Oral absorption and effect of macromolecules in traditional Chinese medicine: a new perspective and research mode of phase structure / 中国中药杂志

Protein polypeptides and polysaccharides, the indispensable macromolecular active components in traditional Chinese medicine, are widely found in Chinese medicine decoction after the decoction of traditional Chinese medicine. However, through oral administration, these macromolecules are digested by the stomach and intestine and thus fail to be absorbed in prototype. This is inconsistent with the actual clinical efficacy of Chinese medicine decoction. According to modern research, new phase structures and effects of the macromolecules emerge during the decoction of traditional Chinese medicine, but the phase change law caused by the interaction among the components of traditional Chinese medicine and the relationship between phase structure and effect are still unclear. Thus, this study reviewed the oral absorption of macromolecular components of traditional Chinese medicine, analyzed the internal relationship of the form of macromolecules in traditional Chinese medicine with the absorption and effect based on phase structure, and summarized the research mode of oral absorption and effect of macromolecules in traditional Chinese medicine with phase structures as the core, providing new ideas and methods for future research.

Qihuang Yishen Granules （芪黄益肾颗粒） Combined with Chronic Disease Management of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Diabetic Kidney Disease Patients with Deficiency of both Qi and Yin：A Clinical Observation / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effectiveness and safety of Qihuang Yishen Granules （芪黄益肾颗粒） combined with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） chronic disease management on patients with diabetic kidney disease with deficiency qi and yin. MethodsTotally 140 patients diagnosed as diabetic kidney diseases with deficiency of both qi and yin were randomly divided into control group and trial group，with 70 cases in each group. Patients in the control group were treated with symptomatic treatment and routine chronic disease management. Patients in the trial group added Qihuang Yishen Granules and chronic disease management with TCM characteristics on the basis of symptomatic treatment. The course of treatment in both groups lasted for 6 months. The changes of laboratory indexes and chronic disease management level scores of the two groups of patients before treatment and after 3 and 6 months of treatment were compared， and their correlation were analyzed.The laboratory indexes of urinary protein and renal function related indicators such as 24-hour urinary protein quantification （24 hUTP）， serum creatinine （Scr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， and estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR）， and control compliance rate， as well as blood glucose and lipid related indicators such as glycosylated hemoglobin （HbA1c）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， triglyceride （TG） and control compliance rate were observed. The chronic disease management level scores included exercise，cognitive symptom management practice，communication with doctors， self-efficacy of symptom management，self-efficacy of disease commonness management. ResultsFinally，67 cases in the control group and 68 cases in the trial group completed the study. Compared with the group before treatment， the trial group had lower 24 hUTP and Scr， higher exercise score， total self-management score and all self-efficacy scale scores， higher TG at 3 months of treatment； at 6 months of treatment， the trial group had lower 24 hUTP， higher eGFR， and higher self-management scores and self-efficacy scale scores of all chronic diseases （P＜0.05）， and the control group had higher self-management total score （P＜0.05）. After 6 months of treatment， the trial group had lower 24 hUTP， Scr， LDL-C， and TG， higher eGFR， higher compliance rate of 24 hUTP， eGFR， LDL-C， and TG， and higher scores for all chronic disease management indexes compared with the control group （P＜0.05）. In terms of the correlation between laboratory indicators and chronic disease management level scores：there was a statistically significant difference in the correlation between 24hUTP and exercise，symptom management self-efficacy，and self-efficacy of disease commonness management （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01），all of which were negatively correlated. There was a statistically significant difference in the correlation between Scr and symptom management self-efficacy and self-efficacy of disease commonness management （P＜0.01），both of which were negatively correlated. There was a statistically significant difference in the correlation between eGFR and symptom management self-efficacy and self-efficacy of disease commonness management （P＜0.01），both of which were positively correlated. ConclusionQihuang Yishen Granules combined with chronic disease management of TCM can improve the level of proteinuria，renal function and lipid metabolism in patients with diabetic kidney disease with deficiency of both qi and yin，thus delaying the progress of diabetic kidney disease and also improve the level of chronic disease management of patients.

Comparison of Effects of Liuzijue Exercise and Conventional Respiratory Training on Patients after Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the feasibility and safety of Liuzijue exercise (LE) for the clinical effect in patients after cardiac surgery.@*METHODS@#Totally 120 patients who underwent cardiac surgery and were admitted to the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital between July and Oclober, 2022 were allocated to the LE group, the conventional respiratory training (CRT) group, and the control group by a random number table at a ratio of 1:1:1; 40 patients in each group. All patients received routine treatment and cardiac rehabilitation. LE group and CRT group respectively performed LE and CRT once a day for 30 min for 7 days. Control group did not receive specialized respiratory training. The forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, peak inspiratory flow rate, peak expiratory flow rate, maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure, modified Barthel index (MBI), and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) were evaluated before, after 3 and 7 days of intervention. In addition, the postoperative length of hospital stay (LOS) and the adverse events that occurred during the intervention period were compared.@*RESULTS@#A total of 107 patients completed the study, 120 patients were included in the analysis. After 3 days of intervention, the pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, MBI and HAM-A of all 3 groups improved compared with that before the intervention (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the control group, pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength were significantly improved in the CRT and LE groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). MBI and HAM-A were significantly improved in the LE group compared with the control and CRT groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). On the 7th day after intervention, the difference was still statistically significant (P<0.01), and was significantly different from that on the 3rd day (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, on the 7th day of intervention, the pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in the LE group were significantly improved compared with those in the CRT group (P<0.01). MBI and HAM-A were significantly improved in the CRT group compared with the control group (P<0.01). There were no significant differences in postoperative LOS among the 3 groups (P>0.05). No training-related adverse events occurred during the intervention period.@*CONCLUSIONS@#LE is safe and feasible for improving pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, the ability to complete activities of daily living and for relieving anxiety of patients after cardiac surgery (Registration No. ChiCTR2200062964).

Distribution characteristics and results of allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis in Ningxia area / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the distribution of allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis （AR） in Ningxia, and provide theoretical data for the prevention and treatment of AR in this region. Methods:A total of 1664 patients diagnosed with AR in the Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Department of Yinchuan First People's Hospital Outpatient Clinic from January 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected. Use the allergen sIgE antibody detection kit （immunoblotting method） to detect inhalation and ingestion allergens in patients.Results: ①Among all AR patients, 1 158 cases were detected positive, resulting in the detection rate was 69.59%; ②The detection rate of inhalation allergen was 65.87%, and the detection rate of ingestion allergen was 19.83%; ③Mugwort was the most sensitive allergen, and 76.32% of the patients having a positive grade ≥3; ④Out of the patients, 294 cases （25.39%） were allergic to only one allergen, 244 cases （21.07%） were allergic to two allergens, and 620 cases （53.54%） were allergic to three or more allergens; ⑤During different seasons, the highest number of positive allergens detected was in the summer, with 968 cases （83.59%）. Mugwort was the main allergen during this season （69.01%）. After the COVID-19 epidemic, the total positive rate of sIgE tests in AR patients decreased compared to before, and the difference was statistically significant （P<0.001）; ⑥Mugwort, dog epithelium, mold combination, egg, peanut, soybean, Marine fish combination and fruit combination all showed statistically significant differences between different gender groups （P<0.05）; ⑦Common ragweed, mugwort, dust mite combination, cockroach, egg, milk, Marine fish combination, shrimp, fruit combination and nut combination all showed statistically significant differences among different age groups （P<0.05）; ⑧There were statistically significant differences in hay dust among different ethnic groups （P<0.05）. Conclusion:Artemisia argyi is the main allergen in Ningxia, and the distribution characteristics of different allergens are influenced by treatment season, the COVID-19 epidemic, gender, age, ethnicity, and other factors, showing certain distribution patterns and rules.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervenes in Signaling Pathways Associated with CKD-MBD： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has certain advantages in the treatment of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder （CKD-MBD）. In recent years， there have been many studies on the treatment of CKD-MBD by Chinese medicinal compounds and monomers. As revealed by literature retrieval， the research on the mechanism of Chinese medicine in intervening in signaling pathways related to CKD-MBD was mainly based on self-made Chinese medicinal compounds， and the action pathways involved fibroblast growth factor 23/Klotho （FGF23/Klotho） signaling pathway， Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway， receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand/osteoprotegerin （RANK/RANKL/OPG） system， and other signaling pathways. TCM can improve calcium and phosphorus metabolism and bone metabolism disorder， and regulate inflammatory reaction， oxidative stress， apoptosis， and autophagy by regulating this series of signaling pathways for the treatment of CKD-MBD. This paper introduced the research results of these signaling pathways and the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of CKD-MBD in order to provide ideas and references for the related research of Chinese medicine in the treatment of CKD-MBD.

Identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic target candidates for stasis-heat symptom pattern of acute intracerebral hemorrhage by quantitative plasma proteomics.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the novel biomarkers and therapeutic target candidates related to the stasis-heat syndrome of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (AICH). METHODS: Applying an isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantitation-(iTRAQ-) based quantitative proteomic approach, plasma samples from AICH patients with stasis-heat, and AICH patients with non-stasis-heat and healthy control subjects were collected and analyzed to distinguish differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) correlated to AICH with stasis-heat in this block design. The standard Western blot was applied to verify DEPs. Additionally, DEPs were analyzed via bioinformatic platforms and further approved via Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). RESULTS: A total of 26 DEPs were found among AICH with the stasis-heat, AICH with non-stasis-heat, and healthy control group. The seven DEPs compared with the non-stasis-heat group are closely related to the pathogenesis of stasis heat. These proteins showed three different protein expression patterns. The alpha-1-b glycoprotein (A1BG) and copper-protein (CP) were up-regulated in the stasis-heat group, but down-regulated in the non-stasis-heat group. Compared with the non-stasis-heat group, the expression abundance of actinin, alpha 1 (ACTN1), carbonic anhydrase I (CA1), peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX2), and vinculin (VCL) is higher in the stasis-heat group, while the CD44 is the opposite. These differences reflect that stasis-heat syndrome has more severe inflammatory immune response, coagulation disorders and damage. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that a wide variety of cellular and metabolic processes and some signaling pathways were involved in the pathophysiology of AICH with stasis-heat. AICH with stasis-heat syndrome showed more severe inflammatory reactions, tissue damage, and coagulation disorders than non-stasis heat syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in the protein expression patterns between the stasis-heat syndrome and non-stasis-heat syndrome. These differences reflect that stasis-heat syndrome has more severe damage. CD44, CP, ACTN1, CA1, VCL, PRDX2, and A1BG could be the potential biomarkers and therapeutic target candidates of the stasis-heat subtype. This study provides a reasonable explaination for Liangxue Tongyu decoction through anti-inflammatory and brain protection treatment.

Determining the protective effects of Ma-Mu-Ran Antidiarrheal Capsules against acute DSS-induced enteritis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and fecal metabolomics / 中国天然药物

Ma-Mu-Ran Antidiarrheal Capsules (MMRAC) is traditional Chinese medicine that has been used to treat diarrhea caused by acute enteritis (AE) and bacillary dysentery in Xinjiang (China) for many years. However, the potential therapeutic mechanism of MMRAC for AE and its regulatory mechanism on host metabolism is unclear. This study used fecal metabolomics profiling with GC/MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis to explore the potential regulatory mechanisms of MMRAC on a dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced mouse model of AE. Fecal metabolomics-based analyses were performed to detect the differentially expressed metabolites and metabolic pathways. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis was used to assess the altered gut microbes at the genus level and for functional prediction. Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis was used to integrate differentially expressed metabolites and altered bacterial genera. The results revealed that six intestinal bacteria and seven metabolites mediated metabolic disorders (i.e., metabolism of amino acid, carbohydrate, cofactors and vitamins, and lipid) in AE mice. Besides, ten altered microbes mediated the differential expression of eight metabolites and regulated these metabolisms after MMRAC administration. Overall, these findings demonstrate that AE is associated with metabolic disorders and microbial dysbiosis. Further, we present that MMRAC exerts protective effects against AE by improving host metabolism through the intestinal flora.

Chiropractic plus plum-blossom needling combined with flexibility training on attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical efficacy of chiropractic plus plum-blossom needling combined with flexibility training for attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents.@*METHODS@#Thirty adolescents with mild mental retardation were randomly divided into a medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group (10 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a flexibility training group (10 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (10 cases). The patients in the flexibility training group received flexibility training, once every other day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The patients in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group received chiropractic and plum-blossom needling at Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1) on the basis of the treatment in the flexibility training group, once every other day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The patients in the control group did not receive any targeted physical training and medical rehabilitation. Tobii Pro Spectrum eye movement instrument was used to test the attention concentration (T), attention span (M), attention transfer (γ%) and attention distribution (η).@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, T and M in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group and the flexibility training group were increased after treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05), and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group was increased after treatment (P<0.05). The increasing range of T, M and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group and the flexibility training group was greater than that in the control group (P<0.01), and the increasing range of T and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group was greater than that in the flexibility training group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The chiropractic plus plum blossom needling combined with flexibility training can improve the attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents.

Clinical observation of Tiao Shen Tong Du Tuina in promoting neuropsychological development of premature infants / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To observe the impact of Tiao Shen Tong Du (regulating the mind and unblocking the Governor Vessel) Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) on neuropsychological development of premature infants, discover effective early-stage intervention techniques, and improve the prognosis of premature infants.Methods: A total of 115 eligible premature infants were recruited and divided into a control group of 59 cases and an observation group of 56 cases based on different interventions. The control group received three-month physical therapy (PT) and conventional early-stage intervention, and the observation group received additional Tiao Shen Tong Du Tuina treatment. Before and after treatment and at the one-year follow-up, the Gesell developmental schedule was adopted to evaluate neuropsychological development. Results: After treatment, the gross motor development quotient (DQ) was higher in the observation group than in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); there were no significant differences in the other four domains between the two groups (P>0.05). At the one-year follow-up, the observation group showed more notable improvements in all five domains' DQs than the control group, and the between-group differences were statistically significant (P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion: Based on conventional intervention, Tiao Shen Tong Du Tuina can significantly improve the gross motor function of premature infants in the short term, alongside valid long-term efficacy for gross motor function, fine motor function, adaptive behaviors, language, and personal-social behaviors.

Abdominal acupoint thread embedding therapy based on "brain-intestinal connection" for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease and its effects on serum levels of APP and Aβ / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical efficacy of abdominal acupoint thread embedding therapy based on "brain-intestinal connection" combined with donepezil hydrochloride tablets and oral donepezil hydrochloride tablets alone for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) and observe its effects on amyloid precursor protein (APP) and β-amyloid protein@*METHODS@#Sixty patients with AD were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 3 cases dropped off). The patients in the control group were treated with donepezil hydrochloride tablets (5 mg per day); based on the treatment in the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with abdominal acupoint thread embedding therapy at Zhongwan (CV 12), Xiawan (CV 10), Huaroumen (ST 24), Wailing (ST 26), Daheng (SP 15), etc., once every 10 days. Both groups were treated for 2 months. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Alzheimer's disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog), activity of daily living scale (ADL), neuropsychiatric inventory questionnaire (NPI) as well as the serum levels of APP and Aβ@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the MMSE scores in the two groups were higher than those before treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#The abdominal acupoint thread embedding therapy based on the theory of "brain-intestinal connection" combined with donepezil hydrochloride tablets can improve cognitive function, self-care ability of daily life and mental behavior, and reduce the serum levels of APP and Aβ

Effects of Naringin on neuronal apoptosis in mice with memory consolidation disorder / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To observe the effect of Naringin on neuronal apoptosis in mice with memory consolidation disorderinduced by sodium nitrite.Methods:Fifty mice were randomly divided into blank group, model group, standardized protocol group, high-dose Naringin group and low-dose Naringin group, with 10 mice in each group. The standardized protocol group was given Donepezil 1 mg/kg, the Naringin high and low dose groups were gavaged with Naringin solution 100 and 50 mg/(kg·d), blank group and model group were gavaged with equal volume of distilled water once a day for 21 days. The model was established on the 22nd day. The blank group was intraperitoneally injected with normal saline, and the other groups were intraperitoneally injected with 100 mg/(kg·d) sodium nitrite solution for 7 days. The cognitive ability of mice in each group was evaluated by platform jumping test, and the hippocampal synaptic structure was observed by electron microscope. The contents of acetylcholine (ACh), SOD, MDA and NO in hippocampus and the activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was detected by ELISA. The expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), glutamine receptor 2 (GluR), calcium/calmodulin dependent protease Ⅱ (CaMK Ⅱ), Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bad proteins in hippocampus of model mice were detected by Western blot.Results:The number and morphology of hippocampal neurons were normal, nucleus, mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum and synaptic membrane of hippocampal neurons in high-dose Naringin group were clear. Compared with the model group, the latency of mice in the high-dose Naringin group was prolonged and the number of errors was reduced ( P<0.01). The levels of MDA and NO in hippocampus of mice in the high-dose Naringin group significantly decreased ( P<0.01), and the activity of SOD significantly increased ( P<0.01). The content of ACh (23.682 ± 2.835 μg/mg prot vs. 14.939 ± 2.901 μg/mg prot), ChAT (163.302 ± 21.278 U/g vs. 89.612 ± 11.497 U/g) increased, AChE (0.367 ± 0.015 U/mg prot vs. 0.471 ± 0.014 U/mg prot) activity decreased ( P<0.01); The expression of Bad (0.441 ± 0.010 vs. 0.633 ± 0.010), Caspase-3 (0.425 ± 0.036 vs. 0.537 ± 0.024) significantly decreased, and the expression of Bcl-2 (0.890 ± 0.014 vs. 0.727 ± 0.009) significantly increased ( P<0.01); The expression of CAMKⅡ (1.043 ± 0.037 vs. 1.475 ± 0.043) significantly decreased ( P<0.01), and the expression of NMDAR1 (0.407 ± 0.037 vs. 0.345 ± 0.012), GluR2 (1.125 ± 0.033 vs. 0.664 ± 0.023) significantly increased ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Naringin could play the role of protecing the neuron and improving the cognition of mice with memory consolidation disorder by regulating the balance of ACh and glutamate system and reducing neuronal apoptosis and antioxidant stress.

Analysis on targets of regulating Qi and activating blood based on activity spectrum of targets / 中国中药杂志

The traditional Chinese medicines(TCM) for activating blood circulation and the TCM for regulating Qi are often used in combination in clinical practice. However, their mechanisms are still unclear. The activity spectrum of targets can fuse the active components, targets and intensity of action, which provides support for the discussion of efficacy targets. The chemical components of common TCM sets for activating blood circulation and regulating Qi, as well as the negative sets not for activating blood circulation and re-gulating Qi were obtained from the database of TCM. By the similarity analysis of chemical components in TCM for activating blood circulation and DrugBank database, the predicted targets of chemical components in TCM for activating blood circulation were obtained, and the similarity value of the two was taken as the activity value of the active components and predicted targets. Then, the component-target activity value was weighted. The activity values of herb acting on the same target were fused to construct activity spectra of targets of the herbs for activating blood circulation, herbs for regulating Qi and negative herbs. The targets whose activity values of activating blood circulation and regulating Qi were higher than those of negative herbs were selected as potential targets of efficacy. Protein-protein interaction networks were constructed for topological, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis to determine the key targets of efficacy of activating blood circulation and regulating Qi. The component-target activity information collected from DrugBank database contained 4 499 compounds, 627 targets and 11 295 action relationships. The activating blood function protein-protein interaction network contained 206 nodes and 1 728 edges, while the regulating Qi function protein-protein interaction network contained 230 nodes and 986 edges. The enrichment analysis of topology, GO and KEGG showed that TCM for activating blood circulation mainly exerted its anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and angiogenic effects on signaling cascade pathway mediated by VEGF/VEGFR2, ERK signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway and PI3 K-AKT signaling pathway, and the key targets included mitogen activated protein kinases 3(MAPK3), proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src(SRC), mitogen activated protein kinases 1(MAPK1), epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha isoform(PIK3 CA), peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma(PPARG), nitric oxide synthase 3(NOS3), prostaglandin G/H synthetase 2(PTGS2), matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP9), and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA). TCM for regulating Qi mainly exerted anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects by acting on MAPK signaling pathway and PI3 K-AKT signaling pathway, and the key targets included mitogen activated protein kinases 8(MAPK8), SRC, mitogen activated protein kinases 14(MAPK14), and RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase(AKT1), mitogen activated protein kinases 3(MAPK3). Based on the activity spectrum of targets, the targets of the TCM for activating blood and the targets of the TCM for regulating Qi were analyzed to provide reference for the study of efficacy targets of TCM, and also provide some scientific basis for clinical application.

Integrative medicine in the era of cancer immunotherapy: Challenges and opportunities / 中西医结合学报

Cancer immunotherapy has led to a new era of cancer treatment strategies, and transforming healthcare for cancer patients. Meanwhile, reports of immune-related adverse events have been increasing, greatly hindering the use of cancer immunotherapy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which has been widely used in Asian countries for thousands of years, is known to play a complementary role in the treatment of cancer. Taken in combined with conventional modern therapies, such as resection, ablation and radiotherapy, TCM exerts its main anti-cancer effects in two ways: health-strengthening (Fu-Zheng) and pathogen-eliminating (Qu-Xie). Theoretically, pathogen-eliminating TCM can promote the release of tumor-related antigens and should be able to increase the effect of immunotherapy, while health-strengthening TCM may have immune-enhancing mechanisms that overlap with immunotherapy. In the era of cancer immunotherapy, it is important to balance the use of TCM and immunotherapy, with the goal of enhancing immune efficacy and antagonizing immune toxicity. In this article, we discuss this issue by considering the mechanism of tumor immunotherapy, alongside the theoretical basis of TCM treatment of tumors, with the aim of bringing new insights to future research in this field.

Improvement in colonic inflammatory injury in rats via activating dorsal cholinergic neurons of vagus with electroacupuncture at sensitized acupoints / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at sensitized acupoints on choline acetyltransferase positive (ChAT@*METHODS@#A total of 79 male SD rats were randomized into five groups, i.e. a normal group (20 rats), a normal plus sensitized acupoint group (5 rats), a model group (34 rats), an EA@*RESULTS@#The EB extravasating areas were distributed in the segments from T@*CONCLUSION@#The segmental dominance (acupoints) from T

Effect of acupuncture on the cognitive function of migraine patients with depression/anxiety disorder / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of five-element acupuncture on the cognitive function repair of migraine patients with depression/anxiety disorder.@*METHODS@#The migraine patients with depression/anxiety disorder (19 cases, 5 cases dropped off) were taken as the observation group, and received five-element acupuncture twice a week for 8 weeks. Healthy subjects (19 cases) were selected by demographic data matching as the control group. The cognitive function was evaluated with the event related potential (ERP) technique, and the latency and amplitude of visual evoked potential P300 were adopted as the observation indexes. The headache days (every 4 weeks), headache intensity [visual analogue scale(VAS) score], and headache impact test-6 (HIT-6) score, Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) score and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) score were used as the observation indexes for curative effect.@*RESULTS@#Before the treatment, latency of target stimulus at Fz [ (417.5±34.3) ms] in the observation group was extended compared with the healthy subjects of the control group [(388.6±42.1) ms, @*CONCLUSION@#There are some cognitive impairments in migraine patients with depression/anxiety disorder. Five-element acupuncture not only relieves headache, anxiety and depression effectively, but also improves the activation level of the frontal lobe. It significantly repairs the impaired cognitive function.

Meta-analysis of Danhong Injection in treatment of diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease / 中国中药杂志

To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Danhong Injection combined with conventional therapy in improving diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease. Based on the online literature database(CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochran Library), the Chinese and English papers about the randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Danhong Injection in the treatment of diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease were searched comprehensively from the establishment of the databases to January 1, 2020. The papers were screened strictly according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Based on Jadad scale, the risk assessment of literature was carried out, and Meta-analysis was performed by STATA 12.0 software. Seventeen RCTs were included, involving 1 453 patients. The results of Meta-analysis showed that the combination of Danhong Injection and conventio-nal treatment could improve the clinical comprehensive effective rate(RR=1.47, 95%CI[1.38, 1.58], P<0.000 1), electrocardiogram(ECG) efficiency(RR=1.30, 95%CI[1.16, 1.46], P<0.000 1), efficiency of the angina pectoris(RR=1.41, 95%CI[1.25, 1.58], P<0.000 1), cholesterol level(SMD=-1.05, 95%CI[-1.95,-0.16], P=0.02), low-density lipoprotein(LDL) level(SMD=-0.50, 95%CI[-0.79,-0.21], P<0.000 1), coronary angina attack frequency(SMD=-3.71, 95%CI[-4.05,-3.36], P<0.000 1) and duration of angina pectoris(SMD=-2.96, 95%CI[-3.25,-2.66], P<0.000 1), with statistically significant differences. But the differences in fasting plasma glucose(FPG)(SMD=-0.19, 95%CI[-0.45, 0.08], P=0.16), plasma glucose of two hours after meal(2 hPG)(SMD=0.19, 95%CI[-0.11, 0.49], P=0.22), and high-density lipoprotein(HDL) level(SMD=0.10, 95%CI[-0.30, 0.49], P=0.62) after treatment were not statistically significant. Compared with the control group, there was no significant difference in adverse reactions(SMD=-2.96, 95%CI[-3.25,-2.66], P=0.75). The existing evidence shows that the combination of Western medicine and Danhong Injection can improve the clinical effect for diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease and has no obvious adverse reactions. However, due to the low level of overall literature evidence, high risk and some kind of publication bias, it still needs more high-quality randomized controlled trials and low-bias studies for further verification.

[Analysis of potential pharmacodynamic material basis of Euonymus alatus in treatment of nephritis based on integrated chemomics and network biology].

This paper was aimed to explore the potential pharmacodynamics effect of Euonymus alatus in the treatment of nephritis based on integrated chemomics and network biology. The chemical constituent database of E. alatus was constructed by consulting litera-ture and using online database. The chemical constituents were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF/HRMS~E and UNIFI software. On this basis, a series of comparisons, molecular docking studies and in-depth analysis of the chemical constituents and nephritis disease targets were carried out with use of network biology method, and the potential pharmacodynamic effect of E. alatus for the treatment of nephritis was investigated by reviewing the existing. In this study, 62 chemical constituents were collected in the database of chemical consti-tuents of E. alatus, and 24 chemical constituents were identified by mass spectrum. Subsequently, based on the network biology me-thod, 22 important chemical constituents and 5 key targets were obtained by reverse screening. Molecular docking study showed that a total of 11 chemical constituents such as quercetin, kaempferol, and catechinmay be the potential material basis for E. alatus in the treatment of nephritis. Starting with chemomics and using the technology of network biology, we established a network interaction model between drug components and disease targets in this study. Through the interaction between targets in complex networks, we can find the key targets easily and quickly. By docking the key targets with small drug molecules, we can screen out the potential pharmacodynamic components, providing a reference for the follow-up study of active ingredients.

Effect of Modified Longdan Xiegantang in Treatment of Anal Sinusitis Patients with Syndrome of Interior Dampness-heat and on Immune Response, Oxidative Stress / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To explore the effect of modified Longdan Xiegantang in treatment of anal sinusitis patients with syndrome of interior dampness-heat and on immune response, oxidative stress. Method::A total of 80 cases of anal sinusitis patients with syndrome of interior dampness-heat treated in our hospital from May 2017 to May 2018 were randomly divided into two groups, with 40 cases in each group. The control group was treated by enema with Metronidazole injection combined with gentamicin sulfate injection. In addition to the therapy of the control group, the treatment group was also given modified Longdan Xiegantang. The symptoms and signs score, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), procalcitonin (PCT), CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, immunoglobulin A(IgA), IgG, IgM, IgE, SOD, propylene glycol (MDA) levels of two groups were observed before and after treatment, and the curative effect, reactions and relapse were observed. Result::The clinical efficacy of treatment group was significantly better than that of control group, and the rank-sum test showed statistically significant differences (Z=1.981, P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of symptoms, such as anal distension and pain, and signs, such as anal sinus tenderness, hyperemia and edema in the treatment group were lower than those in control group (P<0.05). The levels of TNF-α, PCT, IL-2, IL-6 and MDA in treatment group were lower than those in control group (P<0.05). The levels of IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ and SOD in treatment group were higher than those in control group (P<0.05). The recurrence rate was 5.13%in treatment group, and 21.05%in control group, indicating a significant difference (χ2=4.319, P<0.05). Conclusion::Modified Longdan Xiegantang is effective in treating syndrome of interior dampness-heat anal sinusitis. It can effectively relieve symptoms, regulate pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance and Th1/Th2 balance, improve cellular immune function and humoral immune function, inhibit oxidative stress response, and reduce recurrence rate, with a high safety.

Preliminary exploration of the mechanism of Qingfei Paidu decoction against novel coronavirus pneumonia based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology / 药学学报

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) network pharmacology and molecular docking technology were applied to explore the mechanism of anti-coronavirus pneumonia (coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19) of Qingfei Paidu decoction. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man), GeneCard, STRING, and others online databases are used for building a series of network, and selecting the core target and analyzing the signal pathway. Finally, we make molecular docking predictions for the important compounds. The results showed that the Qingfei Paidu decoction compound-pneumonia target network contained 292 compounds and 214 corresponding targets, and the core targets involved AKT1 (AKT serine/threonine kinase 1), IL6 (interleukin 6), MAPK8 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 8), MAPK1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 1), and JUN (jun proto-oncogene). GO (Gene Ontology) function enrichment analysis yielded 858 GO entries, and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment screening yielded 122 related pathways, including hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and Toll-like receptor (TLRs) signaling pathways related to pneumonia, as well as T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway related to lung injury protection. The molecular docking results showed that some core compounds of the Chinese herbal medicine of Qingfei Paidu decoction have a certain degree of affinity for 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) main protease (3C-like protease, 3CLpro) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In this paper, we preliminarily explored the potential therapeutic mechanism for Qingfei Paidu decoction to against COVID-19 and predicted the active ingredients. We hope that the results will help to the further study on the active ingredients and mechanism of Qingfei Paidu decoction to COVID-19.

Mechanism study of Sanmiao Pill in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis based on serum metabolomics technology / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To study the anti-rheumatoid arthritis mechanism of Sanmiao Pill by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Methods:The rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and medicated group based on weight, 8 rats in each group. The model group and medicated group were treated by intradermal injection of 0.1 ml complete Freund's adjuvant on buttock(s). Rats of medicated group were given Sanmiao Pill solution 0.054 g/ml by gavage, 1 ml/100 g based on weight from the 7th day of experiment for 7 days. And then to score the degree of feet swelling of rats. After 48 hours of the last medication, to collecte the blood samples for metabolic fingerprint analysis. Then analized and processed the non-targeted contour mass spectrometry data (Continuum model) with unsupervised principal component method; identified the maximum metabolic differences between rheumatoid arthritis rats and healthy rats by dimension reduction technic. The differential ions were screened and locked by supervised pattern recognition analysis. Finally, with the help of the automated analysis software database like HMDB, identifiedthe structures and analized the correlated metabolic pathway.Results:Compared with the model group, the swelling degree of the feet (2.01 ± 0.19 ml vs. 2.27 ± 0.30 ml) in medicated group significantly decreased ( P<0.01). The HMDB data shows that the metabolic profiles of rats were mainly distributed in the control group and the model group, which proved that the rheumatoid arthritis rats treated with Sanmiao Pill had a pullback trend, and the overall metabolic level has a healthy state. With this analysis, 20 blood biomarkers related to rheumatoid arthritis were obtained, which involved the metabolic pathways of aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, Glycine, Serine and Threonine metabolism, Alanine, Aspartic acid and Glutamic acid metabolism, Linoleic acid metabolism, Arachidonic acid metabolism. Conclusions:Sanmiao Pill has interventional effect on rheumatoid arthritis rats. The mechanism might be related with metabolic enzymes and metabolic pathways such as Alanine, Aspartic acid and Glutamic acid.