Quercitrin improves cardiac remodeling following myocardial infarction by regulating macrophage polarization and metabolic reprogramming.

The death and disability caused by myocardial infarction is a health problem that needs to be addressed worldwide, and poor cardiac repair and fibrosis after myocardial infarction seriously affect patient recovery. Postmyocardial infarction repair by M2 macrophages is of great significance for ventricular remodeling. Quercitrin (Que) is a common flavonoid in fruits and vegetables that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor and other effects, but whether it has a role in the treatment of myocardial infarction is unclear. In this study, we constructed a mouse myocardial infarction model and administered Que. We found through cardiac ultrasound that Que administration improved cardiac ejection fraction and reduced ventricular remodeling. Staining of heart sections and detection of fibrosis marker protein levels revealed that Que administration slowed fibrosis after myocardial infarction. Flow cytometry showed that the proportion of M2 macrophages in the mouse heart was increased and that the expression levels of M2 macrophage markers were increased in the Que-treated group. Finally, we identified by metabolomics that Que reduces glycolysis, increases aerobic phosphorylation, and alters arginine metabolic pathways, polarizing macrophages toward the M2 phenotype. Our research lays the foundation for the future application of Que in myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases.

Effectiveness and Safety of Chinese Medicine at Shenque (CV 8) for Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is the most common complaint associated with menstruation and affects up to three-quarters of women at some stage of their reproductive life. In Chinese medicine, navel therapy, treatment provided at Shenque (CV 8), is used as a treatment option for PD. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of navel therapy on pain relief and quality of life in women with PD, compared with Western medicine (WM). METHODS: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), SinoMed and Wanfang Database, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and the International Clinical Trial Registry of the U.S. National Institutes of Health were searched from their inceptions to April 1, 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing therapeutic effects of navel therapy on PD were eligible for inclusion. RevMan 5.4 software was used for data analyses. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the online GRADEpro tool. RESULTS: Totally 24 RCTs involving 2,614 participants were identified. Interventions applied to acupuncture point CV 8 included: herbal patching, moxibustion or combined navel therapy (using at least 2 types of stimulation). Compared to placebo, there was a significant effect in favor of navel therapy on reducing overall menstrual symptom scores at the end of treatment [mean difference: -0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.00 to -0.64, n=90; 1 RCT]. As compared with Western medicine, navel therapy had a superior effect on pain intensity as assessed by Visual Analogue Scale at the end of treatment [standardized mean difference (SMD): -0.64, 95% CI: -1.22 to -0.06, I2=80%, n=262; 3 RCTs]; on symptom resolution rate at 3-month follow-up (risk ratio: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.47 to 2.56, n=1527, I2=38%; 13 RCTs); and on global menstrual symptoms score at the end of treatment (SMD: -0.67, 95% CI: -0.90 to -0.45, I2=63%, n=990; 12 RCTs). Subgroup analyses showed either a better or an equivalent effect comparing navel therapy with Western medicine. No major adverse events were reported. The methodological quality of included trials was poor overall. CONCLUSIONS: Navel therapy appears to be more effective than Western medicine in decreasing menstrual pain and improving overall symptoms of PD. However, these findings need to be confirmed by well-designed clinical trials with adequate sample size (Systematic review registration at PROSPERO, No. CRD42021240350).

Systematic review and meta-analysis of Chinese herbal formula Tongxie Yaofang for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: Evidence for clinical practice and future trials.

Introduction: Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) significantly decreases the quality of life of patients and their families, and affects patients' mental health. No specific western medications are available. Ancient classical Chinese medical texts have recognized Tongxie Yaofang (TXYF) as a therapy for diarrhea which is widely used in clinical practice. Standard TXYF prescription (S-TXYF) is composed of four herbal medicines: Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. [Asteraceae; Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae.], Paeonia lactiflora Pall. [Ranunculaceae; Paeoniae Radix Alba], Citrus × aurantium L. [Rutaceae; Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium] and Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz. ex Ledeb.) Schischk. [Umbelliferae; Saposhnikoviae Radix]. This review aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of S-TXYF for IBS-D. Methods: Eight English and Chinese electronic databases were searched from their inception to 25 December 2021 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing S-TXYF with placebo, western medications or no treatment for IBS-D. The primary outcome was the global improvement of IBS-D symptoms. Data were analyzed using Cochrane's Revman 5.4 software. Evidence certainty was assessed using the online GRADEpro tool for the primary outcome. Results: Eleven RCTs involving 985 adults with IBS-D were included. For global improvement of symptoms, S-TXYF was superior to western medication and placebo (moderate evidence by GRADE). Regarding the improvement of stool consistency, stool frequency and abdominal pain, S-TXYF was significantly effective than placebo. In addition, S-TXYF was superior to western medication on improving the quality of life and relieving anxiety. Six trials reported adverse events: five of them reported (non-serious) adverse events occurred in both groups, and one trial reported that 3 cases with adverse events (constipation, elevation in liver-enzyme, nausea) occurred in S-TXYF group and 3 cases with adverse events (abdominal distension, nausea) occurred in placebo group. Conclusion: Although current results showed that S-TXYF may have potential to treat IBS-D and its use appears to be safe, no a clear and confirmed conclusion can be drawn from our review as the overall inadequate design of the included trials reviewed. So more rigorous trials are warranted to establish confirmed evidence on its benefits and safety.

Chinese herbal formula Tongxie Yaofang for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: study protocol for a randomized, multiple-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a bowel disease with a high incidence. It significantly reduces the quality of life of patients and affects the patient's daily activities and mental health. No specific therapeutic medications for IBS-D have been found. Published clinical trials suggest that Chinese herbal formula Tongxie Yaofang (TXYF) for IBS-D may be effective. However, high-quality clinical evidence supporting its use in IBS-D is still lacking. This trial aims to evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of TXYF for IBS-D in adults. METHODS/DESIGN: A randomized, multiple-blind, placebo-controlled trial will be conducted. It will consist of an 8-week intervention followed by a 3-month follow-up period. The target sample size is 96 IBS-D patients aged 18 to 65 years. The eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either TXYF or placebo group in a ratio of 1:1. Participants in the experimental group will take TXYF granules, while participants in the control group will be given TXYF placebo granules. The primary outcome will be the degree of IBS symptom severity measured using the scale of IBS symptom severity score. The secondary outcomes include: (a) stool frequency, and (b) stool consistency measured using the Bristol stool scale, (c) quality of life measured using the scale of IBS-quality of life, (d) anxiety measured using the self-rating anxiety scale, (e) depression measured by the self-rating depression scale, and (f) the safety of using TXYF and placebo. Safety monitoring and assessment will be undertaken throughout treatment. DISCUSSION: Chinese herbal formula TXYF consists of four Chinese herbs: Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., Paeonia lactiflora Pall ., Citrus × aurantium L ., and Radix saposhnikoviae. It has been used for diarrhea for hundreds of years and may have a potential benefit in treating adults with IBS-D, but due to lack of high-quality evidence, we designed a randomized, multiple-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate its therapeutic effects and safety. This trial will provide important data to guide the clinical practice of TXYF for the treatment of IBS-D in adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry ISRCTN12453166 . Registered on 23 March 2021.

[Twenty years in the 21st century: identification technologies for and multimodal research on chemical changes in exploration of processing mechanism of Chinese medicine].

Chinese medicine undergoes complex chemical changes during processing and identifying these changes is the key to the processing mechanism. In the past 20 years of the 21 st century, research on the chemical changes in Chinese medicine after processing has focused the changes in the biopharmaceutical process in addition to the variation during processing. With the surging of information technologies, various identification technologies(instrumental analysis techniques, molecular biological techniques, data mining techniques, and biotransformation techniques) have developed rapidly and been widely applied to the research on processing mechanism. Thus, based on the chemical changes in the processing and biopharmaceutical process, the author suggested a research tactic of multimodal identification as the core by reorganizing key technologies for chemical identification from studies of the processing mechanism of Chinese me-dicine, aiming at establishing an interdisciplinary multi-dimensional research model for the processing mechanism of Chinese medicine.

[Twenty years in the 21st century: research approaches and techniques in modern system biology for mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing].

Clarifying the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing is pivotal to the modernization of Chinese medicine. Research on Chinese medicinal processing gives priority to the mechanisms of the processing in enhancing efficacy, reducing toxicity, and repurposing medicinals. During the past 20 years, scholars have carried out in-depth studies on the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing via modern system biology. They mainly focused on the changes of medicinal properties and efficacy caused by processing using techniques of modern pharmacology and molecular biology, spectrum-efficacy correlation, and biophoton emission. However, these techniques fail to reflect the holistic view of traditional Chinese medicine. With the introduction of system biology, multi-omics techno-logies(genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) have surged, which have been applied to the research on the mec-hanisms of Chinese medicinal processing. These multi-omics technologies have advantages in the research on holism. This study aims to summarize the research techniques and approaches in system biology for mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing in the past 20 years and analyze the limitations and advantages of them. It is concluded that the multi-omics techniques of system biology can reconstruct the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing. This study provides a new direction for further research on the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing.

Clinical observation on different frequency of auricular bloodletting combined with auricular point sticking for acne vulgaris / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical efficacy of different treatment frequency of auricular bloodletting combined with auricular point sticking for acne vulgaris.@*METHODS@#A total of 90 patients with acne vulgaris were randomized into a treatment group 1 (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a treatment group 2 (30 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a treatment group 3 (30 cases, 5 cases dropped off). Combination therapy of auricular bloodletting and auricular point sticking at Fei (CO14), Shenmen (TF4), Neifenmi (CO18) and Shenshangxian (TG2p) were given once a week, twice a week and 3 times a week in the treatment group 1, the treatment group 2 and the treatment group 3 respectively, 4 weeks were as one course and totally 3 courses were required in the 3 groups. Before treatment and after 1, 2, 3 courses of treatment, the scores of global acne grading system (GAGS), skin lesion and quality of life-acne (QoL-Acne) were observed, the clinical efficacy was evaluated after 3 courses of treatment and the recurrence rate was evaluated in follow-up of 1 month after treatment in the 3 groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the scores of GAGS and skin lesion were decreased at each time point in the 3 groups (P<0.05), the QoL-Acne scores were increased after 1 course of treatment in the treatment group 3 and after 2, 3 courses of treatment in the 3 groups (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in scores of GAGS, skin lesion and QoL-Acne among the 3 groups (P>0.05). There were no statistical differences in effective rate and recurrence rate among the 3 groups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Different frequency of auricular bloodletting combined with auricular point sticking have similar efficacy in treating acne vulgaris, all can improve the skin lesion and quality of life in patients with acne vulgaris, and have a cumulative effect and good long-term curative effect.

Effect of moxibustion on quality of life in tumor patients: network Meta-analysis / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To rank the effectiveness of various moxibustion methods on the quality of life in tumor patients, and explore the best treatment plan of moxibustion for improving the quality of life in tumor patients from the perspective of evidence-based medicine.@*METHODS@#The Chinese and English literature of randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the effect of moxibustion on the quality of life in tumor patients were searched in PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang and VIP. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the databases to October 31, 2020. The R3.6.2 and Stata15.0 software were used for network Meta-analysis based on Bayesian model.@*RESULTS@#A total of 30 Chinese RCTs were included, including 2 169 patients, involving 16 interventions. In terms of the effectiveness of improving quality of life, the top three treatments were special moxibustion plus other therapies 1 (either of tendon acupuncture, acupoint pressing, acupoint injection, etc.), wheat-grain moxibustion and mild moxibustion. The special moxibustion methods were the combination of fire-dragon moxibustion, thunder-fire moxibustion, fuyang fire moxibustion and moxa salt-bag moxibustion. The number of literature of these four moxibustion methods was small. Considering the clinical application of moxibustion, it was concluded that wheat-grain moxibustion ranked first.@*CONCLUSION@#The adjuvant treatment of wheat-grain moxibustion is more effective than other moxibustion methods on improving the quality of life in tumor patients, but the results needed to be further verified because the bias risk of RCT included in this study is high and the sample size is small.

Therapeutic effects and safety of oral Chinese patent medicine for COVID-19: A rapid systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Chinese patent medicine (CPM) is an indispensable part of traditional Chinese medicine. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) manifests is an acute respiratory infectious disease. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of oral CPM for COVID-19. METHODS: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that tested oral CPM for the treatment of COVID-19 identified from publications in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Web of Science, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, BioRxiv, MedRxiv and arXiv before November 2nd, 2020. The risk of bias for each trial was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0. RevMan 5.4 software was used for data analyses. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the online GRADEpro tool. RESULTS: Seven RCTs including 1079 participants were identified. The overall bias was assessed as "-high risk of bias" for all included trials. Oral CPM investigated were: Lianhua Qingwen capsule/granules (LHQW), Jinhua Qinggan granules (JHQG), Huoxiang Zhengqi dripping pills (HXZQ), Toujie Quwen granules (TJQW) and Lianhua Qingke granules (LHQK). Compared with conventional western therapy alone for people with COVID-19: regarding the main outcomes, the results showed that oral CPM combined with conventional western therapy improved cure rate (RR = 1.20, 95 % CI 1.04-1.38, involving LHQW and TJQW), reduced aggravation rate (RR = 0.50, 95 % CI 0.29 - 0.85, involving LHQW, JHQG, LHQK and TJQW); with regard to additional outcomes, the results showed that add-on oral CPM shortened the duration of fever, cough and fatigue, improved the recovery rate of cough and fatigue, and increased the improvement and recovery rate of chest CT manifestations. There were some differences in therapeutic effects among various CPMs for the same COVID-19 outcome. The use of TJQW and LHQG appeared not to increase the risk of adverse events, but JHQG may cause mild diarrhea. CONCLUSION: Low-certainty or very low-certainty evidence demonstrated that oral CPM may have add-on potential therapeutic effects for patients with non-serious COVID-19. These findings need to be further confirmed by well-designed clinical trials with adequate sample sizes.

Chinese patent herbal medicine (Shufeng Jiedu capsule) for acute upper respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Shufeng Jiedu capsule has been widely used in China for acute upper respiratory tract infections (AURTIs). The aim of this study was to evaluate its effectiveness and safety for AURTIs. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials comparing SFJD with conventional drug for patients with AURTIs were included. Eight databases were searched from their inceptions to February 2021. Data was synthesized using risk ration (RR) or mean difference (MD) with their 95% confidence interval (CI). The primary outcome was resolution time of typical symptoms. RESULTS: Twenty-five RCTs involving 3410 patients were included. SFJD in combination with conventional drug was associated with; in common cold shortening the duration of fever (MD -1.54 days, 95% CI [-2.15,-0.92], I 2 = 80%, n = 385, 3 trials) and cough (MD -1.22 days, 95% CI [-1.52, -0.93]); in herpangina, shortening the duration of fever (MD -0.68 days, 95% CI [-1.15, -0.21], I2  = 68%, n = 140, 2 trials) and blistering (MD -0.99 days, 95% CI [-1.23, -0.76], n = 386, 3 trials); in acute tonsillitis and acute pharyngitis shortening the duration of fever (MD -1.13 days, 95% CI [-1.36, -0.90], I 2 = 33%, n = 688, 7 trials) and sore throat (MD -1.13 days, 95% CI [-1.40, -0.86], I 2 = 84.1%, n = 1194, 10 trials). SFJD also improving their cure rate with a range (1-5 days). No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: Low certainty evidence suggests that SFJD appears to shorten the duration of symptoms in AURTIs, improve cure rate and seems safe for application. However, high quality placebo controlled trials are warranted to confirm its benefit.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of Compound Glycyrrhizin Injection in improving chronic hepatitis B liver damage].

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Compound Glycyrrhizin Injection(CGI) in improving liver damage in chronic hepatitis B(CHB). PubMed, Web of Science, SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases were retrieved from their inception to February 10, 2020. The randomized controlled trial(RCT) of CGI in the treatment of CHB was included. Data were independently extracted by two authors, and the methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool by other two authors. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 18 two-armed RCTs were included, involving 1 915 participants. The methodological quality of all studies included was generally low. In the comparison between CGI and diammonium glycyrrhizinate, the results showed that CGI was superior to the control group in improving the overall clinical effectiveness, but there was no statistical difference between the two groups in increasing ALT normalization rate, reducing ALT and AST level. In the comparison between CGI and diammonium glycyrrhizinate+other general hepatoprotective drugs, the results showed that CGI was superior to the control group in reducing AST level, while there was no statistical difference between the two groups in reducing ALT level and increasing overall clinical effectiveness. In the comparison between CGI+other commonly used drugs(including energy mixture, glutathione, vitamins, potassium magnesium aspartate) and diammonium glycyrrhizinate+other commonly used drugs, the results showed that CGI combined with other commonly used drugs was better than the control group in reducing ALT and AST level and improving the clinical total effective rate, and there was no statistical difference between the two groups in increasing the rate of ALT normalization. In the comparison between CGI+other commonly used drugs and other commonly used drugs, the results showed that CGI combined with other commonly used drugs was superior to the control group in reducing ALT and AST level and improving the overall clinical effectiveness. In the comparison between CGI+vitamins and diammonium glycyrrhizinate+potassium magnesium aspartate+vitamins, the results showed no statistical difference between the two groups in reducing AST level. A small number of studies included reported that CGI caused mild adverse reactions when used alone or in combination with other drugs. Based on the results, CGI has a certain effect in improving CHB liver damage, but the evidence is not enough to prove that CGI would cause serious adverse events. In the future, more well-designed and strictly-enforced RCT with an adequate sample size are needed to further evaluate the effect CGI in alleviating CHB liver damage.

Chinese herbal medicine (Rupi Sanjie capsule) for the treatment of breast pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Breast pain is one of the most common breast disorders, affecting 41%-69% women in the clinical populations. Chinese herbal medicine (Rupi Sanjie, RPSJ) capsule has been recommended to be commonly used for breast pain in China. This review aimed to systematically collect latest evidence and critically evaluate the eff ;ectiveness and safety of RPSJ capsule for breast pain. METHODS: We searched 6 databases from their inception to June 1, 2020 for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing RPSJ capsule with conventional drug therapies, placebo or no treatment. Primary outcomes were breast pain relief, reduction of breast mass and clinical cure rate. RESULTS: Seventeen RCTs were included in total, involving 2899 participants with breast pain. RPSJ capsule showed a significant effects in shortening duration of the breast pain (MD-6.51 days, 95%CI [-8.57, -4.45], n = 82, 1 trial), shortening the duration of breast mass (MD-5.17 days, 95%CI [-7.56, -2.78], n = 82, 1 trial), improving clinical cure rate (RR 1.55, 95% CI [1.21, 2.00], I² = 64%, n = 1398, 10 trials) and total effective rate (RR 1.08, 95% CI [1.03, 1.14], I² = 71%, n = 2170, 14 trials) compared to Tamoxifen (TAM). The meta-analysis showed that the incidence of total adverse events was higher in TAM group than the RPSJ capsule group (RR 0.30, 95%CI [0.21, 0.42], I² = 49%, n = 2122, 13 trials). CONCLUSIONS: RPSJ capsule appears to be a potentially effective in treating breast pain and seems generally safe for clinical application. However, this potential benefit is inconclusive due to generally weak evidence, and the findings should be further confirmed in large and rigorous trials.

Effect of Modified Shenfuwan on Lumbar Disc Herniation Due to Kidney Deficiency and Cold Coagulation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe short-term and long-term effect of modified Shenfuwan on lumbar disc herniation due to kidney deficiency and cold coagulation. Method:100 cases were randomly divided into the control group and observation group，50 cases each. The control group were taken meloxicam tablets，7.5 mg each time，once a day and the observation group were given modified Shenfuwan，300 mL each time，twice a day. The treatment course was 3 months. The short form McGill pain questionnaire（SF-MPQ），oswestry disability index（ODI），and lumbar intervertebral disc herniation due to kidney deficiency and cold coagulation by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM ） syndrome were observed before and after treatment. Whole blood viscosity （high，medium，low），serum inflammatory factors ［tumor necrosis factor-alpha（TNF-<italic>α</italic>），interleukin-1<italic>β</italic>（IL-1<italic>β</italic>），interleukin-6（IL-6），pain mediators［endothelin-1（ET-1），prostaglandin E₂（PGE₂），cyclooxygenase-2（COX-2）］ were detected. The clinical efficacyand，recurrence rate followed up for 12 and 24 months was was observed. The type and time of adverse reactions were recorded during the study. Result:After treatment，the total effective rate in the observation group was 98.0%（49/50） higher than that 82.0%（41/50） in the control group（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. After 12 months of follow-up，the recurrence rate in the observation group was 23.9%（11/46） lower than that 52.5%（21/40） in the control group （<italic>χ</italic>²＝5.193，<italic>P</italic><0.05）. After 24 months of follow-up，the recurrence rate in the observation group was 43.9%（18/41） lower than that that 80.6%（29/36） in the control group（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment，SF-MPQ，ODI，TCM symptoms，whole blood viscosity，TNF-<italic>α</italic>，IL-1<italic>β</italic>，IL-6，ET-1，PGE₂ and COX-2 were significantly reduced in the observation group（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 2.0%（1/50） lower than that 52.0%（26/50） in the control group（<italic>χ</italic>²＝6.264，<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:Modified Shenfuwan can significantly improve the short-term and long-term clinical efficacy of patients with lumbar disc herniation due to kidney deficiency and cold coagulation syndrome，and the incidence of adverse reactions is low.

Effect of Modified Anshentang on Serum Inflammatory Factors, Immune Function, Bone Metabolism on Treatment of Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis in Early and Middle Stages / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:This study aims to investigate the clinical efficacy of modified Anshentang on the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in early and middle stages with kidney deficiency and cold-governing syndrome and its effect on serum inflammatory factors， immune function， and bone metabolism indexes of patients. Method:In this study， 120 patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group， 60 cases in each group. On the basis of ethotrexate treatment， patients in control group took Bushen Shuji granule orally， while patients in observation group took modified Anshentang orally for 8 weeks. Before and after treatment， patients in two groups were observed for clinical symptoms ［ bath ankylosing spondylitis patient global score （BAS-G）， bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index （BASDAI）， spondyloarthritis research consortium of Canada （SPARCC）， traditional Chinese medicine symptoms （TCM symptoms）<italic> </italic>］， serum inflammatory factors ［ tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α </italic>（TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， macrophage migration inhibitory factor （MIF）， interleukin-23 （IL-23）］， immune function ［ immunoglobulin A（IgA）， immunoglobulin G（IgG）， immunoglobulin M（IgM）］， bone metabolic indicators ［osteocalcin （BGP）， bone morphogenetic protein-2 （BMP-2）， bonespecific alkaline phosphatase （BALP）］. The clinical efficacy， adverse reactions and recurrence rates of 12 months in two groups were observed. Result:During the study， 4 cases dropped out from control group and 2 cases from observation group. The total effective rate of 96.55% （56/58） in observation group was higher than 80.36% （45/56） in control group （<italic>χ</italic>²=4.827，<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The recurrence rate of 5.17% （3/58） in observation group was lower than 19.64% （11/56） in control group （<italic>χ</italic>²=5.187， <italic>P</italic><0.05）. Compare with control group after treatment， BAS-G，BASDAI， SPARCC， TCM symptoms， TNF-<italic>α</italic>， MIF and IL-23 in observation group were significantly decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， while BGP， BMP-2， BALP， IgA， IgG and IgM were significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The incidence of adverse reactions was 12.07%（7/58） in observation group， which was lower than 32.14%（18/56） in control group （<italic>χ</italic>²=4.826，<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:Modified Anshentang is effective in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in early and middle stages with kidney deficiency and cold-governing syndrome， and the incidence of adverse reactions is low.

Comparative study on the academic thought of bloodletting for expelling pathogens between Jin-Yuan Dynasties and Ming-Qing Dynasties / 中国针灸

The relevant provisions of bloodletting for expelling pathogens are collected from the works of the medical representative scholars in Jin-Yuan Dynasties and Ming-Qing Dynasties respectively to construct the databases of bloodletting for expelling pathogens of Jin-Yuan Dynasties and Ming-Qing Dynasties. Using frequency analysis, the bloodletting device, bloodletting location, bloodletting volume, the related pathogens and indications are compared between these two times so that the evidences could be provided for the inheritance and development of the academic thought of bloodletting for expelling pathogens. It is found that the three-edge needle is the most commonly used device for bloodletting in Jin-Yuan Dynasties and Ming-Qing Dynasties and

Employment status of interdisciplinary talents of English and acupuncture-moxibustion and / 中国针灸

The employment situation and advantages of interdisciplinary talents of English and acupuncture-moxibustion and

Effects of green coffee bean extract on C-reactive protein levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The effects of green coffee bean extract (GCBE) supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers have been widely spread. The purpose of this article was to assess the impact of GCBE supplementation on C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. METHODS: The literature search was performed in four databases (Scopus, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar) to identify studies that examined the influence of GCBE supplementation on CRP levels up to August 2019. Mean and standard deviation (SD) of the outcomes were used to estimate the weight mean difference (WMD) between intervention and control groups for the follow-up period. RESULTS: Five (5) studies, with 6 arms, reported CRP as an outcome. Statistically, the use of GCBE supplements resulted in a significant change in CRP levels (WMD: -0.017 mg/dL, 95 % CI: -0.032, -0.003, p = 0.018), whose overall findings were obtained from random-effects model. In addition, a significantly greater reduction in CRP was noted for studies with doses of GCBE supplements ≥ 1000 mg/d (WMD: -0.015 mg/dL, 95 % CI: -0.020, -0.010, p < 0.000), length of intervention < 4 weeks (WMD: -0.015 mg/dL, 95 % CI: -0.020, -0.010, p < 0.001), and for non-healthy subjects (WMD: -0.019 mg/dL, 95 % CI: -0.027, -0.011, p < 0.001). Dyslipidemia, hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were the ailments of the studies that encompassed non-healthy patients. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis shows that the use of GCBE supplements resulted in a statistical decrease in CRP levels, mainly for non-healthy subjects. However, due to the limited number of studies, further randomized clinical trials are crucial in this regard.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Therapeutic Effect of Acupuncture on Migraine.

Background: Migraine is an intractable headache disorder, manifesting as periodic attacks. It is highly burdensome for patients and society. Acupuncture treatment can be beneficial as a supplementary and preventive therapy for migraine. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for migraine, and to examine transcranial doppler changes after acupuncture. Methods: Reports, conference, and academic papers published before March 15, 2019 in databases including PubMed, Cochrane library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WANFANG Database, Chinese journal of Science and Technology, and China Biomedical were searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and medication in migraine were included. The Cochrane Collaboration software, RevMan 5.3, was used for data processing and migration risk analysis. Results: Twenty-eight RCTs were included. 15 RCTs included medication only, 10 RCTs included sham acupuncture only, and 3 RCTs included both. The study included 2874 patients, split into 3 groups: acupuncture treatment group (n = 1396), medication control group (n = 865), and sham acupuncture control group (n = 613). The results showed that treatment was more effective in the acupuncture group than in the sham acupuncture group (MD = 1.88, 95% CI [1.61, 2.20], P < 0.00001) and medication group (MD = 1.16, 95% CI [1.12, 1.21], P < 0.00001). Improvement in visual analog scale (VAS) score was greater in the acupuncture group than in the sham acupuncture group (MD = -1.00, 95% CI [-1.27,-0.46], P < 0.00001; MD = -0.59, 95% CI [-0.81,-0.38], P < 0.00001), and their adverse reaction rate was lower than that of the medication group (RR = 0.16, 95% CI [0.05, 0.52], P = 0.002). The improvement of intracranial blood flow velocity by acupuncture is better than that by medication, but the heterogeneity makes the result unreliable. Conclusions: Acupuncture reduced the frequency of migraine attacks, lowered VAS scores, and increased therapeutic efficiency compared with sham acupuncture. Compared with medication, acupuncture showed higher effectiveness with less adverse reactions and improved intracranial blood circulation. However, owing to inter-study heterogeneity, a prospective, multicenter RCT with a large sample is required to verify these results.

Pediatric tuina for the treatment of anorexia in children under 14 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric tuina is used to prevent and treat disease by employing various manipulative techniques on specific parts of the body, appropriate to the child's specific physiological and pathological characteristics. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects and safety of pediatric tuina as a non-pharmaceutical therapy for anorexia in children under 14 years. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing pediatric tuina with medicine for anorexia were included in this review. Six electronic databases were searched from inception to June 2019. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. Significant effective rate (defined as appetite improved and food intake returning to 3/4 or more of normal intake) was used as primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included food intake, compliance and adverse events. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was used to calculate the required information size in a meta-analysis and to detect the robustness of the results. Certainty of the evidence was assessed using the online GRADEpro tool. RESULTS: Of the included 28 RCTs involving 2650 children, the majority had a high or unclear risk of bias in terms of allocation concealment, blinding, and selective reporting. All trials compared tuina with western medicine or Chinese herbs. For significant effective rate, meta-analysis showed that tuina was superior to western medicine (risk ratio (RR) 1.68, 95 % confidence interval (CI) [1.35, 2.08]) and Chinese herbs (RR 1.36, 95 % CI [1.19, 1.55]). For food intake, 9 trials evaluated it in the form of score (1 points, 2 points, 4 points and 6 points) calculated according to the reduction degree of food intake. Six points represented the most serious. Meta-analysis showed tuina was superior to western medicine (mean difference (MD) -0.88, 95 % CI [-1.27, -0.50]) and Chinese herbs (MD -0.69, 95 % CI [-1.00, -0.38]) on lightening the reduction degree of food intake. Two trials reported compliance and six trials reported no adverse events occurred in pediatric tuina group. TSA for significant effective rate demonstrated that the pooled data had insufficient power regarding both numbers of trials and participants. CONCLUSIONS: Low certainty of evidence suggested pediatric tuina was beneficial and safe for the treatment of anorexia in children under 14 years. Furthermore well-designed RCTs with adequate sample sizes are needed.

Evidence Base of Clinical Studies on Qi Gong: A Bibliometric Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This bibliometric study aimed to systematically and comprehensively summarize the volume, breadth and evidence for clinical research on Qigong. And this bibliometric analysis also can provide the evidence of this field. DESIGN: Bibliometric analysis. METHODS: All types of primary and secondary studies on humans were included: systematic reviews, randomized clinical trials, non-randomized controlled clinical studies, case series and case reports. Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Chinese Academic Conference Papers Database and Chinese Dissertation Database, PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched from the date of inception to December 10, 2018. Bibliometric information, such as publication information, disease/condition, Qigong intervention and research results were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 886 clinical studies were identified: including 47 systematic reviews, 705 randomized clinical trials, 116 non-randomized controlled clinical studies, 12 case series and 6 case reports. The studies were conducted in 14 countries. The top 15 diseases/conditions studied were: diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, stroke, cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, insomnia, knee osteoarthritis, low back pain, and osteoporosis, Coronary heart disease, breast cancer, periarthritis of shoulder, depression, metabolic syndrome. Of the various Qigong exercises reported in these 886 clinical studies, Ba Duan Jin was the most frequently researched in 492 (55.5%) studies, followed by Health Qigong 107 (12.1%), Dao Yin Shu 85 (9.6%), Wu Qin Xi 67 (7.6%) and Yi Jin Jing 66 (7.4%). The most frequently used comparisons in randomized trials were maintaining normal way of life unchanged 149 (18.1%), the remaining controls included conventional treatment, mainly western medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, health education, psychological therapy, Yoga, Tai Chi and other non-drug therapy. The most frequently reported outcomes were physical function, quality of life, symptoms, pain and mental health indicators. Beneficial results from practicing Qigong were reported in 97% of studies. CONCLUSIONS: Qigong research publications have been increasing gradually. Reports on study types, participants, Qigong Intervention, and outcomes are diverse and inconsistent. There is an urgent need to develop a set of reporting standards for various interventions of Qigong. Further trials of high methodological quality with sufficient sample size and real world studies are needed to verify the effects of Qigong in health and disease management.