Induced membrane technique versus one-stage autografting in management of atrophic nonunion of long bone in the lower limb: clinical and health burden outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to compare the outcomes of the two-stage induced membrane technique (IMT) and one-stage autografting in the treatment of aseptic atrophic nonunion in lower limb long bones. METHODS: From January 2014 to January 2022, we reviewed all surgically treated long bone nonunion patients, including patients aged 18 years or older with atrophic nonunion, who were either treated with the two-stage induced membrane technique (IMT) or one-stage autografting. Outcome parameters interns of clinical, quality of life and healthcare burden were recorded and retrospectively analysed between the two treatment populations. The follow-up time was at least 1 year. RESULTS: In total, 103 patients who met the criteria for aseptic atrophic nonunion were enrolled. Among them, 41 (39.8%) patients were treated with two-stage IMT, and 62 (60.2%) patients were treated with one-stage autologous bone grafting. The follow-up time was 12 to 68 months, with an average of 28.4 months. The bone healing rate was comparable in both groups (IMT: 92.7% vs. one-stage grafting: 91.9%, P = 0.089) at 12 months post-operation, and the bone healing Lane-Sandhu score was superior in the IMT group (mean: 8.68 vs. 7.81, P = 0.002). Meanwhile, the SF-12 scores of subjective physical component score (PCS) (mean: 21.36 vs. 49.64, P < 0.01) and mental health component score (MCS) (mean: 24.85 vs. 46.14, P < 0.01) significantly increased in the IMT group, as well as in the one-stage grafting group, and no statistically significant difference was found within groups. However, the total hospital stays (median: 8 days vs. 14 days, P < 0.01) and direct medical healthcare costs (median: ¥30,432 vs. ¥56,327, P < 0.05) were greater in the IMT group, while the complications (nonunion 8, infection 3, material failure 2, and donor site pain 6) were not significantly different between the two groups (17.1% vs. 19.4, P = 0.770). CONCLUSION: The data indicate that two-stage method of IMT serves as an alternative method in treating atrophic nonunion; however, it may not be a preferred option, in comprehensive considering patient clinical outcomes and healthcare burden. More evidence-based research is needed to further guide clinical decision-making.

Clinical observation of Ruyi jinhuang powder combined with ICIs in the treatment of advanced liver cancer complicated with dampness and heat syndrome of liver and gallbladder / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Ruyi jinhuang powder for external application combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors （ICIs） in the treatment of patients with advanced liver cancer complicated with dampness and heat syndrome of liver and gallbladder. METHODS All patients with advanced liver cancer complicated with dampness and heat syndrome of liver and gallbladder were admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to June 2022 and assigned into observation group and control group according to random number table method. Patients in the control group （n＝56） were treated with ICIs （Navulizumab injection/Sintilimab injection/Camrelizumab for injection） 200 mg， ivgtt， 21 days as a treatment cycle. Patients in the observation group （n＝56） were additionally treated with Ruyi jinhuang powder for external application， once a day， on the basis of control group. The therapeutic effects of 2 groups were compared after a treatment cycle. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL- 6）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2）， prostaglandin E2 （PGE2）， carbohydrate antigen 199 （CA199）， alpha-fetoprotein （AFP） and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） in serum were compared between 2 groups before and after treatment. Karnofsky functional status （KPS） score， digital rating scale （NRS） score， total symptom score of traditional Chinese medicine， and the occurrence of adverse reactions were recorded for both groups of patients. RESULTS After treatment， the levels of IL-6， MMP-9， COX-2， PGE2， CA199， AFP， VEGF， NRS score and total symptom score of traditional Chinese medicine in observation group were significantly lower than control group （P＜0.05）， KPS score was significantly higher than the control group （P＜0.05）. The zypp-04） total effective rate and remission rate of the observation group were 64.29% and 80.36%， those of control group were 60.71% and 73.21%. There was no statistical significance between two groups （P＞0.05）. The adverse drug reactions of both groups were mainly nausea and vomiting， liver function injury， fever hlshli@yeah.net and so on； the incidence of adverse reaction in observation group was significantly lower than that of control group （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS In patients with advanced liver cancer complicated with dampness and heat syndrome of liver and gallbladder， the combination of Ruyi jinhuang powder for external application and ICIs can help inhibit the secretion of pain mediators， regulate vascular endothelial function， reduce the inflammatory response， promote the recovery of cardiopulmonary function， improve clinical efficacy and has good safety.

Moxibustion alleviates decreased ovarian reserve in rats by restoring the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Moxibustion, a common therapy in traditional Chinese medicine, has potential benefits for treating decreased ovarian reserve (DOR). The present study investigates the protective effect of moxibustion in a rat model of DOR and explores the possible mechanisms.@*METHODS@#Sixty-four female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, DOR, moxibustion (MOX), and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The DOR rat model was established by intragastric administration of 50 mg/kg Tripterygium glycoside suspension (TGS), once daily for 14 days. MOX and HRT treatments were given from the day TGS administration was initiated. The ovarian reserve function was evaluated by monitoring the estrus cycle, morphological changes in ovaries, levels of serum estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), pregnancy rate and embryo numbers. Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end-labeling staining was used to identify ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis, while the protein and mRNA expressions of Bax, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (AKT) in ovarian tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry, Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the DOR group, MOX improved the disordered estrous cycle, promoted follicular growth, reduced the number of atresia follicles, increased the concentrations of serum E2 and AMH, and decreased serum FSH and LH concentrations. More importantly, the pregnancy rate and embryo numbers in DOR rats were both upregulated in the MOX treatment group, compared to the untreated DOR model. Further, we found that the MOX group had reduced apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells, increased Bcl-2 expression and reduced expression of Bax. Furthermore, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was triggered by the moxibustion treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion improved ovarian function and suppressed apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells in a rat model of DOR induced by TGS, and the mechanism may involve the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Material basis and mechanism of Huangqin Tea in prevention of colorectal cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking / 中国中药杂志

Colorectal cancer is a malignancy with high mortality. Huangqin Tea(HQT) can exert potential preventive and therapeutic effects on colorectal cancer. Flavonoids are the main compounds in HQT, but the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism are unclear. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict and analyze the targets and signaling pathways of HQT in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer. The active components of flavonoids in HQT were searched and screened out by literature review and FAFDrugs4. The related targets of active components were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction, STITCH, and TCMSP. Colorectal cancer-related genes were collected from OMIM, TTD, and GeneCards. The common targets were obtained as the potential targets of HQT in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer. Metascape was used for GO function enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. Cytoscape was used to construct the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network and "component-target-disease-pathway" network to obtained and analyze core targets and key components. AutoDock Vina was used for molecular docking verification of key components and core targets. The results showed that apigenin, luteolin, wogonin, and baicalein were presumedly the key active components in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, and core targets included TP53, AKT1, VEGFA, PIK3 CA, and SRC. The key KEGG signaling pathways mainly involved PI3 K-AKT, AGE-RAGE, p53, NF-κB, Wnt, Hippo, and calcium signaling pathways. Further molecular docking results showed that four key components showed strong hydrogen bonding ability with the five core targets. This study preliminarily reveals the pharmacodynamic material basis and potential mechanism of HQT in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer and provides a theoretical and scientific basis for the application of HQT.

Application of fine anatomy combined with exposure of recurrent laryngeal nerve in cricothyroid space in differentiated thyroid cancer surgery / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the effect of fine anatomy combined with exposure of recurrent laryngeal nerve in cricothyroid space in differentiated thyroid cancer surgery.Methods:Sixty patients with differentiated thyroid cancer who received treatment in Ningbo Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2017 to April 2020 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive either fine anatomy combined with exposure of recurrent laryngeal nerve in cricothyroid space (observation group, n = 30) or routine surgery + inferior thyroid artery exposure of recurrent laryngeal nerve (control group, n = 30). Operative time, the volume of intraoperative blood loss, and the number of lymph node dissected were compared between the two groups. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and blood calcium (Ca 2+) concentrations in the two groups were determined. The adverse reactions such as recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid injury were observed in each group. Results:Operative time, the volume of intraoperative blood loss, and the number of lymph node dissected in the observation group were (71.28 ± 10.08) minutes, (16.69 ± 4.65) mL, and (4.78 ± 1.26), respectively, which were significantly different from those in the control group [(69.27 ± 11.89) minutes, (17.14 ± 4.52) mL, (4.76 ± 1.22), t = 0.706, 0.380, 0.062, all P > 0.05]. Before surgery, there were no significant differences in PTH and Ca 2+ concentrations between the two groups [PTH: (50.24 ± 11.21) g/L vs. (50.21 ± 11.19) g/L; Ca 2+: (2.18 ± 0.08) mmol/L vs. (2.17 ± 0.09) mmol/L, t = 0.010, 0.454, both P > 0.05]. After surgery, PTH and Ca 2+ concentrations in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group [PTH: [(31.44 ± 6.09) g/L vs. (16.57 ± 2.35) g/L; Ca 2+: (2.07 ± 0.10) mmol/L vs. (1.23 ± 0.12) mmol/L, t = 12.477, 29.454, both P < 0.01]. Total incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [10.00% (3/30) vs. 46.67% (14/30), χ2 = 9.931, P < 0.01). Conclusion:Application of fine anatomy combined with exposure of recurrent laryngeal nerve in cricothyroid space in differentiated thyroid cancer surgery is highly effective in the clinic. Accurate identification of recurrent laryngeal nerve in cricothyroid space is helpful to preserve the parathyroid gland and blood supply in situ, leads to a small range of changes in PTH and Ca 2+ concentrations, reduces postoperative complications, so as to protect the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid gland and thereby promote postoperative recovery.

Visualization analysis of research hotspots in non-surgical treatments for idiopathic scoliosis / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To visualize the research hot spots and frontiers of non-surgical treatments for idiopathic scoliosis (IS) based on CiteSpace.Methods:The Web of Science Core Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from 1990 to 2020 were searched for studies of non-surgical treatments of idiopathic scoliosis. The time, distributions of nations, institutions, academic disciplines and keywords of literature were analyzed. With CiteSpace 5.7.R4 and Excel 2017, the visualized knowledge graphs and the data tables were generated.Results:A total of 822 studies including 548 articles in English and 274 articles in Chinese were retrieved, including 378 articles published during 2015—2020. The top three nations with higher number of published articles were USA (114 studies), Canada (77 studies) and China (68 studies). Studies covered 33 disciplines, including rehabilitation, engineering and orthopedics, and the betweenness centrality of rehabilitation medicine was the highest (0.59). The non-surgical treatment research was focused on adolescents (187 studies) and brace treatment (116 studies). From 1990 to 2014, the non-surgical treatment of IS mainly focused on the brace treatment (70.4%,69/98) in domestic studies. After 2014, comprehensive treatments such as exercise therapy and manual therapy gradually became the research trend in this field (61.3%,92/150). Research hotspots included different forms of brace treatment (betweenness centrality: 0.31), exercise (6 studies), manual therapy (3 studies), guide of medicine (2 studies), acupuncture therapy (2 studies) of non-surgical treatments. Among top 30 research institutions for domestic publication of Chinese literature, there were 22 tertiary hospitals, 1 secondary hospital, 5 schools, 1 comprehensive rehabilitation service organization, and 1 community health service center.Conclusion:The research content of non-surgical treatment for idiopathic scoliosis tends to be diversified, comprehensive treatment of exercise therapy, brace therapy, and manual therapy are currently the main research hotspots.

Helical tomotherapy using simultaneously integrated boost and simultaneous integrated protection technique for unresectable biliary tract cancer / 中华外科杂志

Objective@#To evaluate the safety and efficacy of helical tomotherapy using simultaneously integrated boost and simultaneous integrated protection technique in the treatment of unresectable biliary tract cancers.@*Methods@#The data of 23 patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer who received tomotherapy-based hypofractionated radiotherapy at Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital,the Affiliated Drum Tower Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University between February 2015 and October 2017 were analyzed. There were 10 males and 13 females, aged from 40 to 85 years(median:58 years). Pathological type included intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas(n=11), gallbladder cancers(n=6),extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas(n=6). The irradiated sites covered primary tumors and areas of local invasion,including metastatic lymph nodes which were confined to the abdominal or retroperitoneal space. Dose escalation was achieved using simultaneously integrated boost(SIB) technique, and simultaneous integrated protection(SIP)technique was used to protect gastrointestinal tracts and other adjacent organs. Cox regression modal and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to analyze the associations between patients′ characteristics and overall survival(OS).@*Results@#The median total radiation dose was 54 Gy(range: 28-72 Gy)and median biologically effective dose(BED)was 74.4 Gy(range: 37.8-115.2 Gy).The median planning target volume(PTV)was 445.79 cm3(range:126.02-950.12 cm3). Based on the various PTV,patients received 2.4-6.0 Gy/fraction with 8-28 fractions. The local control rate was 65.2% and the median OS was 11.3 months(range:2.1-31.9 months).The most common cause of death was out-field failure and only 3 patients died of in-field failures. The longest survival was 31.9 months. BED≥70 Gy significantly improved OS,compared to BED<70 Gy(16.8 months vs.5.1 months)(HR=0.146, 95%CI:0.028-0.762, P=0.022). No patients developed grade ≥4 toxicities.@*Conclusions@#Helical tomotherapy-based hypofractionated radiotherapy is effective and well tolerated for patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer. The dose escalation with higher BED could improve the survival for such patients.

Virtual screening study of cathepsin S natural inhibitor / 中国中药杂志

Cathepsin S is a cysteine protease which is closely related to autoimmune diseases,psoriasis and other diseases. In this study,we used virtual screening method to screen compounds,which from the natural product library of traditional Chinese medicine,with potential inhibitory effect on cathepsin S. The work involved in study on inhibitory mechanism of representative compounds,then analysis of the distribution of these compounds in traditional Chinese medicine and the correlation with disease,so as to provide a new drug research and data-base for cathepsin S. The complex crystal structure of cathepsin S,2FQ9,was used to establish the pharmacophore model of cathepsin S inhibitor,and the best pharmacophore model was selected. As a result,fifty compounds were selected from TCMD database. After molecular docking,65 potential inhibitors were identified. Potential inhibitors can produce multiple intermolecular interactions with targets,resulting in inhibition. There are 58 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines which include 65 natural inhibitors. Data collection and analysis of the nature,flavor xing,channel entry and modern pharmacological effects of these traditional Chinese medicines showed that most of them were related to the biological activity of cathepsin S,which supported the validity of the screening results. Cathepsin S has a certain correlation with autoimmune diseases and can be used as a target for further study of traditional Chinese medicine.

Clinical application of modified water infusion single colonoscopy / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical effect of modified water infusion single colonoscopy. Methods Seventy patients underwent single colonoscopy from June 2016 to June 2017 were selected and randomly divided (by means of random number table) into study group (n = 35) and control group (n = 35). The study group was given modified water infusion single colonoscopy, and the control group was given air insufflation single colonoscopy. The success rate of ileocecal inserted, times of cecal intubation and complications rates were recorded;Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the severity of abdominal pain and abdominal bloating. Results The success rate of ileocecal inserted and complications rates were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). Times of cecal intubation of study group (4.86 ± 1.66) min was significantly shorter than that of the control group (6.45 ± 2.34) min (P < 0.05). The mean abdominal pain score of study group was significantly lower than that of control group [(2.71 ± 1.05) vs (3.31 ± 1.13), P < 0.05]. The mean abdominal bloating score of study group was significantly lower than that of control group [(3.31 ± 1.05) vs (3.97 ± 1.10), P < 0.05]. Conclusion Modified water infusion colonoscopy is rapid and security, which can effectively improve the comfortableness of patients.

Lipid-lowering effects of oleanolic acid in hyperlipidemic patients / 中国天然药物

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound extracted from olea europaeal, a traditional Chinese medicine herb. OA has been used in the clinic as a hepatoprotective medicine in China since 1970s. In our previous study, we observed that OA could ameliorate hyperlipidemia in animal models. In the present study, we conducted a small-scale clinical trial to evaluate the hypolipidemia effect of OA in hyperlipidemic patients. Hyperlipidemic patients were administrated with OA for four weeks (4 tablets once, three times a day). The blood samples of the patients were collected before and after OA treatment. The biological parameters were measured. Furthermore, three patients' blood samples were studied with DNA microarray. After OA administration, the TC, TG, and HDLC levels in serum decreased significantly. DNA microarray analysis results showed that the expressions of 21 mRNAs were significantly changed after OA treatment. Bioinformatics analysis showed 17 mRNAs were up-regulated and 4 mRNAs were down-regulated significantly after OA treatment. Five mRNAs (CACNA1B, FCN, STEAP3, AMPH, and NR6A1) were selected to validate the expression levels by qRT-PCR. Therefore, OA administration differentially regulated the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism. The data showed a clinical evidence that OA could improve hyperlipidemia and also unveiled a new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the pharmacological effect of OA on hyperlipidemia.

Lipid-lowering effects of oleanolic acid in hyperlipidemic patients / 中国天然药物

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound extracted from olea europaeal, a traditional Chinese medicine herb. OA has been used in the clinic as a hepatoprotective medicine in China since 1970s. In our previous study, we observed that OA could ameliorate hyperlipidemia in animal models. In the present study, we conducted a small-scale clinical trial to evaluate the hypolipidemia effect of OA in hyperlipidemic patients. Hyperlipidemic patients were administrated with OA for four weeks (4 tablets once, three times a day). The blood samples of the patients were collected before and after OA treatment. The biological parameters were measured. Furthermore, three patients' blood samples were studied with DNA microarray. After OA administration, the TC, TG, and HDLC levels in serum decreased significantly. DNA microarray analysis results showed that the expressions of 21 mRNAs were significantly changed after OA treatment. Bioinformatics analysis showed 17 mRNAs were up-regulated and 4 mRNAs were down-regulated significantly after OA treatment. Five mRNAs (CACNA1B, FCN, STEAP3, AMPH, and NR6A1) were selected to validate the expression levels by qRT-PCR. Therefore, OA administration differentially regulated the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism. The data showed a clinical evidence that OA could improve hyperlipidemia and also unveiled a new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the pharmacological effect of OA on hyperlipidemia.

Clinical efficacy of Chenshi Qingfei Decoction on rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial lung disease / 中成药

AIM To explore the efficacy of Chenshi Qingfei Decoction (Pseudostellariae Radix,Ophiopogonis Radix,Adenophorae Radix,etc.) against rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).METHODS Based on Prednisolone,RA-ILD patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group by random number table and randomized block design.The observation group took Chenshi Qingfei Decoction.The treatment course was three months for both groups.Before the treatment,the activity of the disease (DAS28) was assessed and ESR,CRP,RF,CCP were measured.Before and after the treatment,high resolution-CT (HRCT) was conducted and graded,and symptoms and signs were graded.RESULTS After the treatment,the effective rate of cough,expectoration and breath hard in the syndromes of Chinese traditional medicine was 71％ in the observation group and 23％ in the control group (P ＜0.01).The effective rate of improved lung imaging by HRCT was 68％ in the observation group but 13％ in the control group (P ＜0.01).CONCLUSION Based on the immunosuppressive agents therapy in RA,Chenshi Qingfei Decoction can relieve clinical symptoms of cough,expectoration and breath hard,and reduce area and degree of interstitial lung disease by HRCT.

Clinical efficacy of Chenshi Qingfei Decoction on rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial lung disease / 中成药

AIM To explore the efficacy of Chenshi Qingfei Decoction (Pseudostellariae Radix,Ophiopogonis Radix,Adenophorae Radix,etc.) against rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).METHODS Based on Prednisolone,RA-ILD patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group by random number table and randomized block design.The observation group took Chenshi Qingfei Decoction.The treatment course was three months for both groups.Before the treatment,the activity of the disease (DAS28) was assessed and ESR,CRP,RF,CCP were measured.Before and after the treatment,high resolution-CT (HRCT) was conducted and graded,and symptoms and signs were graded.RESULTS After the treatment,the effective rate of cough,expectoration and breath hard in the syndromes of Chinese traditional medicine was 71％ in the observation group and 23％ in the control group (P ＜0.01).The effective rate of improved lung imaging by HRCT was 68％ in the observation group but 13％ in the control group (P ＜0.01).CONCLUSION Based on the immunosuppressive agents therapy in RA,Chenshi Qingfei Decoction can relieve clinical symptoms of cough,expectoration and breath hard,and reduce area and degree of interstitial lung disease by HRCT.

Yangfei Kongliu Formula, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, combined with cisplatin, inhibits growth of lung cancer cells through transforming growth factor-β1 signaling pathway / 中西医结合学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the tumor inhibition effect of Yangfei Kongliu Formula (YKF), a compound Chinese herbal medicine, combined with cisplatin (DDP) and its action mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>C57BL/6 mice with Lewis lung carcinoma were divided into six groups: control group (C), DDP group (2 mg/kg, DDP), low-dose YKF group (2.43 g/kg, L), high-dose YKF group (24.3 g/kg, H), low-dose YKF combined with DDP group (L + DDP) and high-dose YKF combined with DDP group (H + DDP). Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (Smad3) and Smad7 levels were measured with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to analyze the expressions of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>YKF combined with DDP significantly inhibited the growth and metastasis of tumors relative to the control group, and YKF groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between high-dose YKF group and low-dose YKF group (P > 0.05). We also found that the expression levels of TGF-β1 and Smad3 were both significantly decreased by YKF relative to the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, after treatment with YKF combined with DDP, the expression levels of TGF-β1 and Smad3 were decreased but the expression level of Smad7 was increased relative to the DDP group (P < 0.05). Compared to the DDP group, the combination of YKF and DDP enhanced the effect of tumor inhibition (P < 0.05), showing obvious synergy between YKF and DDP. Treatment with DDP or YKF decreased serum levels of IL-2 and TNF-α relative to the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression levels of IL-2 and TNF-α were significantly decreased when treated with YKF in combination with DDP. Co-treatment with YKF and DDP significantly inhibited tumor growth, decreased the expressions of TGF-β1, Smad3, IL-2 and TNF-α and increased the expression of Smad7; these differences were significant relative to both YKF groups and the control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>YKF can inhibit tumor growth synergistically with DDP, mainly through the TGF-β1 signaling pathway.</p>

Effects of moxibustion at Shenshu (BL 23) on level of sex hormones and AMH in sub-health peri-menopausal women / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the effects between moxibustion at Shenshu (BL 23) and oral administration of Vitamin E on quality of life and mechanism in sub-health perimenopausal women, aiming to provide clinical evidence of moxibustion for health care of sub-health female.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty participants were randomly divided into a moxibustion group and a medication group, 30 cases in each one. The volunteers in the moxibustion group were treated with mild moxibustion at bilateral Shenshu (BL 23) for 15 min, once a day; five treatments were considered as a course of treatment, and totally 4 courses were given with an interval of 2 days between courses. The volunteers in the medication group were treated with oral administration of soft capsule of Vitamin E, once a day, continuously for 28 days. The scores of quality of life and serum levels of sex hormones, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin B (INHB) were measured before and after treatment in the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>① Compared before treatment, the scores of quality of life in the two groups were both significantly increased after treatment (both<0.01), which was more superior in the moxibustion group (<0.05). ② Compared before treatment, the serum levels of estradiol (E) and progesterone in the moxibustion group were significantly increased after treatment, especially for premenopausal volunteers (both<0.01). ③ After moxibustion, the serum level of AMH was significantly improved (<0.01), however, the effect on INHB had no statistical difference (>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Moxibustion could effectively improve the quality of life in sub-health perimenopausal women, regulate the levels of sex hormones and AMH, improve ovarian reserve function, and delay ovarian aging.</p>

Multi-center clinical trial of Rongxin Pills in treating viral myocarditis in children with deficiency of both qi and yin and heart meridian stasis syndrome / 药物评价研究

Objective To observe Rongxin Pills in the treatment of viral myocarditis in children (deficiency of both qi and yin and heart meridian stasis syndrome) and the effectiveness and clinical application of safety.Methods Viral myocarditis patients (280 cases,deficiency of both qi and yin and heart meridian stasis syndrome),according to 3:1 ratio as the test group (n =21 0) and control group (n =70).The test group took orally Rongxin pills each time 4.5～9 g,3 times daily;the control group oral coenzyme Q10 capsule each time 10 ～ 20 mg,twice daily.The course of treatment was 28 d.The experiment was carried out with the random and double blind method.The symptoms of myocarditis,integrated and electrocardiogram,echocardiography,myocardial enzymes,as well as the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine and improvement of the effect of the disease were observed.Results The results of FAS (PPS) analysis showed that 28 d after treatment,the symptom score and mean of experimental group and control group were 5.975 (6.000) and 4.721 (4.788).The syndromes of the total effective rates were 91.62％ (90.59％) and 70.59％ (71.21％),curative effect the total effective rates were 90.14％ (92.08％) and 72.06％ (72.73％).The total effective rate of experimental group was higher than that of the control group,the difference was statistically significant.In this experiment,three cases of clinical adverse events were reported,which were not related to the experimental drug.It also not belongs to adverse drug reactions.Conclusion Rongxin Pill in the treatment of viral myocarditis in children (deficiency of both qi and yin and heart meridian stasis syndrome) is more effective than coenzyme Q 10 capsule,and there was no indication of higher risk of clinical application.

Investigation of free amino acid, total phenolics, antioxidant activity and purine alkaloids to assess the health properties of non-Camellia tea

To find novel functional beverages from folk teas, 33 species of frequently used non-Camellia tea (plants other than Camellia) were collected and compared with Camellia tea (green tea, pu-erh tea and black tea) for the first time. Data are reported here on the quantities of 20 free amino acids (FAAs) and three purine alkaloids (measured by UHPLC), total polyphenols (measured by Folin-Ciocalteu assay), and antioxidant activity (DPPH). The total amounts of FAAs in non-Camellia tea (0.62-18.99 mg/g) are generally less than that of Camellia tea (16.55-24.99 mg/g). However, for certain FAAs, the quantities were much higher in some non-Camellia teas, such as γ-aminobutyric acid in teas from Ampelopsis grossedentata, Isodon serra and Hibiscus sabdariffa. Interestingly, theanine was detected in tea from Potentilla fruticosa (1.16±0.81 mg/g). Furthermore, the content of polyphenols in teas from A. grossedentata, Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala are significantly higher than those from Camellia tea; teas from I. serra, Pistacia chinensis and A. tataricum subsp. ginnala have remarkable antioxidant activities similar to the activities from green tea (44.23 μg/mL). Purine alkaloids (caffeine, theobromine and theophylline) were not detected in non-Camellia teas. The investigation suggest some non-Camellia teas may be great functional natural products with potential for prevention of chronic diseases and aging, by providing with abundant polyphenols, antioxidants and specific FAAs.

Present Situation and Development and Utilization Suggestions for TCM Resources in Changshou District of Chongqing / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To investigate TCM resources in Changshou District of Chongqing based on the fourth national census of TCM resources; To provide theoretical references for the protection and exploitation of TCM resources. Methods Sample-plot survey, line survey and interview survey were used in this study. Results Totally 142 families, 482 genera and 639 species (including subspecies and varieties) were collected from the general survey of TCM resources in this region. There were a total of 575 species of medicinal plants, including 456 kinds of ordinary medicinal plants and 119 species of national key medicinal plant which were recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 Edition). But there was no department leader of the Chinese medicine industry and TCM cultivation was almost blank. Nowadays there was no TCM processing enterprise, and the quality could not be controlled. The continual increase of production cost restricted the development of TCM industry. Conclusion TCM resources in Changshou District of Chongqing are abundant, while the TCM industry is almost blank. The support and guidance from government are needed to develop TCM industry in this area.

Electroacupuncture on serum interleukin level in rat models of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and IL-10 in rat models of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, and to discover the mechanism of EA in preventing and treating cerebral ischemia. Methods:Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into a sham-operation (SO) group, a model control (MC) group, and an EA group, which were sub-grouped into a 6-hour group and a 24-hour group. In the SO group, rats only received vessel separation with filament placed inside without any treatment. In the MC and EA groups, the focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model was induced by using modified Longa method with intraluminal filament. The MC group didn’t receive any treatment;the EA group received EA at Baihui (GV 20) and Dazhui (GV 14) with sparse-dense wave for 30 min. The levels of serum IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 were detected by using Elisa test. Results: Six hours after ischemia-reperfusion injury, the levels of serum IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 in the MC group were significantly higher than those in the SO group (P Conclusion:Early intervention by EA can regulate the levels of serum IL-6 and IL-8 in cerebral ischemic injury.