemicals's potential targets, and 211 COVID-19 and ALI related genes. GO enrichment bespoken that F. dibotrys might be involved in influencing gene targets contained numerous biological processes, for instance, negative regulation of megakaryocyte differentiation, regulation of DNA metabolic process, which could be put down to its anti COVID-19 associated ALI effects. KEGG pathway indicated that viral carcinogenesis, spliceosome, salmonella infection, coronavirus disease - COVID-19, legionellosis and human immunodeficiency virus 1 infection pathway are the primary pathways obsessed in the anti COVID-19 associated ALI effects of F. dibotrys. Molecular docking confirmed that the 6 critical active phytochemicals of F. dibotrys, such as luteolin, (+) -epicatechin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, (+) -catechin, and (-) -catechin gallate, can combine with kernel therapeutic targets NEDD8, SRPK1, DCUN1D1, and PARP1. In vitro activity experiments showed that the total antioxidant capacity of the aerial parts and rhizomes of F. dibotrys increased with the increase of concentration in a certain range. In addition, as a whole, the antioxidant capacity of the aerial part of F. dibotrys was stronger than that of the rhizome. Our research afford cues for farther exploration of the anti COVID-19 associated ALI chemical compositions and mechanisms of F. dibotrys and afford scientific foundation for progressing modern anti COVID-19 associated ALI drugs based on phytochemicals in F. dibotrys. We also fully developed the medicinal value of F. dibotrys' s aerial parts, which can effectively avoid the waste of resources. Meanwhile, our work provides a new strategy for integrating metabonomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking techniques which was an efficient way for recognizing effective constituents and mechanisms valid to the pharmacologic actions of traditional Chinese medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine constitution types of high-normal blood pressure: A meta-analysis.

Objective: We determined the distribution of constitutional types of high-normal blood pressure in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and provided evidence for the prevention of high-normal blood pressure and hypertension. Methods: Eight digital databases were searched from January 2011 to November 2022, including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, CNKI, CBM, Wangfang, and CQVIP. We performed a meta-analysis with the random-effects model or fixed-effects model to describe the distribution of constitutional types of high-normal blood pressure in TCM. The studies were assessed based on heterogeneity testing and the potential for publication bias. The meta-analysis was performed on Stata software 15.0. Results: A total of 17 studies with 8118 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The proportion of the biased constitution (82.3%; 95% CI: 75.6%-89.1%, p < 0.001) was higher than the balanced constitution (17.3%; 95% CI: 10.7-23.8%, p < 0.001). Phlegm-dampness constitution, Yin-deficiency constitution, and damp-heat constitution accounted for 16.0% (95%CI: 10.5-21.5%, p < 0.001), 14.8% (95% CI: 11.0-18.6%, p < 0.001), 11.3% (95% CI: 8.0-14.5%, p < 0.001) of the total high-normal blood pressure cases, respectively. The subgroup analyses performed that region, age and gender were positively associated with the distribution of constitution types of high-normal blood pressure in TCM. Compared with the general population, the risk of high-normal blood pressure in people with the phlegm-dampness constitution, Yin-deficiency constitution, and blood-stasis constitution was 2.665 (95%CI: 2.286-3.106, p < 0.001), 2.378 (95%CI: 1.197-4.724, p = 0.013), 1.965 (95%CI: 1.634-2.363, p < 0.001) times of the general population, respectively. Meanwhile, the risk of high-normal blood pressure was lower in people with a balanced constitution (0.248, 95%CI: 0.165-0.372, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Phlegm-dampness constitution, Yin-deficiency constitution, and damp-heat constitution were the common constitution types of high-normal blood pressure. There might also be differences in the distribution characteristics of TCM constitution among people with high-normal blood pressure in different regions, ages, and genders. Finally, a balanced constitution might be a protective factor for hypertensive people.

Development of a tongue image-based machine learning tool for the diagnosis of gastric cancer: a prospective multicentre clinical cohort study.

Background: Tongue images (the colour, size and shape of the tongue and the colour, thickness and moisture content of the tongue coating), reflecting the health state of the whole body according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), have been widely used in China for thousands of years. Herein, we investigated the value of tongue images and the tongue coating microbiome in the diagnosis of gastric cancer (GC). Methods: From May 2020 to January 2021, we simultaneously collected tongue images and tongue coating samples from 328 patients with GC (all newly diagnosed with GC) and 304 non-gastric cancer (NGC) participants in China, and 16 S rDNA was used to characterize the microbiome of the tongue coating samples. Then, artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning models were established to evaluate the value of tongue images and the tongue coating microbiome in the diagnosis of GC. Considering that tongue imaging is more convenient and economical as a diagnostic tool, we further conducted a prospective multicentre clinical study from May 2020 to March 2022 in China and recruited 937 patients with GC and 1911 participants with NGC from 10 centres across China to further evaluate the role of tongue images in the diagnosis of GC. Moreover, we verified this approach in another independent external validation cohort that included 294 patients with GC and 521 participants with NGC from 7 centres. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01090362. Findings: For the first time, we found that both tongue images and the tongue coating microbiome can be used as tools for the diagnosis of GC, and the area under the curve (AUC) value of the tongue image-based diagnostic model was 0.89. The AUC values of the tongue coating microbiome-based model reached 0.94 using genus data and 0.95 using species data. The results of the prospective multicentre clinical study showed that the AUC values of the three tongue image-based models for GCs reached 0.88-0.92 in the internal verification and 0.83-0.88 in the independent external verification, which were significantly superior to the combination of eight blood biomarkers. Interpretation: Our results suggest that tongue images can be used as a stable method for GC diagnosis and are significantly superior to conventional blood biomarkers. The three kinds of tongue image-based AI deep learning diagnostic models that we developed can be used to adequately distinguish patients with GC from participants with NGC, even early GC and precancerous lesions, such as atrophic gastritis (AG). Funding: The National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFA0910100), Program of Zhejiang Provincial TCM Sci-tech Plan (2018ZY006), Medical Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province (2022KY114, WKJ-ZJ-2104), Zhejiang Provincial Research Center for Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer (JBZX-202006), Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (HDMY22H160008), Science and Technology Projects of Zhejiang Province (2019C03049), National Natural Science Foundation of China (82074245, 81973634, 82204828), and Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M713203).

Chinese traditional herbs enhanced the clinical efficacy of low-molecular-weight heparin in the treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion complicated with thrombophilia.

Thrombophilia is an important cause of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). The treatment of thrombophilia is beneficial to the prevention of RSA. Therefore, we explored the clinical effect of Chinese traditional herbs with the effects of invigorating the blood, tonifying the kidney and calming the fetus in the treatment of RSA complicated with thrombophilia. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of 190 RSA patients combined with thrombophilia using different treatment methods. The traditional Chinese medicine group was treated with kidney-invigorating, blood-activating and fetus-soothing herbs and the western medicine group was treated with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), and the traditional Chinese medicine combined with western medicine group was treated with LMWH plus Chinese traditional herbs with the effects of kidney tonifying, blood activating and fetus stabilizing. After treatments, platelet aggregation rate, plasma D-dimer and uterine artery blood flow resistance were significantly reduced in the LMWH plus herbs compared to the simple herbs and LMWH group (P < 0.0167). The LMWH plus herbs group significantly accelerated the growth of fetal bud compared with other groups (P < 0.0167). Moreover, the LMWH plus herbs group improved traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores (P < 0.0167), showing a better clinical efficacy. Adverse reactions occurred in five patients in the LMWH group but not in the simple herbs and LMWH plus herbs group during the treatment period. Therefore, our study shows that for the treatment of RSA complicated with thrombophilia, Chinese traditional herbs plus LMWH can improve the blood supply of the uterus during pregnancy and contribute to a favorable environment for the growth of the fetus. Chinese traditional herbs exert a good curative effect with few adverse reactions.

Gallic acid mediates tumor-suppressive effects on osteosarcoma through the H19-Wnt/ß-catenin regulatory axis.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignancy in bone tissues, and effective therapeutics remain absent in clinical practice. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have been used for thousands of years, which provide great insights into OS management. Gallic acid (GA) is a natural phenolic acid enriched in various foods and herbs. Several pharmacological activities of GA such as anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation have been well-established. However, its biological function in OS remains not fully understood. Methods: The potential anti-cancer properties of GA were evaluated in 143 â€‹B, U2OS and MG63 â€‹cells. Its effects on cell growth, cell cycle, apoptosis and migration were examined in these OS cells. The lncRNA H19 and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling were detected by qPCR, luciferase activity and Western blotting assays. The in vivo effect of GA on tumor growth was investigated using an orthotopic mouse model. Results: In the present study, GA was found to suppress the tumor growth in vitro via inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in OS cells, and inhibit the invasion and metastasis as well. Using the orthotopic animal model, GA was also found to suppress tumorigenesis in vivo. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19 was demonstrated to be down-regulated by GA, and thus disrupted the canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in OS cells. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of H19 rescued the GA-induced suppressive effects on tumor growth and metastasis, and partially reversed the inactivation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. Conclusions: Taken together, our results indicated that GA inhibited tumor growth through an H19-mediated Wnt/ß-catenin signaling regulatory axis in OS cells. The translational potential of this article: The information gained from this study provides a novel underlying mechanism of GA mediated anti-OS activity, suggesting that GA may be a promising drug candidate for OS patients.

Investigating the effect of Shenmai injection on cardiac electrophysiology and calcium signaling using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Traditional Chinese medicine injection (TCMI) refers to the use of modern technology to make Chinese patent medicines in injectable forms, which shorten the onset time of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Although there have been clinical cases in which Shenmai injection (SMI) was used to treat cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), there are no pharmacological experiments that investigate the efficacy of the drug in vitro or the underlying mechanisms. Aim of the study: We aimed to systemically evaluate the efficacy and investigate the mechanisms of SMI in modulating electrophysiology and calcium (Ca2+) signaling using a microelectrode array (MEA) and a genetically encoded Ca2+ indicator, GCaMP6s, respectively, in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). Materials and methods: A MEA system was employed to record field potentials (FPs) in hiPSC-CMs. The QT interval is corrected by the RR interval, the reciprocal of the beating rate. GCaMP6s was used to measure Ca2+ signaling in hiPSC-CMs. Meanwhile, the transcriptome changes in hiPSC-CMs treated with 2% SMI were examined using RNAseq. In addition, the ingredients of SMI were investigated using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Results: It was found that 0.5%, 1%, and 2% (v/v) SMIs could increase corrected QT (QTc) but did not change other FP parameters. GCaMP6s was successfully applied to measure the chronic function of SMI. The full width at half maximum (FWHM), rise time, and decay time significantly decreased after treatment with SMI for 1 h and 24 h, whereas an increased Ca2+ transient frequency was observed. Conclusions: We first used the Ca2+ indicator to measure the chronic effects of TCM. We found that SMI treatment can modulate electrophysiology and calcium signaling and regulate oxidative phosphorylation, cardiac muscle contraction, and the cell cycle pathway in hiPSC-CMs.

Clinical efficacy of combination therapy of FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction and anti-viral drugs in the treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia: A prospective interventional study.

Introduction: The National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China (NATCM) and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) advocated a combination therapy of TCM and anti-viral drugs for novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) to improve the efficacy of clinical treatment. Methods: Forty-six patients diagnosed with NCP were sequentially divided into intent-to-treat population: the experimental group (combination of FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction and anti-viral drugs; n = 23) and the control group (anti-viral drugs only) (n = 23). The two groups were compared in terms of duration of fever, cough symptom score, fatigue, appetite, dyspnea, out-of-bed activities, chest computer tomography (CT) recovery, virological clearance, average length of hospital stay, and clinical effective rate of drug. After 6 days of observation, patients from the control group were divided into as-treated population: experimental subgroup (n = 14) to obtain clinical benefit and control subgroup (n = 9). Results: There was a significant improvement in the duration of fever (1.087 ± 0.288 vs 4.304 ± 2.490), cough (0.437 ± 0.589 vs 2.435 ± 0.662; P < 0.05), chest CT evaluation (82.6% vs 43.4%; P < 0.05), and virological clearance (60.8% vs 8.7%; P < 0.05) in patients of the experimental group compared with patients in the control group. Further observation in as-treated population reported that cough (0.742 ± 0.463 vs 1.862 ± 0.347; P < 0.05) and fatigue (78.5% vs 33.3%; P < 0.05) were significantly relieved after adding FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction to the existing treatment. Conclusion: An early treatment with combination therapy of FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction and anti-viral drugs significantly relieves the clinical symptoms of NCP, shows improvement in chest CT scan, improves virological clearance, shortens average length of hospital stay, and reduces the risk of severe illness. The effect of FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction in NCP may be clinically important and require further consideration.

Polysaccharides from Panax ginseng promote intestinal epithelial cell migration through affecting the Ca2+ related regulators.

Background and aim: Panax ginseng, a key herbal medicine of replenishing Qi and tonifying Spleen, is widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in East Asia. In this study, we aim to investigate the potential effects and mechanisms of polysaccharides from P. ginseng (PGP) on intestinal mucosal restitution which is one of the crucial repair modalities during the recovery of mucosal injury controlled by the Ca2+ signaling. Methods: Rat model of intestinal mucosal injury was induced by indomethacin. The fractional cell migration was carried out by immunohistochemistry staining with BrdU. The morphological observations on intestinal mucosal injury were also performed. Intestinal epithelial cell (IEC-6) migration in vitro was conducted by scratch method. Western-blot was adopted to determine the expressions of PLC-γ1, Rac1, TRPC1, RhoA and Cav-1. Immunoprecipitation was used to evaluate the levels of Rac1/PLC-γ1, RhoA/TRPC1 and Cav-1/TRPC1. Results: The results showed that PGP effectively reduced the assessment of intestinal mucosal injury, reversed the inhibition of epithelial cell migration induced by Indomethacin, and increased the level of Ca2+ in intestinal mucosa in vivo. Moreover, PGP dramatically promoted IEC-6 cell migration, the expression of Ca2+ regulators (PLC-γ1, Rac1, TRPC1, Cav-1 and RhoA) as well as protein complexes (Rac1/PLC-γ1, Cav-1/TRPC1 and RhoA/TRPC1) in vitro. Conclusion: PGP increases the Ca2+ content in intestinal mucosa partly through controlling the regulators of Ca2+ mobilization, subsequently promotes intestinal epithelial cell migration, and then prevents intestinal mucosal injury induced by indomethacin.

Glycyrrhizin as a promising kryptonite against SARS-CoV-2: Clinical, experimental, and theoretical evidences.

COVID-19 is the most devastating disease in recent times affecting most people globally. The higher rate of transmissibility and mutations of SARS-CoV-2 along with the lack of potential therapeutics has made it a global crisis. Potential molecules from natural sources could be a fruitful remedy to combat COVID-19. This systematic review highlights the detailed therapeutic implication of naturally occurring glycyrrhizin and its related derivatives against COVID-19. Glycyrrhizin has already been established for blocking different biomolecular targets related to the SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle. In this article, several experimental and theoretical evidences of glycyrrhizin and related derivatives have been discussed in detail to evaluate their potential as a promising therapeutic strategy against COVID-19. Moreover, the implication of glycyrrhizin in traditional Chinese medicines for alleviating the symptoms of COVID-19 has been reviewed. The potential role of glycyrrhizin and related compounds in affecting various stages of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle has also been discussed in detail. Derivatization of glycyrrhizin for designing potential lead compounds along with combination therapy with other anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents followed by extensive evaluation may assist in the formulation of novel anti-coronaviral therapy for better treatment to combat COVID-19.

ccTCM: A quantitative component and compound platform for promoting the research of traditional Chinese medicine.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) databases play a vital role in bridging the gap between TCM and modern medicine, as well as in promoting the popularity of TCM. Elucidating the bioactive ingredients of Chinese medicinal materials is key to TCM modernization and new drug discovery. However, one drawback of current TCM databases is the lack of quantitative data on the constituents of Chinese medicinal materials. Herein, we present ccTCM, a web-based platform designed to provide a component and compound-content-based resource on TCM and analysis services for medical experts. In terms of design features, ccTCM combines resource distribution, similarity analysis, and molecular-mechanism analysis to accelerate the discovery of bioactive ingredients in TCM. ccTCM contains 273 Chinese medicinal materials commonly used in clinical settings, covering 29 functional classifications. By searching and comparing, we finally adopted 2043 studies, from which we collected the compounds contained in each TCM with content greater than 0.001 %, and a total of 1449 were extracted. Subsequently, we collected 40,767 compound-target pairs by integrating multiple databases. Taken together, ccTCM is a versatile platform that can be used by TCM scientists to perform scientific and clinical TCM studies based on quantified ingredients of Chinese medicinal materials. ccTCM is freely accessible at http://www.cctcm.org.cn.

Unraveling the mystery of efficacy in Chinese medicine formula: New approaches and technologies for research on pharmacodynamic substances.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the key to unlock treasures of Chinese civilization. TCM and its compound play a beneficial role in medical activities to cure diseases, especially in major public health events such as novel coronavirus epidemics across the globe. The chemical composition in Chinese medicine formula is complex and diverse, but their effective substances resemble "mystery boxes". Revealing their active ingredients and their mechanisms of action has become focal point and difficulty of research for herbalists. Although the existing research methods are numerous and constantly updated iteratively, there is remain a lack of prospective reviews. Hence, this paper provides a comprehensive account of existing new approaches and technologies based on previous studies with an in vitro to in vivo perspective. In addition, the bottlenecks of studies on Chinese medicine formula effective substances are also revealed. Especially, we look ahead to new perspectives, technologies and applications for its future development. This work reviews based on new perspectives to open horizons for the future research. Consequently, herbal compounding pharmaceutical substances study should carry on the essence of TCM while pursuing innovations in the field.

The origin of lumbar subcutaneous edema: two case reports.

Since magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to evaluate complaints of low back pain, there have been many reports of lumbar subcutaneous edema (LSE). However, the mechanism underlying its development is unknown. We herein report 2 cases that showed the reduction of LSE. These cases suggest details concerning the mechanism underlying the development of LSE. The first case was an obese 70-year-old woman with a history of chronic back pain due to lumbar canal stenosis. MRI revealed LSE extending from the level of the L2 vertebral body to the sacrum. However, LSE was reduced following weight loss due to a stomach ulcer. This case clearly indicated obesity as the cause of LSE. The second case was a nonobese 31-year-old woman with acute excruciating low back pain due to thoracolumbar fascia strain. LSE was observed at the level of the L3-L4 vertebral body. Two weeks later, her low back pain and LSE were reduced. This case suggests that the origin of LSE was impairment of the thoracolumbar fascia due to strain. We hypothesize that the mechanism underlying the development of LSE may be lymphatic or interstitial fluid pooling due to disturbance of the lumbar fascia.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is effective for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has played crucial roles in treating COVID-19 in China. But its effectiveness has not yet been widely realized/recognized over the world. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the clinical efficacy of TCM medicine in the treatment for COVID-19. We obtained the data of COVID-19 and traditional Chinese medicine from PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science and other databases, and searched from January 1, 2020 to January 26, 2022 to determine the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) without language restrictions. The review includes 26 randomized clinical trials including 2981 patients. The treatment of COVID-19 by TCM combined with conventional treatment is more effective than by pure conventional treatment in many aspects, including increasing of the effective rate [OR â€‹= â€‹2.47, 95%CI (1.85, 3.30), P â€‹< â€‹0.00001], fever disappearance rate [OR â€‹= â€‹3.68, 95%CI (1.95, 6.96), P â€‹< â€‹0.0001], fatigue disappearance rate [OR â€‹= â€‹3.15, 95%CI (1.60, 6.21), P â€‹= â€‹0.0009], cough disappearance rate [OR â€‹= â€‹2.89, 95%CI (1.84, 4.54), P â€‹< â€‹0.00001], expectoration disappearance rate [OR â€‹= â€‹5.94, 95%CI (1.98, 17.84), P â€‹= â€‹0.001], disappearance rate of shortness of breath [OR â€‹= â€‹2.57, 95%CI (1.13, 5.80), P â€‹= â€‹0.02], improvement rate of CT image [OR â€‹= â€‹2.43, 95%CI (1.86, 3.16), P â€‹< â€‹0.00001], and reduction of the hospitalization time [MD â€‹= â€‹-3.16, 95%CI (-3.75, -2.56), P â€‹< â€‹0.00001], and deterioration rate [OR â€‹= â€‹0.49, 95%CI (0.29, 0.83), P â€‹= â€‹0.007]. The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that TCM can effectively relieve symptoms, boosted patients' recovery, cut the rate of patients developing into severe conditions, and reduce the deterioration rate.

Revisiting traditional Chinese materia medica from European historical collections and perspective for current use.

Background and aim: Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) is subject to changes over time. Investigating changes in botanical ingredients, applications, plant parts used as well as name changes over time, contribute to the understanding of the history and development of CMM. Materials and methods: This study compares four historic collections of CMM, located in Europe, compiled between 1700 and the late 19th century, with a list of contemporary CMM marketed in Europe. Results: More than 1700 specimens within these five collections. The dominant families are Fabaceae (5.3-7.2%) and Asteraceae (4.1-5.7%), while half of the medicinal parts are represented by roots or rhizomes and fruits and/or seeds. Their importance has been stable in a time span of 300 years. The proportion of animal and mineral drugs gradually decreased over time. 14 plant species appeared in all five collections. A total of 47 species are shared between the three more recent collections and the modern trade list. Among these common species, most medicinal parts remain unchanged, but for several species the used plant parts changed or new medicinal plant parts appeared. All common species have unanimously been used in ancient classical TCM formulae and/or Chinese patent medicines. Conclusions: Over more than 300 years, the main body of CMM has hardly changed, with regard to plant taxa and plant parts used. The most prominent changes are related to conservation issues of threatened species, health safety and the discovery of new pharmacological applications of well-known species. Analyzing physical specimens from historic CMM collections complements literature-based research.

Advances in the development of therapeutic strategies against COVID-19 and perspectives in the drug design for emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Since Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in late 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged public health around the world. Currently, there is an urgent need to explore antiviral therapeutic targets and effective clinical drugs. In this study, we systematically summarized two main therapeutic strategies against COVID-19, namely drugs targeting the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle and SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation in host cells. The development of above two strategies is implemented by repurposing drugs and exploring potential targets. A comprehensive summary of promising drugs, especially cytokine inhibitors, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), provides recommendations for clinicians as evidence-based medicine in the actual clinical COVID-19 treatment. Considering the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants greatly impact the effectiveness of drugs and vaccines, we reviewed the appearance and details of SARS-CoV-2 variants for further perspectives in drug design, which brings updating clues to develop therapeutical agents against the variants. Based on this, the development of broadly antiviral drugs, combined with immunomodulatory, or holistic therapy in the host, is prior to being considered for therapeutic interventions on mutant strains of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, it is highly acclaimed the requirements of the concerted efforts from multi-disciplinary basic studies and clinical trials, which improves the accurate treatment of COVID-19 and optimizes the contingency measures to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Mitochondria as the Essence of Yang Qi in the Human Body.

The concept of Yang Qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has many similarities with mitochondria in modern medicine. Both are indispensable to human beings and closely related to life and death. This article discusses the similarities in various aspects between mitochondria and Yang Qi, including body temperature, aging, newborns, circadian rhythm, immunity, and meridian. It is well-known that Yang Qi is vital for human health. Interestingly, decreased mitochondrial function is thought to be key to the development of various diseases. Here, we further explain diseases induced by Yang Qi deficiency, such as cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep disorder, senile dementia, and metabolic diseases, from the perspective of mitochondrial function. We aim to establish similarities and connections between two important concepts, and hope our essay can stimulate further discussion and investigation on unifying important concepts in western medicine and alternative medicine, especially TCM, and provide unique holistic insights into understanding human health.

Mutual Pan-African support paradigm to produce scientific evidence of traditional medical practices for use against COVID-19 and emerging pandemics.

Africa is endowed with a profoundly rich and diverse system of plants and other bio-resources out of which, by traditional medicine practice, the people have satisfied their healthcare needs right from antiquity. In contemporary times, it has become necessary to modernize this traditional medical care system via scientific studies. Validation of the efficacy of health-enhancement products and drugs from plants and other bio-resources is predicated on diligent and intensive research accompanied by rigorous and conclusive clinical trials. Africa has eminently qualified human resources but due to the finance-intensive nature of medical research, individual African states on their own cannot fund the level of research desired for dealing with such serious issues as the COVID-19 pandemic. A collaboration among African states guided by a Mutual Pan-African support paradigm (MPASP) is a unique strategy for achieving success in any such a high-impact global project as the use of traditional medicine against COVID-19 and emerging pandemics; and this is hereby advocated.

Clinical efficacies, underlying mechanisms and molecular targets of Chinese medicines for diabetic nephropathy treatment and management.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has been recognized as a severe complication of diabetes mellitus and a dominant pathogeny of end-stage kidney disease, which causes serious health problems and great financial burden to human society worldwide. Conventional strategies, such as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade, blood glucose level control, and bodyweight reduction, may not achieve satisfactory outcomes in many clinical practices for DN management. Notably, due to the multi-target function, Chinese medicine possesses promising clinical benefits as primary or alternative therapies for DN treatment. Increasing studies have emphasized identifying bioactive compounds and molecular mechanisms of reno-protective effects of Chinese medicines. Signaling pathways involved in glucose/lipid metabolism regulation, antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-fibrosis, and podocyte protection have been identified as crucial mechanisms of action. Herein, we summarize the clinical efficacies of Chinese medicines and their bioactive components in treating and managing DN after reviewing the results demonstrated in clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, with a thorough discussion on the relative underlying mechanisms and molecular targets reported in animal and cellular experiments. We aim to provide comprehensive insights into the protective effects of Chinese medicines against DN.