Efficacy and safety of Weichang' an pill combined with Western Medicine on gastrointestinal diseases: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Weichang'an pill (, WCA) combined with Western Medicine (WM) for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. METHODS: Eight databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Data, China Science and Technology Journal Database, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase, were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of WCA from inception to 30 September 2021. We independently screened the literature, extracted data, and then evaluated the bias risk, effectiveness, safety, and other indicators of the included articles. RESULTS: A total of 33 RCTs were included in this study with 3368 patients. After analysis, it was found that WCA combined with WM could effectively prevent and treat antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal reaction, functional dyspepsia (FD), irritable bowel syndrome, rotavirus diarrhea (RVD), and ulcerative colitis (UC); no serious adverse reactions occurred. Moreover, compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significantly improved symptoms and some biochemical parameters. CONCLUSIONS: WCA combined with WM for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases had better clinical efficacy than the control group, without serious adverse reactions. Notably, in the treatment of FD, RVD, and UC, WCA improved clinical symptoms and biochemical indicator expression. Nevertheless, owing to the restricted quality and quantity of the literature, the results need to be further studied using high-quality RCTs.

Zuogui and Yougui pills improve perimenopausal syndrome regulation of apoptosis in mice.

OBJECTIVE: To examine, dissect, and understand the molecular mechanisms and combinatorial effects of Zuogui (, ZGP) and Yougui pills (, YGP) in 4-vinyl cyclohexene diepoxide (4-VCD)-induced Perimenopausal syndrome (PMS). METHODS: Using the 4-VCD-induced PMS mouse model, uterine and ovary index were measured, and serum sex steroidal hormone levels were evaluated after treatment with ZGP, YGP, ZGP + YGP, estradiol valerate (EV), and Gengnian An (gengnianan, GNA). Histopathological examinations, ingredient-target network predictions, western blotting, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analyses were performed to ascertain the possible pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of ZYP and YGP. RESULTS: Treatment with ZGP and YGP remarkably improves estrous cyclicity and prevents pathological damage to the uterus. Also, altered sex hormones, including AMH, E2, FSH, LH, P, and T, were restored to normal levels after ZGP and YGP administration. Ingredient-target network analysis showed that the 5 ingredients common to the ZGP and YGP formula modulate 53 targets shared with PMS. Pathway-enrichment analysis further predicted that ZGY and YGP likely regulate of apoptosis and other essential pathways during PMS. In-vivo studies showed that ZGP and YGP suppress PMS modulating apoptosis through decreasing Caspase-3 and Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) levels and increasing B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Bax and Bcl-2 levels. Importantly, ZGP + YGP treatment modulation effects were somewhat or significantly better compared to ZGP or YGP alone treatment. CONCLUSION: ZGP and YGP represent novel anti-PMS agents whose effects involve restoring altered hormonal levels, protecting the uterus, and regulating apoptosis.

Exploration on acupuncture treatment ideas for knee osteoarthritis from the perspective of Dongyuan needling technology / 中国针灸

The treatment ideas with acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) are explored on the base of Dongyuan needling technology. Regarding the rules of acupoint selection, Zusanli (ST 36) is predominant, the back-shu points are used for the disorders related to the invasion of exogenous factors, and the front-mu points are for the cases caused by internal injury. Besides, the xing-spring points and shu-stream points are preferred. In treatment of KOA, besides the local points, the front-mu points, i.e. Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25) and Guanyuan (CV 4), are selected specially to tonifying the spleen and stomach. The earth points and acupoints on the earth meridians (i.e. Yinlingquan [SP 9], Xuehai [SP 10], Liangqiu [ST 34], Dubi [ST 35], Zusanli [ST 36] and Yanglingquan [GB 34]) are optional to coordinate yin and yang, essence and qi , and regulate the qi movement of spleen and stomach. The shu-stream points of liver, spleen and kidney meridians (Taichong [LR 3], Taibai [SP 3] and Taixi [KI 3]) are chosen to promote meridian circulation and regulate zangfu functions.

Sorting and Elaborating on the Combination Theory of Herb Pairs / 中医杂志

As the smallest combination unit of Chinese medicinals， herbal pairs serve as the bridge between medicinals and formulas， whose combination theory reflects the basic characteristics of Chinese medicinals combination and the core essence of prescription composition. Simultaneously， as a key combination of medicinals in clinical treatment of diseases， syndromes， and symptoms， herbal pairs are the main form of clinical medication in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） as well as the characteristic advantage of treating diseases. This article summarized that “mutual complement of medicinals of same or antagonism flavor and nature” theory is the theoretical origin， and efficacy-enhancement and toxicity-attenuation is the core purpose of the combination of herbal pairs. The property theory of Chinese medicinals and the thought of differentiation and treatment are the main basis of the combination of herbal pairs， and pertinence and flexibility are the key points in clinical application. All mentioned above are expected to provide theoretical guidance for the clinical use and modern research of herbal pairs.

Mechanism of tonifying kidney and activating blood therapy for premature ovarian failure:a review / 中国中药杂志

Healthy birth and child development are the prerequisite for improving the overall quality of the population. However, premature ovarian failure(POF) threatens the reproductive health of women. The incidence of this disease has been on the rise, and it tends to occur in the young. The causes are complex, involving genetics, autoimmune, infectious and iatrogenic factors, but most of the causes remain unclear. At the moment, hormone replacement therapy and assisted reproductive technology are the main clinical approaches. According to traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), kidney deficiency and blood stasis are one of the major causes of POF, and TCM with the effects of tonifying kidney and activating blood has a definite effect. Through clinical trials, TCM prescriptions for POF have excellent therapeutic effect as a result of multi-target regulation and slight toxicity. In particular, they have no obvious side effects. A large number of studies have shown that the kidney-tonifying and blood-activating TCM can regulate the neuroendocrine function of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, improve ovarian hemodynamics and microcirculation, reduce the apoptosis of granulosa cells, alleviate oxidative stress injury, and modulate immunologic balance. The mechanism is that it regulates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt), vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), transforming growth factor(TGF)-β/Smads, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/antioxidant response element(ARE), and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathways. This article summarized the pathological mechanisms of tonifying kidney and activating blood TCM in the prevention and treatment of POF and explored the biological basis of its multi-pathway and multi-target characteristics in the treatment of this disease. As a result, this study is expected to serve as a reference for the treatment of POF with the tonifying kidney and activating blood therapy.

Sorting and Elaborating on the Combination Theory of Herb Pairs / 中医杂志

@#As the smallest combination unit of Chinese medicinals， herbal pairs serve as the bridge between medicinals and formulas， whose combination theory reflects the basic characteristics of Chinese medicinals combination and the core essence of prescription composition. Simultaneously， as a key combination of medicinals in clinical treatment of diseases， syndromes， and symptoms， herbal pairs are the main form of clinical medication in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） as well as the characteristic advantage of treating diseases. This article summarized that “mutual complement of medicinals of same or antagonism flavor and nature” theory is the theoretical origin， and efficacy-enhancement and toxicity-attenuation is the core purpose of the combination of herbal pairs. The property theory of Chinese medicinals and the thought of differentiation and treatment are the main basis of the combination of herbal pairs， and pertinence and flexibility are the key points in clinical application. All mentioned above are expected to provide theoretical guidance for the clinical use and modern research of herbal pairs.

Research on dynamic on-line monitoring method of moisture attribute in three honey-processed Chinese herbal slice based on in-situ general model / 药学学报

Aiming at the hysteresis and destructiveness of off-line static detection of critical quality attribute of the moisture content of the raw material unit of the traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing process, honey-processed Tussilago farfara, honey-processed Astragalus and honey-processed Glycyrrhiza uralensis were used as the research carriers, and the drying method was used to measure the moisture content as a reference value. The moving stage was used to simulate the movement process of samples on the conveyor belt in the actual on-site production process, and near-infrared (NIR) spectra were collected, combined with machine learning, to establish NIR on-site dynamic detection model of moisture content in multi-variety honey-processed Chinese herbal slice. The results show that the second derivative method is used to preprocess the spectrum. The number of decision trees (ntree), the number of random features (max feature), and the minimum number of samples for generating leaf nodes (node size) are selected: 46, 76, and 8, respectively. The quantitative analysis model of moisture content has the best effect. The prediction coefficient of determination (the prediction coefficient of determination, R2pre) and the root mean square error of prediction (root mean square error of prediction, RMSEP) of the model were 0.903 2 and 0.330 2, respectively. The NIR quantitative model for the moisture content of multi-variety honey-processed Chinese herbal slice established in this study has good predictive performance, and can achieve rapid, accurate and non-destructive quantitative analysis of the moisture content of honey-processed Tussilago farfara, honey-processed Astragalus and honey-processed Glycyrrhiza uralensis at the same time, and provides a method for determining the moisture content of honey-processed Chinese herbal slice of the raw material unit of the traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing process.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on GLP-1R/PI3K/Akt protein pathway in mice with Parkinson's disease].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture(EA) on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R)/ phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B(Akt) protein pathway in the substantia nigra of mice with Parkinson's di-sease (PD)，so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in treatment of PD. METHODS: Forty-eight C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into normal, model, EA and inhibitor groups, with 12 mice in each group. PD mouse model was established by intragastrical administration of rotenone for 4 weeks. In the EA group, EA was applied at "Fengfu"(GV16), "Taichong"(LR3) and"Zusanli"(ST36) for 30 min, once daily, for 2 weeks. The mice of the inhibitor group received gavage of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor ligliptin (10 mg·kg-1·d-1) once a day for 2 weeks. The behavioral scores of mice in each group were observed. The levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in serum and substantia nigra were detected by ELISA, and the protein relative expression levels of GLP-1R, phosphorylation of PI3K (p-PI3K) and phosphorylation of Akt (p-Akt) in substantia nigra of midbrain of mice were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the behavioral scores were significantly increased (P<0.01), TH levels in serum and substantia nigra, protein expression levels of GLP-1R, p-PI3K and p-Akt of the substantia nigra in the model group were significantly decreased (all P<0.01). After intervention and in comparison with the model group, the behavioral scores were significantly decreased (P<0.01), TH levels and the protein expression levels of GLP-1R, p-PI3K and p-Akt in both EA and inhibitor groups were significantly increased (all P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the abovementioned indexes between EA group and inhibitor group (all P>0.05), except for TH levels which were considerably down-regulated in the EA group relative to the inhibitor group (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA at GV16, LR3 and ST36 may increase the level of TH in serum and substantia nigra by up-regulating the activity of GLP-1R/PI3K/Akt protein pathway, and improve the behavioral performance of PD induced by rotenone.

The importance of "Four Beams and Eight Pillars" matching theory / 国际中医中药杂志

This paper summarizes the current situation and problems of the research on the theory of "Taibai Seven Medicines" through literature summary and surveys. Although the "Four Beams and Eight Pillars" theory of compounding has a long history, the current research progress of "Taibai Seven Medicines" is mostly focused on plant resources. There lacks researches on the theory of compounding, or development of compounding and large varieties based on "Taibai Seven Medicines". We call for the inheritance and protection of folk experience, and hope that the "Four Beams and Eight Pillars" theory can guide the application and development of the seven Taibai medicines. Therefore, increasing the research on the theory and teaching in undergraduate courses formulary in Chinese medicine are necessary in our province.

Analysis of iodine nutrition monitoring results of key population in Shiyan City, Hubei Province from 2017 to 2020 / 中华地方病学杂志

Objective:To learn about the current status of iodine nutrition of key populations in Shiyan City, Hubei Province, and to provide basis for guiding key populations to supplement iodine scientifically.Methods:According to the requirements of the "National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Surveillance Program (2016 Edition)", pregnant women and school-age children aged 8 - 10 (age balanced, half male and half female) in 8 counties (cities, districts) under the jurisdiction of Shiyan City, Hubei Province were selected from 2017 to 2020. Their household edible salt samples and urine samples were collected to detect salt iodine and urinary iodine contents, respectively. At the same time, the thyroid gland of children was examined by B-ultrasonic and the goiter rate was calculated.Results:In total, 3 198 household edible salt samples of pregnant women were tested, the median salt iodine was 23.7 mg/kg, the coverage rate of iodized salt was 99.9% (3 196/3 198), the qualified rate of iodized salt was 96.0% (3 068/3 196), and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 95.9% (3 068/3 198). Totally 2 898 urine samples of pregnant women were tested, and the median urinary iodine was 198.2 μg/L. In total, 6 363 household edible salt samples of children were tested, the median salt iodine was 23.8 mg/kg, the coverage rate of iodized salt was 99.8% (6 352/6 363), the qualified rate of iodized salt was 95.5% (6 067/6 352), and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 95.3% (6 067/6 363). Totally 5 764 urine samples of children were tested, and the median urinary iodine was 259.8 μg/L. Totally 2 188 children were examined, and the goiter rate was 0.4% (9/2 188).Conclusions:From 2017 to 2020, the coverage rates of iodized salt (≥95%), consumption rates of qualified iodized salt ( > 90%) of key populations and the goiter rate of children ( < 5%) in Shiyan City of Hubei Province are in line with the national standards for eliminating iodine deficiency disorders. Pregnant women are generally at an appropriate level of iodine (150 - 249 μg/L) and children are generally at the super appropriate level of iodine (200 - 299 μg/L). It is necessary to continue to strengthen the monitoring of iodine nutrition in key populations and implement the strategy of "adjusting measures to local conditions, classified guidance and scientific iodine supplementation".

Molecular identification and quality analysis of Rhei Rhizoma based on chloroplast matK gene and UPLC / 药学学报

Rhei Rhizoma is commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine with multiple botanical origins. Different botanical sources may have different pharmacological activities. The germplasm resources of commercial Rhei Rhizoma were determined based on the chloroplast gene matK, and the anthraquinone and free anthraquinone content was determined by UPLC to analyze quality of commercial Rhei Rhizoma. Eighty-nine commercial Rhei Rhizoma samples were collected from 40 cities in 27 provinces. DNA was extracted and the matK gene was amplified by PCR. Results indicated that the collected samples were from the same botanical origin, Rheum palmatum, and 8 genotypes were identified, including Rp1, Rp2, Rp3, Rp4, Rp5, Rp6, Rp10 and Rp12. Rp4 and Rp6, cultivated in Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces were the main circulating genotypes, representing 40.45% and 37.08% of the total samples, respectively. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the eight genotypes were mainly divided into two branches, of which the main genotypes Rp4 and Rp6 were in one branch. Genetic distance analysis indicated that the genetic separation of the eight genotypes was between 0.001 and 0.010. UPLC analysis indicated that 93.26% of the samples met the Pharmacopoeia standards. There were significant differences in the content of total anthraquinone and free anthraquinone among the samples, in which the difference in free anthraquinone was 1.01% and the difference in total anthraquinone content was 3.79%, indicating that the quality of commercial Rhei Rhizoma samples varies considerably. There was no significant difference in the content of total anthraquinone and free anthraquinone in commercial Rhei Rhizoma among different collection provinces and genotypes. This study will help guide the circulation of Rhei Rhizoma in the market and provides valuable insights for molecular identification and quality analysis of other traditional Chinese medicines.

Identification and quality evaluation of germplasm resources of commercial Scutellaria baicalensis based on DNA barcode and HPLC / 中国中药杂志

Scutellaria baicalensis is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb. In this study, we identified the germplasm resources of commercial S. baicalensis samples based on trnH-psbA, petA-psbJ, and ycf4-cemA sequences according to the available chloroplast genome sequencing results, and measured the content of baicalin by HPLC. Through the above means we determined the best DNA barcode that can be used to detect the germplasm resources and evaluate the quality of commercial S. baicalensis samples. A total of 104 samples were collected from 24 provinces, from which DNA was extracted for PCR amplification. The amplification efficiencies of trnH-psbA, petA-psbJ, and ycf4-cemA sequences were 100%, 59.62%, and 25.96%, respectively. The results of sequence analysis showed that 5, 4, and 2 haplotypes were identified based on trnH-psbA, petA-psbJ, and ycf4-cemA sequences, respectively. However, the sequences of haplotypes in commercial samples were different from that of the wild type, and the joint analysis of three fragments of S. baicalensis only identified 6 haplotypes. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis and genetic distance analysis indicated that trnH-psbA could be used to identify S. baicalensis from adulterants. The above analysis showed that trnH-psbA was the best fragment for identifying the germplasm resources of commercial S. baicalensis samples. We then analyzed the haplotypes(THap1-THap5) of commercial S. baicalensis samples based on trnH-psbA and found that THap2 was the main circulating haplotype of the commercial samples, accounting for 86.55% of the total samples, which indicated the scarce germplasm resources of commercial S. baicalensis samples. The content of baicalin in all the collected commercial S. baicalensis samples exceeded the standard in Chinese Pharmacopoeia and had significant differences(maximum of 12.21%) among samples, suggesting that the quality of commercial S. baicalensis samples varied considerably. However, there was no significant difference in baicalin content between different provinces or between different haplotypes. This study facilitates the establishment of the standard identification system for S. baicalensis, and can guide the commercial circulation and reasonable medication of S. baicalensis.

Effects of Angong Niuhuang Pills against heart failure based on cross-scale polypharmacological study / 中国中药杂志

Angong Niuhuang Pills(AGNHP) are effective in clearing heat, removing the toxin, and eliminating phlegm for resuscitation. Clinically, it is widely used to treat various diseases such as febrile convulsion due to heat attacking pericardium, but its therapeutic effects on heart failure(HF) have not been well recognized. In this study, the profiles of differential metabolites regulated by AGNHP were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The underlying mechanism of AGNHP against HF was illustrated based on the integrated analysis of pharmacological data and metabolic molecular network. The HF model was induced by isoproterenol in mice. After oral administration of AGNHP for one week, cardiac functions in HF mice were evaluated by echocardiography, and serum samples of mice were collected for metabolomics analysis. Eight differential metabolites of AGNHP against HF were screened out through partial least square discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) and input into MetaboAnalyst for the analysis of metabolic pathways. Moreover, the critical metabolic pathways regulated by AGNHP were enriched according to the potential targets of major compounds in AGNHP. After AGNHP treatment, the recovered index of relative content of some metabolites underwent cross-scale fusion analysis with therapeutic efficacy data, followed by "compound-reaction-enzyme-gene" network analysis. It is inferred that the anti-HF effects of AGNHP may be attributed to the metabolism of arachidonic acid, amino acid, glycerophospholipid, and linoleic acid. The cross-scale polypharmacological analysis method developed in this study provides a new method to interpret scientific principles of AGNHP against HF with modern technologies.

Cerebrospinal fluid proteomics reveal potential protein targets of JiaWeiSiNiSan in preventing chronic psychological stress damage.

CONTEXT: Chinese herbal formula JiaWeiSiNiSan (JWSNS) has been widely used to prevent stress-induced neuropsychiatric ailments in clinics and proven to have therapeutic anti-stress effects on rats. However, the mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: Based on the proteomics of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), this study explores the possible mechanism and target proteins of JiaWeiSiNiSan raising stress resilience and preventing stress damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 6-week Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) model was applied on adult Wistar male rats to observe the effects of JWSNS on improving mental stress resilience. Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) proteomics and bioinformatics analysis were used to screen and analyze differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in CSF. Parallel Reaction Monitoring (PRM) was used to validate target DEPs. RESULTS: Significantly decreased sucrose preference, locomotion activity level and accuracy of T-maze, as well as increased immobility time, were observed in CUMS rats compared to CON rats while JWSNS improved above depression-like behaviours. The quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analysis showed that JWSNS decreased the expression of Rps4x, HSP90AA1, Rps12, Uba1, Rsp14, Tuba1b in CUMS rats CSF (p < 0.05, FDR < 0.5). Immunofluorescence results showed that the number of BrdU/DCX positive cells (p < 0.01) and the relative number of neurons (p < 0.01) in the hippocampus dentate gyrus (DG) of the JSWNS group significantly increased, compared with the CUMS group. CONCLUSIONS: JWSNS could increase mental stress resilience and prevent stress damage by regulating proteins in CSF. This study provides a scientific basis for further study on Chinese formulas preventing mental illness.

Traditional Chinese medicine in COVID-19

COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread across the globe, posing an enormous threat to public health and safety. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in combination with Western medicine (WM), has made important and lasting contributions in the battle against COVID-19. In this review, updated clinical effects and potential mechanisms of TCM, presented in newly recognized three distinct phases of the disease, are summarized and discussed. By integrating the available clinical and preclinical evidence, the efficacies and underlying mechanisms of TCM on COVID-19, including the highly recommended three Chinese patent medicines and three Chinese medicine formulas, are described in a panorama. We hope that this comprehensive review not only provides a reference for health care professionals and the public to recognize the significant contributions of TCM for COVID-19, but also serves as an evidence-based in-depth summary and analysis to facilitate understanding the true scientific value of TCM.

Current status of diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Peritoneal metastasis is the most common distant metastasis of gastric cancer. As an end-stage event of gastric cancer, patients with peritoneal metastasis often have lost the chance of radical resection, and even after palliative surgical resection, the long-term outcomes are still not satisfactory. In recent years, with the application and promotion of laparoscopic technology, neoadjuvant intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery, through perioperative comprehensive treatment strategies by multidisciplinary team, the quality of life and survival of patients with peritoneal metastasis have been significantly improved. Some patients with gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis diagnosed by laparoscopy even get the opportunity to have radical cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy after neoadjuvant intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy. Taking into account the progress in the treatment of gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis in recent years, this article intends to combine current clinical evidence and to discuss the key issues in the course of clinical diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer peritoneal implantation and metastasis, including the imaging diagnosis of peritoneal metastasis, laparoscopic examination, evaluation of peritoneal metastasis and comprehensive treatment plan.

Research progress on anti-hyperuricemia effects and mechanisms of Chinese medicines based on regulation of intestinal flora and metabolites / 中国中药杂志

Chronical hyperuricemia, a severe metabolic disease characterized by increased serum uric acid, urea nitrogen, and creatinine, has a positive correlation with the risks of gouty arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, and kidney damage. Abnormal purine metabolism and reduced uric acid excretion are the major causes of hyperuricemia, which, thus, points to a potential strategy of preventing from or delaying the progress of hyperuricemia-related diseases and its complications by effectively controlling the serum uric acid level. Increasing evidence has revealed that Chinese medicines alleviate hyperuricemia through regulating intestinal flora, which plays a pivotal role in regulating metabolites, including uric acid level. The disease treatment with traditional Chinese medicine is based on syndrome differentiation, and Chinese medicines often have multiple effects and a wide range of targets. In this review, we summarized the anti-hyperuricemia effects and mechanisms of active compounds in Chinese medicines, single Chinese medicinal herbs, and Chinese medicinal prescriptions in regulating the uric acid level via intestinal flora and metabolites, which will be helpful for further study and application of Chinese medicines in hyperuricemia treatment.

The effect of coenzyme Q10 plus trimetazidine on acute viral myocarditis treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plus trimetazidine (TMZ) in treating acute viral myocarditis (AVMC) and the combination's influence on the oxidative stress markers and the patients' quality of life (QoL). METHODS: This retrospective analysis enrolled 156 patients with AVMC admitted to the Department of Cardiology of the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between February 2018 and February 2019. Based on the treatment method each patient was administered, the patients were classified into a control group (n=72, CoQ10 therapy) and a combination group (n=84, CoQ10+TMZ therapy). The clinical effectiveness was observed in the two groups two weeks after the treatment, and the changes in the patients' serum inflammatory factor levels, oxidative stress indexes, myocardial enzyme levels, and cardiac function were compared. RESULTS: The combination group had a far superior total effective rate than the control group (90.5% vs. 77.8%, P<0.05). After the treatment, the serum inflammatory factor levels, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and C-reactive protein (CRP), decreased in both groups, and the index levels in the combination group were significantly better than they were in the control group (P<0.05). The oxidative stress indicators, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), improved more significantly in the combination group compared to the control group (P<0.05). The myocardial zymogram creatine kinase (CK), cardiac troponin (cTnI), creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were reduced in the two groups, with lower levels in the combination group. The left ventricular systolic function and the patients' QoL were better in the combination group compared with the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CoQ10 plus TMZ yields a favorable clinical effectiveness in the treatment of AVMC, and it can effectively promote cardiac function recovery, alleviate oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions, and bolster patients' QoL.

Critical quality attribute assessment of big brand traditional Chinese medicine: visualization of blending process for rare medicines in Tongren Niuhuang Qingxin Pills based on spatial distribution uniformity / 中国中药杂志

The spatial distribution uniformity of valuable medicines is the critical quality attribute in the process control of Tongren Niuhuang Qingxin Pills. With the real world sample of the mixed end-point powder of Tongren Niuhuang Qingxin Pills as the research object, hyperspectral imaging technology was used to collect a total of 32 400 data points with a size of 180 pix×180 pix. Spectral angle matching(SAM), classical least squares and mixed tuned matched filtering(MTMF) were used to identify the spatial distribution of rare medicines. MTMF model showed higher identification accuracy, therefore the spatial distribution of the blended intermediates was identified based on the MTMF model. The histogram method was also used to evaluate the spatial distribution uniformity of rare medicines. The results showed that the standard deviation was 4.78, 6.5, 3.48, 1.96, and 3.00 respectively for artificial bezoar, artificial musk, Borneol, Antelope horn and Buffalo horn; the variance was 22.8, 42.3, 12.1, 3.82, and 9.00, and the skewness was 1.26, 1.71, 0.06,-0.86, and 1.04, respectively. The final results showed that the most even blending was achieved in concentrated powder of Borneol, Antelope horn and Buffalo horn, followed by artificial bezoar, and last artificial musk. A visualization method was established for quality attributes of distribution uniformity in blending process of Tongren Niuhuang Qingxin Pills. It could provide evidences of quality control methods in the mixing process of big brand traditional Chinese medicine.

Critical quality attribute assessment of big brand traditional Chinese medicine: study on NIR field detection method of chemical properties of moisture in Tongren Niuhuang Qingxin Pills / 中国中药杂志

For the field detection problems of critical quality attribute(CQA) of moisture content in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) manufacturing process, big brand TCM Tongren Niuhuang Qingxin Pills were used as the carrier, to establish a moisture content NIR field detection model with or without cellophane in real world production with use of near infrared(NIR) spectroscopy combined with stoichiometry. With the moisture content determined by drying method as reference value, the partial least square method(PLS) was used to analyze the correlation between the spectrum and the moisture reference value. Then the spectral pretreatment methods were screened and optimized to further improve the accuracy and stability of the model. The results showed that the best quantitative model was developed by the spectral data pretreatment of standard normal variate(SNV) with the latent variable factor number of 2 and 7 of Tongren Niuhuang Qingxin Pills with or without cellophane samples. The prediction coefficient of determination(R_(pre)~2) and standard deviation of prediction(RMSEP) of the model with cellophane samples were 0.765 7 and 0.157 2%; R_(pre)~2 and RMSEP of the model without cellophane samples were 0.772 2 and 0.207 8%. The NIR quantitative models of moisture content of Tongren Niuhuang Qingxin Pills with and without cellophane both showed good predictive performance to realize the rapid, accurate and non-destructive quantitative analysis of moisture content in such pills, and provide a method for the field quality control of the critical chemical attributes of moisture in the manufacturing of big brand TCM.