[Correlation between serum thyroid hormone and dopamine levels and Chinese medicine syndrome types].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation between changes of thyroid hormone (TH), dopamine (DA) and Chinese medicine syndrome types by detecting contents of serum TH and DA in insomnia, thus to explore objective indices of Chinese medicine syndrome types. METHODS: Insomnia patients were assigned to four Chinese medicine syndrome types groups, covering depressed Gan transforming into fire, internal disturbance by phlegm-heat, excessive fire due to yin deficiency, and Xin-Pi deficiency. One healthy control group was set up. Each group consisted of 30 patients or subjects. Serum DA content was determined using spectrophotofluorometry. Serum levels of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) were detected using radioimmunoassay (RIA). RESULTS: The serum levels of DA and TH showed difference among groups at various levels. The serum DA level was sequenced from high to low as the control group > the depressed Gan transforming into fire group > the excessive fire due to yin deficiency group > the internal disturbance by phlegm-heat group > the Xin-Pi deficiency group. The serum TH level was sequenced from high to low as the excessive fire due to yin deficiency group > the depressed Gan transforming into fire group > the internal disturbance by phlegm-heat group > the control group > the Xin-Pi deficiency group. CONCLUSIONS: Serum DA levels in insomnia patients were in line with the disease course and the dynamic change from sthenia to asthenia in Chinese syndrome types. Serum DA levels, as one of pathological factors constituting the sthenia syndrome or the asthenia syndrome, may be taken as an objective indicator in Chinese medicine syndrome typing.

[Effects of Ruanmailing Oral Liquid on spatial learning and memory ability and expression of APE/Ref-1 in hippocampal CA1 region in rats with experimental vascular dementia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Ruanmailing Oral Liquid, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on spatial learning and memory ability and expression of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease/redox factor-1 (APE/Ref-1) in hippocampal CA1 region in rats with experimental vascular dementia (VaD). METHODS: VaD was induced in rats by permanent occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries. Forty-five VaD rats were randomly divided into untreated group, nimodipine group, low-dose Ruanmailing group and high-dose Ruanmailing group. Another 15 rats underwent a sham operation consisting of similar skin incision and manipulation but without occlusion of carotid arteries. From the next day after occlusion, the rats were intragastrically administered with normal saline, nimodipine suspension or Ruanmailing Oral Liquid respectively for 30 days. Morris water maze experiment was adopted to test learning and memory of rats in each group. Expression of APE/Ref-1 protein in the hippocampal CA1 region was measured by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: Escape latency was significantly shortened and number of entries in the target area of rats was significantly increased in the high-dose Ruanmailing group as compared with those in the untreated group (P<0.01). Compared with the untreated group, count of APE/Ref-1 positive cells was significantly increased in the hippocampal CA1 region in the high- and low-dose Ruanmailing groups (P<0.01). Compared with the low-dose group and the nimodipine group, the count of APE/Ref-1 positive cells was remarkably increased in the hippocampal CA1 region in rats of the high-dose Ruanmailing group (P<0.01). There was no statistical difference between the low-dose Ruanmailing group and the nimodipine group. CONCLUSION: Ruanmailing Oral Liquid can improve the learning and memory ability and enhance the lowered expression level of APE/Ref-1 in the hippocampal CA1 region of rats with VaD.

[Clinical study on effect of yuantong capsule in treating vascular dementia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of Yuantong Capsule (YTC) in treating vascular dementia (VD). METHODS: Eighty-three patients of VD were randomized on ratio of 2:1 into two groups, the 54 patients in the treated group were treated with YTC orally administered, 3 times a day, 1 capsule in each time. The remaining 29 patients in the control group were treated with Hydergine orally, 3 times a day, 2 mg in each time. The therapeutic course for both groups was 2 months. RESULTS: The therapeutic effect in the treated group was significantly better than that in the control group, significant difference (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) was shown in comparison of the two groups in terms of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and activity of daily living (ADL) test, symptoms scoring, total effective rate, and laboratory indexes findings. CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of YTC in treating VD was obvious.

[Effect of kangxin capsule on homocysteine and beta-amyloid protein in vascular dementia patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Kangxin capsule (KXC) on homocysteine (HCY) and beta-amyloid protein (beta-Ap) in patients with vascular dementia. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with vascular dementia were randomly divided into two groups, the 33 patients in the treated group and the 30 in the control group. Basal treatment were given to both groups, besides, KXC was given to the treated group and Hydergine was given to the control group. The levels of plasma HCY, beta-Ap as well as the changes of mini mental state examination (MMSE), activity of daily living (ADL) and TCM Syndrome scoring were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: KXC could significantly decrease the levels of HCY and beta-Ap (P < 0.01), rise the MMSE scores, reduce ADL scores and ameliorate TCM Syndrome. CONCLUSION: KXC can effectively regulate the levels of HCY, beta-Ap in vascular dementia patients.

[Determining blood parameters FT3, FT4, T, E2 and cortisol to explore nature of cold syndrome and heat syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), cortisol (CO), testosterone (T), serum estradiol (E2) and Cold Syndrome and Heat Syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. METHODS: The blood levels of FT3, FT4, T, E2, CO in groups of sthenic Heat (SH), sthenic Cold (SC), asthenic Heat (AH) and asthenic Cold (AC) and the healthy control group were measured. The number of cases in each group was 50. RESULTS: (1) FT3 and FT4 were higher in Heat Syndrome than that in Cold Syndrome in the order of AH > SH > control > SC > AC, it revealed that the basal metabolic rate and oxygen consumption in Heat Syndrome were increased, while it in Cold Syndrome, it declined. (2) CO was higher in SH, SC than that in AH and AC, the order was SC > SH > control > AH > AC, it revealed that CO was one of the factors correlated to asthenic and sthenic syndrome, but not relevant to Heat Syndrome and Cold Syndrome. (3) T was higher in Heat Syndrome than that in Cold Syndrome, but E2 showed the opposite, suggesting that T was one of the factors for forming Heat Syndrome, and E2 for Cold Syndrome. CONCLUSION: The levels of FT3, FT4, T, E2 are basis of pathophysiology related with forming HS and CS.