Modulating the default mode network: Antidepressant efficacy of transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoints stimulation targeting the insula.

BACKGROUND: Transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoint stimulation (TECAS) is a novel non-invasive therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) that stimulates acupoints innervated by the trigeminal and auricular vagus nerves. However, there are few neuroimaging studies involving the TECAS for the treatment of MDD. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the treatment response and neurological effects of TECAS using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHOD: A total of 34 patients with mild-to-moderate MDD and 34 demographically matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. After an eight-week treatment the primary outcome was clinical response, defined as a baseline-to-endpoint ≥ 50 % reduction in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17). The low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) method were used to investigate the brain abnormalities of MDD patients and HCs, and altered brain networks were analyzed between pre- and post-treatment using seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis. RESULTS: We found no significant differences in terms of gender, age, and years of education between the two groups. After treatment, the response rate was 58.82 %. Compared to HCs, MDD patients showed lower ALFF values in the left insula(t = -4.298,P < 0.005), the insula-based FC revealed in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG)/ right superior frontal gyrus, orbital part (ORBsupmed) (t = -5.29,P < 0.005) and the right anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC)were decreased (t = -6.08,P < 0.005). Furthermore, Compared to pre-treatment, abnormal FC values in the ACC /orbital superior frontal gyrus (SFG) (t = 3.42,P < 0.005) and left superior frontal gyrus (SFG)/ supplement motor area (SMA) were enhanced (t = 3.34,P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: TECAS exhibits antidepressant efficacy, particularly influencing the insula-based functional connections within the Default Mode Network (DMN) related to emotion processing in individuals with MDD.

Compound Dahuang Baiji Spray Improves Acute Radiodermatitis by Down-Regulating the Expression of ALOX5.

Acute radiodermatitis is a type of skin injury caused by tumor radiotherapy. Compound Dahuang Baiji spray (CDBS) is a traditional Chinese medicine spray made from Dahuang and Baiji decoction. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of CDBS on radiation dermatitis. We analyzed the main components of CDBS using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Through network pharmacology prediction, the target of Dahuang and Baiji was identified as arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5), associated with inflammation. Therefore, we constructed radiodermatitis rat models and treated them with CDBS for 14 d. Skin samples were collected from the rats' injured skin tissues, and pathological changes, oxidative stress indicators, inflammatory cytokines, and ALOX5 expression were detected using techniques such as HE staining, blood parameters analysis, ELISA, Real-time qPCR, and Western blot. The characteristic appearances of radiodermatitis were observed in different rat groups which indicated that the skin injury score in the model group was at grade II and was at grade I in the CDBS group. In addition, the HE results showed that CDBS reduced the necrosis of collagen fibers and inflammatory cell infiltration in the dermis of the radiodermatitis rats. Moreover, compared to the model group, CDBS significantly decreased leukocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in the blood, as well as levels of IL-2, LTB4, 5-LO, NO, and ALOX5 expression in rat blood. Our findings suggest the therapeutic effect of CDBS on radiodermatitis by downregulating ALOX5 to inhibit inflammation, potentially serving as a radiodermatitis therapy.

Zhenxin Anshen formula ameliorates atopic der-matitis-like skin dysfunction in mice and regulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 in Neural pathways.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of Zhenxin Anshen formula (, ZXAS) on atopic dermatitis (AD) by transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) signalling pathway in mice and . METHODS: AD-like lesions were induced by 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB) to the shaved dorsal skin of BALB/c mice. BALB/c mice were divided into five groups: normal control, model control, cetirizine, low-, medium-, and high-dose of ZXAS. After ZXAS in-tervention, the skin lesions and blood samples were collected for hematoxylin and eosin-stained and measuring the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines. Immun-oglobulin E (IgE), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) were de-tected by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The spinal cords were collected for measuring the expression of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), TRPV1, and TRPA1 by using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses. In addition, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometry, ELISA, and Western blotting were conducted for analysis of primary dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons . RESULTS: ZXAS treatment improved DNCB-induced AD-like lesions through reducing dermatitis score, number of scratching and epidermal thickness, accompanied by the de-creased IgE and Th2 inflammatory cytokines. ZXAS also supressed the mRNA and protein expression of GRPR, TRPV1, and TRPA1 in the spinal cord. The medicated sera of ZXAS decreased capsaicin-induced Ca influx and downregulated the expression of TRPV1, TRPA1, and phospholipase C in DRG neurons. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic effect of ZXAS on AD may be related to the regulation of TRPV1 and TRPA1 and inhibition of Ca2+ signals in neurons.

Inflammation-responsive drug delivery nanosystems for treatment of bacterial-induced sepsis.

Sepsis, a complication of dysregulated host immune systemic response to an infection, is life threatening and causes multiple organ injuries. Sepsis is recognized by WHO as a big contributor to global morbidity and mortality. The heterogeneity in sepsis pathophysiology, antimicrobial resistance threat, the slowdown in the development of antimicrobials, and limitations of conventional dosage forms jeopardize the treatment of sepsis. Drug delivery nanosystems are promising tools to overcome some of these challenges. Among the drug delivery nanosystems, inflammation-responsive nanosystems have attracted considerable interest in sepsis treatment due to their ability to respond to specific stimuli in the sepsis microenvironment to release their payload in a precise, targeted, controlled, and rapid manner compared to non-responsive nanosystems. These nanosystems posit superior therapeutic potential to enhance sepsis treatment. This review critically evaluates the recent advances in the design of drug delivery nanosystems that are inflammation responsive and their potential in enhancing sepsis treatment. The sepsis microenvironment's unique features, such as acidic pH, upregulated receptors, overexpressed enzymes, and enhanced oxidative stress, that form the basis for their design have been adequately discussed. These inflammation-responsive nanosystems have been organized into five classes namely: Receptor-targeted nanosystems, pH-responsive nanosystems, redox-responsive nanosystems, enzyme-responsive nanosystems, and multi-responsive nanosystems. Studies under each class have been thematically grouped and discussed with an emphasis on the polymers used in their design, nanocarriers, key characterization, loaded actives, and key findings on drug release and therapeutic efficacy. Further, this information is concisely summarized into tables and supplemented by inserted figures. Additionally, this review adeptly points out the strengths and limitations of the studies and identifies research avenues that need to be explored. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives on these nanosystems have been thoughtfully highlighted.

The correlation between the efficacy of escitalopram and the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types of depressive disorders:a randomized controlled study / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To clarify whether the thera-peutic effect of escitalopram on depression patients is cor-related with traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types,and to provide a basis for more accurate drug applica-tion.METHODS A total of 235 depression patients were recruited and classified according to traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation into 5 types:liver and qi stagnation(45),liver stagnation and fire transformation(43),liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency(79),heart and spleen deficiency(20),and liver and kidney deficiency(38).All patients were treated with escitalopram(10 mg·d-1)for eight weeks.The Montgomery Depression Rating Scale(MADRS)and the 17 Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD-17)were used to score before treatment and 2,4,and 8 weeks after treatment,respectively.RESULTS Compared with before treatment,the MADRS and HAMD-17 scores and remission rates of each syn-drome type significantly improved with increasing medica-tion duration.The MADRS score relief rate of liver and kidney deficiency type was the most significant(69.3%),significantly higher than the other four syndrome types(47.5%-52.6%,P<0.05);The remission rate of HAMD-17 score was significantly higher than that of heart and spleen deficiency(50.7%vs.28.5%,P＜0.05).The remis-sion rate of HAMD-17 score in liver and qi stagnation type(52.2%)was significantly higher than that in liver stagnation and spleen deficiency type(37.0%,P＜0.01)and heart spleen deficiency type(28.5%,P＜0.05).CON-CLUSION Escitalopram may have a more significant therapeutic effect on patients with liver and kidney defi-ciency and liver stagnation depression.This study pro-vides a new approach for the more effective and accu-rate application of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation in the selection of clinical antidepressants.

Clinical therapeutic effect on bronchial asthma by the observation of skin reaction after acupoint application based on chronic disease management platform of asthma / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the therapeutic effect on bronchial asthma between presence of skin reaction and the absence of skin reaction after acupoint application.@*METHODS@#Sixty-one patients with bronchial asthma were treated with acupoint application during the hottest periods of summer ("dog days"). The acupoints included Dingchuan (EX-B 1), Feishu (BL 13), Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23). The treatment was given once every 7 days, with the herbal plaster remained for 6 h each time, and 4 treatments were required totally. According to the local skin reaction after acupoint application, a skin reaction group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a non-skin reaction group (31 cases) were divided. Separately, before treatment and 1 year after treatment, using chronic disease management platform of asthma, the number of asthma attacks, the score of asthma control test (ACT) and the score of asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) were recorded online. Besides, the therapeutic effect was observed in the two groups 1 year after treatment.@*RESULTS@#One year after treatment, the number of asthma attacks was reduced as compared with that before treatment in the patients of either group (@*CONCLUSION@#In treatment of acupoint application for bronchial asthma, the clinical therapeutic effect is better in the patients with local skin reaction after acupoint application. The chronic disease management platform of asthma is convenient for online evaluation.

Mechanism of Xiaojinwan Against Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis： An Exploration Based on Bioinformatic Analysis Combined with Cell Experiments / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the mechanism of Xiaojinwan in treating breast cancer bone metastases through cell experiments and bioinformatic analysis. Method:The inhibitory effect of Xiaojinwan on MCF-7 cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay. The key components and targets responsible for Xiaojinwan in inhibiting breast cancer bone metastases were predicted by network pharmacology and molecular docking. The active components and targets of Xiaojinwan were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCSMP） and SwissTarget Prediction， and the breast cancer bone metastases-related targets from GeneCards and DisGeNET. The results were imported into STRING for constructing a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network， followed by Gene ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis using DAVID. A network of the active components of Xiaojinwan-breast cancer bone metastases-related targets-pathways was constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.2. AutoDock 4 was employed for molecular docking. The protein expression levels of matrix metallopmteinase-9 （MMP-9）， hypoxia-inducible factor 1<italic>α </italic>（HIF1A）， and androgen receptor （AR） were assayed by Western blot. Result:Xiaojinwan inhibited the viability of MCF-7 cells and acted on breast cancer bone metastases through such processes as redox and protein autophosphorylation. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that HIF-1， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） pathways were involved. As verified by molecular docking， the active components such as eucalyptin stably bound to AR and MMP-9. Western blot indicated that Xiaojinwan dose-dependently inhibited the expression of MMP-9 and HIF1A proteins in MCF-7 cells. Conclusion:Xiaojinwan acts on AR and MMP-9 through HIF， VEGF and other related signaling pathways， thereby improving hypoxia in tumor microenvironment， inhibiting angiogenesis， and reducing cell invasion and viability.

Yanghe Huayantang Reverses Tamoxifen Resistance in Breast Cancer Through ER/PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the possible mechanism of Yanghe Huayantang in reversing the drug resistance of breast cancer by observing the effect of Yanghe Huayantang on the transplant tumor of tamoxifen （TAM）-resistant breast cancer and its influences on the interaction pathway of estrogen receptor （ER）/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian rapamycin target protein （mTOR）. Method:Fifty mice were randomly divided into 5 groups： blank group， model group， Yanghe Huayantang group， everolimus group， and Yanghe Huayantang+everolimus group. The model of kidney deficiency was established by bilateral ovariectomy， and the blank group was treated with sham operation. Three days after the establishment of the model， all the five groups of mice were inoculated with breast cancer TAM drug-resistant cells （MCF-7/TAM^-） to establish breast cancer TAM -resistant transplanted tumor model. After successful modeling， Yanghe Huayantang group received intragastric administration of Yanghe Huayantang （traditional Chinese medicine preparation 20 mL·kg^-1）， everolimus group received intraperitoneal injection of everolimus （10 mg·kg^-1）. Yanghe Huayantang + everolimus group received Yanghe Huayantang by intragastric administration and everolimus by intraperitoneal injection. The blank group and model group received intragastric administration and intraperitoneal injection of phosphate buffer （PBS）. Drug administration was lasted for 28 days in all groups， once a day. After administration， the tumor tissue was separated and weighed， and the tumor inhibition rate was calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of tumor tissue. Immunofluorescence and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to detect the expression of PI3K， Akt， mTOR， ER protein and mRNA in tumor tissue. Result:Compared with the model group， the tumor volume and tumor weight of Yanghe Huayantang group decreased significantly on the 12th， 20th and 28th days （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the tumor inhibition rate increased significantly （<italic>P</italic><0.01）.Yanghe Huayantang group significantly reduced the density of tumor cells and caused tumor cell necrosis. Compared with the model group， Yanghe Huayantang group， everolimus group and Yanghe Huayantang+everolimus group inhibited the expression of PI3K， Akt， mTOR protein and mRNA （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the blank group， Yanghe Huayantang group， everolimus group and Yanghe Huayantang+everolimus group all inhibited the protein and mRNA expression of ER， and mRNA expression of ER in Yanghe Huayantang+everolimus group was significantly lower than that in the model group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:Yanghe Huayantang can inhibit the growth of TAM-resistant breast cancer. The mechanism may be that Yanghe Huayantang can reverse the TAM resistance of breast cancer by down-regulating the expression of key molecules of ER/PI3K/Akt/mTOR cross-signal pathway.

Quality standards of Gleditsiae Spina and its decoction pieces / 中国中药杂志

In view of the current inadequate standards for Gleditsiae Spina in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, this study put forward some new items of the quality standards of Gleditsiae Spina. Thin-layer chromatography(TLC) was performed for identification with the reference substance of taxifolin and the reference material of Gleditsiae Spina as the control. According to the general principles of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition, Vol. 4), the moisture, total ash content, and alcohol-soluble extract of medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Gleditsiae Spina were determined. The content determination method for medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Gleditsiae Spina was established using high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), with taxifolin as the quality control index. Based on the determination results of 30 batches of samples of Gleditsiae Spina from different habitats, the draft quality standards of Gleditsiae Spina were developed, which provided suggestions for the revision of the quality standards of Gleditsiae Spina in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Pharmacokinetic comparison between Tanreqing Capsules Substitute and Tanreqing Capsules in rats by LC-MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

Due to the limited resource of bear bile powder, the major raw material of Tanreqing Capsules(TRQ), cultured bear bile powder is used as a replacement to develop the Tanreqing Capsules Substitute(TRQS). An LC-MS/MS method was established in this study for simultaneous quantitation of 8 compounds from TRQS in rat plasma: tauroursodeoxycholic acid(TUDCA), taurocheno-deoxycholic acid(TCDCA), ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA), chenodeoxycholic acid(CDCA), ferulic acid, wogonoside, baicalin, and forsythoside A. Thereby, the pharmacokinetic behaviors of TRQ and TRQS were evaluated. Concentration of endogenous compounds TUDCA, TCDCA, UDCA, and CDCA was determined with the stable isotope surrogate analytes: D4-TUDCA, D4-TCDCA, D4-UDCA, and D4-CDCA. Plasma samples were extracted by acetonitrile-induced protein precipitation. The LC conditions are as follows: Waters BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm), mobile phase of 10 mmol·L~(-1) ammonium formate aqueous solution(containing 0.01% formic acid) and acetonitrile-methanol mixture(1∶5). MS conditions are as below: multiple reaction monitoring(MRM), ESI~(+/-). Concentration of UDCA, CDCA, TUDCA, and TCDCA was corrected with a response factor, which is the ratio between the responses recorded for the surrogate and the authentic analyte at the equal concentration. Each of the plasma components showed good linearity(r > 0.995 1). Accuracy and precision met the criteria(inter-day RSD<7.0%, RE 89.98%-112.0%; intra-day RSD<12%, RE 90.41%-111.2%). The recovery was 64.83%-119.9% and matrix effect was 87.15%-113.8%. The validated method was applied for pharmacokinetic study of TRQS and TRQ(po, 0.94 g·kg~(-1)). There was no significant difference in C_(max) and AUC_(0-24 h) of baicalin, UDCA, TUDCA, and TCDCA between the two groups, indicating similar pharmacokinetic behaviors between TRQS and TRQ in rats.

Advance in mechanisms of glial scarring after stroke and intervention of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

When ischemia or hemorrhagic stroke occurs, astrocytes are activated by a variety of endogenous regulatory factors to become reactive astrocytes. Subsequently, reactive astrocytes proliferate, differentiate, and migrate around the lesion to form glial scar with the participation of microglia, neuron-glial antigen 2(NG2) glial cells, and extracellular matrix. The role of glial scars at different stages of stroke injury is different. At the middle and late stages of the injury, the secreted chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and chondroitin sulfate are the main blockers of axon regeneration and nerve function recovery. Targeted regulation of glial scars is an important pathway for neurological rehabilitation after stroke. Chinese medicine has been verified to be effective in stroke rehabilitation in clinical practice, possibly because it has the functions of promoting blood resupply, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative stress, inhibiting cell proliferation and differentiation, and benign intervention in glial scars. This study reviewed the pathological process and signaling mechanisms of glial scarring after stroke, as well as the intervention of traditional Chinese medicine upon glial scar, aiming to provide theoretical reference and research evidence for developing Chinese medicine against stroke in view of targeting glial scarring.

Effect of different drying methods on drying characteristics, appearance and active components of Belamcandae Rhizoma / 中国中药杂志

In order to explore the effect of different drying methods(drying-in-the-shade, sun-drying, and hot air drying) on appearance characteristics, internal structure and composition of Belamcandae Rhizoma, so as to provide a theoretical basis for screening out suitable drying methods for primary processing. In this study, the Belamcandae Rhizoma's dynamic changes of the moisture content ratio and drying rate with different drying time under different drying methods, as well as the effects of different drying methods on the appearance, drying rate, density, ash, extractives and the contents of six flavonoids(mangiferin, tectoridin, iridin, tectorigenin, irigenin, irisflorentin) were compared. The results showed that fresh Belamcandae Rhizoma consumed the longest time to reach the water balance point by traditional dry drying in the shade, whiche was about 311 h; that by sun drying was 19.3%, which was shorter than drying in the shade; both drying curves were smoother. The section color of the sun drying samples was the closest to that of fresh samples, but the interior is full of holes, with a low density and loose structure. Hot air drying(40, 60, 80 ℃) could save about 27% to 88% of the drying time, which was greatly shorter, with less pores, a larger density and compact structure. Compared with the traditional drying method, the drying rate of hot air drying was reduced by 13.7%. Ash was affected by temperature, the drying conditions under 40 ℃ and below were not significantly different from those of conventional drying. The ash content decreased by 7.73% to 18.5% compared with conventional drying at 60,80 ℃. After conventional drying and 40 ℃ hot air drying, the contents of tectoridin and iridin(glycosides) in the samples were significantly higher than those in 60,80 ℃ hot air drying, while the contents of tectorigenin, irigenin and irisflorentin(aglycones) dried at 60 ℃ were the best. Therefore, considering comprehensive appearance characteristics and content of medicinal ingredients, traditional Chinese medicinal materials after 60 ℃ hot air drying show a solid texture, tight internal structure, good appearance, appropriate reduction of toxic parasides and higher aglycone content.

Effect of electroacupuncture on serum melatonin and dopamine in aged insomnia / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on aged insomnia, and explore its possible mechanism.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients with aged insomnia were randomly divided into an EA group (30 cases) and a sham EA group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off). The patients in the EA group were treated with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 29), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Xinshu (BL 15) and Shenshu (BL 23), and EA was used at Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (GV 29), with intermittent wave, 2 Hz in frequency. In the sham EA group, the acupoints and the EA connection acupoints were the same as those in the EA group, 2-3 mm in depth, but no current was connected. The intervention was given 30 min each time, once every other day, 3 times a week for 4 weeks in the both groups. Before and after treatment, the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale were used to assess sleep quality and cognitive function, and serum melatonin (MT) and dopamine (DA) levels were detected.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the total score and sub-item scores of PSQI in the EA group were lower than those before treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#Electroacupuncture can improve sleep quality and cognitive function in aged insomnia patients, and its mechanism may be related to regulating serum MT and DA levels.

Acupuncture at pharyngeal acupoints for true bulbar paralysis after cerebral infarction: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical effect of acupuncture at the affected side and both sides of the pharyngeal acupoints for true bulbar paralysis after cerebral infarction.@*METHODS@#A total of 66 patients with true bulbar paralysis after cerebral infarction were randomly divided into an unilateral group and a bilateral group, 33 cases in each group, 1 case dropped off in each group at last. On the basis of conventional drugs and electro-nape-acupuncture treatment, the patients in the unilateral group were treated with acupuncture at the affected side's , and (Extra), while patients in the bilateral group were treated with acupuncture at the both sides' , and The treatment was performed once a day, 6 days a week, and the clinical effect was assessed after 21-day therapy. The swallowing and vocalization of the two groups were evaluated by dysphagia grading scale, Kubota water swallowing test and GRBAS grading scale before and after treatment.@*RESULTS@#After 21 days of treatment, the scores of the dysphagia grading scale in the two groups were both improved (<0.01), and the unilateral group was superior to the bilateral group (<0.01). The GRBAS grading scale and Kubota water swallowing test grading after treatment were improved in both groups (<0.01), and the unilateral group was superior to the bilateral group (<0.05, <0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture at the pharyngeal acupoints of the affected side achieves much better therapeutic effect on true bulbar paralysis as compared with the acupoints of the bilateral sides.

Regulatory Effect of Guilu Bugu Prescription in Treating Th17/ Treg Cell Factors of Patients with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Based on Syndrome Differentiation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy Guilu Bugu prescription in treating postmenopausal osteoporosis （PMO） with deficiency of liver and kidney Yin based on syndrome differentiation and the effect on Th17/Treg cell factors. Method:One hundred and forty patients were randomly divided into observation group （70 cases） and control group （70 cases） by random number table. Both groups' patients got basic treatment of western medicine. Patients in control group got Jintiange capsules， 3 grains/time， 3 times/day. Patients in observation group got Guilu Bugu prescription， 1 dose/day. The treatment lasted for 6 months. And the 6-month follow-up was recorded. Before treatment， at the 6th month after treatment and at the 6th month of follow-up， bone density of lumbar vertebra L2-4 were detected by DXA， and Lumbar BMD were detected by QCT. Before treatment， at the 3rd and 6th month after treatment， deficiency of liver and kidney Yin and Chinese Osteoporosis-targeted quality of life questionnaire （COQOL） were scored. Before and after treatment， Estradiol （E2）， procollagen I amino terminal pro peptide （PINP）， osteoprotegerin （OPG）， collagen I cross linked C-terminal peptide （S-CTX）， tartrate resistant acid phosphatase （TRACP）， interleukin-17 （IL-17）， IL-22， IL-10， transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1） were detected， and CD4+ cells， Th17 cells and Treg cells were calculated. And the safety was evaluated. Result:At the 6th month after treatment and the 6th month of follow-up， DXA （bone mineral density and T-value of lumbar L2-4） and QCT bone mineral density increased （P<0.01）， and the figures in observation group were all higher than those in control group （P<0.01）. At the 3rd and 6th month after treatment， scores of deficiency of liver and kidney Yin and quality of life were all lower than those in control group （P<0.01）. Levels of PINP， S-CTX， TRACP， Th17 cells， ratio of Th17 and Treg， IL-17 and IL-22 were all lower than those in control group （P<0.01）， and levels of OPG， E2， Treg， IL-10 and TGF-β1 were all higher than those in control group （P<0.01）.There was no adverse reaction related to Guilu Bugu prescription. Conclusion:Based on the supplementation of calcium and vitamin D， Guilu Bugu prescription can further improve the bone mineral density， raise the estrogen level， regulate the expressions of bone metabolism markers， Th17， Treg and relevant factors， reverse the imbalance of Th17/Treg， relieve the clinical symptoms and improve the quality of life， with a better efficacy than that of Jintange capsule and a high safety.

Effect of Modified Liu Junzitang and Erchentang on Hcy， NO， hs-CRP in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the relationship between serum homocysteine (Hcy), nitric oxide (NO), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as well as the number and degree of coronary lesions, and the effect of Liu Junzitang combined with Erchentang on Hcy, NO, hs-CRP in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), so as to explore the protector effect of Liu Junzitang combined with Erchentang on CHD patients. Method:A total of 76 inpatients with phlegm turbidity and internal resistance (CHD) from the Cardiovascular Department of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine（TCM） from November 2016 to April 2019 were selected to analyze the relationship between Hcy, NO, hs-CRP as well as the number and degree of coronary lesions. By lottery, the 76 patients were randomly divided into observation group and control group, with 38 patients in each group. Patients in the control group were given conventional therapy, while patients in the observation group were given Liu Junzitang combined with Erchentang in addition to conventional therapy. The experimental period was 3 months. TCM symptom scores of the two groups before and after administration were evaluated. Hcy, NO, hs-CRP, triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and total cholesterol (TC), apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1), apolipoprotein B (Apo B), N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) indicators of the two groups were measured before and after administration. Result:The levels of Hcy and hs-CRP were positively correlated with the number and degree of coronary lesions. The level of NO was negatively correlated with the number and degree of coronary lesions. TCM symptom scores were different between the two groups after treatment. Compared with the control group, the TCM symptom score in the observation group was decreased more significantly (P<0.05). The two groups could reduce Hcy, hs-CRP and increase in NO to a certain extent (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group showed reduction in Hcy, hs-CRP and increase in NO more significantly (P<0.05). After treatment in both groups, TG, LDL, TC, Apo A1, Apo B and HDL were reduced (P<0.05) compared with before treatment. Compared with the control group, the observation group showed decrease in TG, LDL, TC, Apo A1, Apo B and increase in HDL more significantly (P<0.05). Both groups could increase LVEF and decrease NT-proBNP after treatment (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group increased LVEF and decreased NT-proBNP more significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion:The levels of Hcy and hs-CRP were positively correlated with coronary lesions, while the level of NO was negatively correlated with coronary lesions. Modified Liu Junzitang and Erchentang may be correlated with inhibition of Hcy, hs-CRP and CHD and increase of patient's NO level, thereby reducing the patient's blood lipids, improving the patient's heart function, and improving the patient's clinical symptoms.

Distribution Characteristics of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes in Patients with Critical Lesions of Coronary Heart Disease / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To explore the distribution characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes of critical lesions of coronary heart disease, and determine the classification and diagnostic criteria of syndromes, so as to provide reference for the differentiation and treatment of this disease. Method::Totally 1 000 patients with critical lesions of coronary heart disease treated in the Department of Cardiology, Yunnan Provinceal Hospital of TCM from January 2016 to December 2018 were selected as the subjects by clinical epidemiological research methods. Basic information, diagnosis and treatment of the patients, as well as the information obtained through observation, hearing, inquiry and pulse-taking of TCM were collected. Symptoms, signs, tongue signs, pulse signs and other four diagnostic information, as well as relevant clinical data were collected for mathematical statistics analysis by cluster analysis and factor analysis research methods, and expert group opinions were also included in discussion. Result::First, the results of cluster analysis showed six types of basic TCM syndromes in accordance with the clinically actual critical lesions of coronary heart disease: blood stasis syndrome, phlegm turbidity syndrome, cold congealing heart pulse syndrome, Qi deficiency syndrome, heart-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome, Heart-Yang deficiency syndrome. Second, a factor analysis was carried out on the basis of cluster analysis, and the main syndromes of each basic syndromes were preliminarily determined. Third, because of the duplicate content or the unified combination of different syndromes, the TCM syndromes of the critical lesions of coronary heart disease can be summarized in five categories, namely phlegm turbidity and blood stasis syndrome (368 cases, 36.80%), cold congestion heart pulse syndrome (156 cases, 15.60%), Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome (315 cases, 31.50%), Yin deficiency of heart and kidney (91 cases, 9.10%) and Heart-Yang depression (70 cases, 7.00%). The main and secondary syndromes refer to factor analysis results of six basic syndromes. Conclusion::Cluster analysis and factor analysis can be made on TCM syndromes of critical lesions of coronary heart disease to pave the way for the classification of TCM syndromes and the establishment of diagnostic criteria of TCM syndromes of coronary heart disease, with an important clinical significance.

Distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes and Relevant Factors in 6 Months After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) in 6 months after interventional therapy, and to analyze relevant influencing factors. Method:The clinical data of 1 000 patients with coronary heart disease in 6 months after interventional therapy, including the four diagnosis information of TCM, were collected, and the distribution of TCM syndromes and the influencing factors were analyzed. Result:Among 48 kinds of information about the four diagnostic methods of TCM, chest pain was the most frequent (98.10%)， among 9 kinds of common TCM syndrome types, blood stasis was the most frequent (89.90%), and the others were heart-Qi deficiency syndrome, phlegm turbidity syndrome, cold-dampness syndrome, kidney-Qi deficiency syndrome, heart-Yin deficiency syndrome, kidney-Yin deficiency syndrome, Heart-Yang deficiency syndrome and kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome in turn. Among 6 common TCM syndrome types, Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome were the most frequent (35.40%), and the others were phlegm turbidity and blood stasis syndrome, cold congealing heart pulse syndrome, Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome, heart-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and heart-kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome in turn. There was no significant difference in sex ratio among different syndrome types . Patients with heart-kidney Yang deficiency syndrome had no significant difference. Compared with the average age of other syndromes, there were significant differences. Common complications included hypertension, diabetes, cerebrovascular diseases and dyslipidemia, among which hypertension had the highest frequency, with significant differences from other diseases (P<0.05). Phlegm, turbidity and blood stasis were found in patients with hypertension. The risk of syndromes was higher (OR=3.29, 95% CI [2.11, 5.05]), while the risk of cold congealing heart pulse syndrome was lower (OR=0.56, 95% CI [0.32, 0.98]), the risk of Qi and Yin deficiency was higher (OR=2.88, 95% CI [2.01, 4.99]), whereas the risk of heart and kidney Yang deficiency was lower (OR=0.54, 95% CI [0.29, 0.95]) when complicated with cerebrovascular diseases. The risk of Qi deficiency and blood stasis was higher (OR=2.97, 95% CI [2.05, 5.28]), while the risk of heart and kidney Yang deficiency was lower (OR=0.54, 95% CI [0.29, 0.95])， the risk of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis was higher when complicated with dyslipidemia (OR=3.55, 95% CI [2.32, 5.29]), and the risk of heart and kidney Yang deficiency was lower (OR=0.54, 95% CI [0.29, 0.95]). The time distribution of the disease had obvious seasonal characteristics. Conclusion:The main distribution characteristics of TCM syndromes in 6 months after coronary heart disease intervention are basically the same as those in patients without intervention. The main TCM syndromes are Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome, phlegm turbidity and blood stasis syndrome, cold congealing heart pulse syndrome, Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome, heart-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and heart-kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome. The distribution pattern may be related to age, complications and seasons.

Insomnia treated with three acupuncture combinations guided by theory of / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical therapeutic effect and safety on insomnia among three acupuncture combinations, named @*METHODS@#A total of 90 patients with insomnia were randomized into a Tongdu Tiaowei group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off ), a Tongdu Yangxin group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off ) and a Tongdu Tiaozang group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off ). Besides electroacupuncture (EA) applied to Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (GV 29) in all of the three groups, acupuncture was added at Shenmai (BL 62) and Zhaohai (KI 6), Shenmen (HT 7) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) as well as back-@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the score of each of 6 factors, named sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction, as well as the total score of PSQI scale were all reduced as compared with the scores before treatment in the patients of each group (@*CONCLUSION@#All of the three acupuncture combinations, named

Effect of acupuncture on expression of transfer growth factor-β1 in lacrimal gland of rabbits with dry eye / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on expression of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) in lacrimal gland of rabbits with dry eye, so as to explore its underlying mechanism in improving dry eye. METHODS: Healthy male New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to 5 groups (n=6 in each group), namely, blank group, model group, western medicine group, acupuncture group and sham acupuncture group. The dye eye rabbit model was estabilished by subcutaneous injection of Scopolamine Hydrobromide solution for 21 days. After modeling, rabbits in the western medicine group were treated with Flumirone eye drops in their eyes 3 times a day, one drop each time. Rabbits of the acupuncture group reveived electroacupuncture(4 Hz/20 Hz, 1 mA) at "Cuanzhu"(BL2) and "Tongziliao"(GB1) for 15 min, and received acupuncture at "Jingming"(BL1), "Taiyang" (EX-HN5) and "Sizhukong"(TE23) for 15 min, once a day. Rabbits of the sham acupuncture group received blunt acupuncture at the surface of the same acupoints once a day. All the treatments were conducted for 14 days. The changes of tear flow, tear film break-up time (BUT) and lacrimal gland morphology in each group were observed. The expression of TGF-β1 protein and mRNA in lacrimal gland were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time fluorescence PCR respectively. RESULTS: Following modeling, except for the blank group, the tear flow and BUT in other 4 groups decreased significantly (P<0.01). Compared with their own pretreatment, the tear flow and BUT in western medicine group and acupuncture group increased after the treatment (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the tear flow and BUT increased in the western medicine group and the acupuncture group(P<0.05). Atrophic lacrimal epithelial cells and the stroma of mucous membrane infiltrated by lymphocytes and plasma cells were found in rabbits of the model group and the sham acupuncture group. By contrast, in the western medicine group and the acupuncture group, the structure of lacrimal epithelial cells was basically normal, and the infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells were scattered in the stroma of mucous membrane. In comparison with the blank group, the expression of TGF-β1 protein and mRNA in lacrimal gland were significantly up-regulated in the model and sham acupuncture groups (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression of TGF-β1 protein and mRNA were significantly down-regulated in the western medicine and acupuncture groups (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture intervention can increase tear flow and BUT in rabbits with dry eye, which may be related to the regulation of TGF-β1 expression in lacrimal gland.