Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation improves gait and cortical activity in Parkinson's disease: A pilot randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial, we explored the effect of 20 Hz transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on gait impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and investigated the underlying neural mechanism. METHODS: In total, 22 PD patients and 14 healthy controls were enrolled. PD patients were randomized (1:1) to receive active or sham taVNS (same position as active taVNS group but without releasing current) twice a day for 1 week. Meanwhile, all subjects were measured activation in the bilateral frontal and sensorimotor cortex during usual walking by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. RESULTS: PD patients showed instable gait with insufficient range of motion during usual walking. Active taVNS improved gait characteristics including step length, stride velocity, stride length, and step length variability compared with sham taVNS after completion of the 7-day therapy. No difference was found in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III, Timed Up and Go, Tinetti Balance, and Gait scores. Moreover, PD patients had higher relative change of oxyhemoglobin in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, pre-motor area, supplementary motor area, primary motor cortex, and primary somatosensory cortex than HCs group during usual walking. Hemodynamic responses in the left primary somatosensory cortex were significantly decreased after taVNS therapy. CONCLUSION: taVNS can relieve gait impairments and remodel sensorimotor integration in PD patients.

Clinical study of Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction combined with western medicine in the treatment of adult type 2 diabetes mellitus with liver hyperactivity and spleen deficiency syndrome / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction combined with western medicine in the treatment of adult type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with with liver hyperactivity and spleen deficiency syndrome.Methods:Prospective cohort study. A total of 103 T2DM patients with liver hyperactivity and spleen deficiency syndrome in the Department of endocrinology of Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2020 to February 2021 were randomly divided into the observation group (52 cases) and the control group (51 cases) according to random number table method. Both groups were treated with conventional western medicine, the control group was treated with sitagliptin phosphate on the basis of routine treatment, and the observation group was treated with Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction on the basis of routine treatment. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. TCM symptom scores were performed before and after treatment. The FPG, 2hPBG, HbA1c and fasting insulin (FINS) were detected by dry chemistry method and Roche electroluminescence method, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by dynamic blood glucose monitoring indexes TIR (percentage of time when glucose was in the range of 3.9-10.0 mmol/L), TAR (percentage of time when glucose was higher than the target range ≥ 11.1 mmol/L) and TBR (percentage of time when glucose was lower than the target range <3.9 mmol/L).Results:The total effective rate was 92.3% (48/52) in the observation group and 56.9% (29/51) in the control group ( χ2=15.32, P<0.01). The score of TCM syndrome in the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( t=6.30, P<0.01). The compliance rate of HbA1c in the observation group was 46.2% (24/52) and that of the control group was 23.5% (12/51). There was significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=5.80, P=0.016). Compared with the groups before treatment, MAGE, TAR, TBR significantly decreased and TIR significantly increased in both groups after treatment ( P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the two groups after treatment ( t values were 0.78, 1.06, 0.22 and 1.45, respectively, P>0.05). Compared with the groups before treatment, the levels of FPG, 2 hPBG and HbA1c in the two groups significantly decreased after treatment ( P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the two groups after treatment ( t values were 1.32, 0.18,1.50, respectively, P>0.05). Compared with the groups before treatment, the levels of FINS and HOMA-IR in the two groups significantly decreased after treatment ( P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the two groups after treatment ( t values were 1.25, 0.51, respectively, P>0.05). There were no adverse reactions in the observation group, 2 cases of mild nausea and 1 case of transient diarrhea in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=3.15, P=0.118). Conclusion:Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction combined with routine treatment can improve the blood glucose level, TIR and blood glucose standard rates of adult T2DM with liver hyperactivity and spleen deficiency syndrome, and the curative effect is equivalent to sitagliptin phosphate tablets.

Impaired interhemispheric synchrony in Parkinson's disease patients with apathy.

BACKGROUND: Apathy is a common non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), yet the neural mechanism remains unknown. It has been reported that the lateralization of dopamine levels is correlated with apathetic symptoms. We aimed to ascertain the role of lateralization in the neuropathogenesis of apathy in PD. METHODS: Twenty-six apathetic PD patients (PD-A), twenty-seven nonapathetic PD patients (PD-NA), and twenty-three healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. All subjects underwent T1-weighted and resting state functional MRI scanning during OFF medication state. Voxel-mirrored Homotopic Connectivity (VMHC) and asymmetry voxel-based morphometry (asymmetry VBM) analysis were applied to detect the synchrony of homotopic connections between hemispheres and grey matter asymmetry index. RESULTS: Compared with both PD-NA and HCs groups, the PD-A group showed excessively decreased z-VMHC values in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and putamen. Additionally, both PD subgroups exhibited decreased z-VMHC values in the cerebellum lobule VIII compared with controls. However, no corresponding alteration in grey matter asymmetry index was found. Further, a negative correlation between the z-VMHC values of the NAcc and the Apathy Scale (AS) was confirmed in the PD-A group. Meanwhile, the same relationship was also confirmed between the putamen and AS. Notably, ROC curve analyses uncovered that the z-VMHC values of the NAcc and putamen could be a potential neuroimaging feature discerning apathetic PD patient, respectively. LIMITATIONS: This is a cross-sectional study. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that the asymmetric functional connectivity in the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal systems might induce the pathophysiological mechanisms of apathy in PD.

Impaired Interhemispheric Synchrony in Parkinson's Disease with Fatigue.

The characteristics of interhemispheric resting-state functional connectivity (FC) in Parkinson's disease (PD) with fatigue remain unclear; therefore, we aimed to explore the changes in interhemispheric FC in PD patients with fatigue. Sixteen PD patients with fatigue (PDF), 16 PD patients without fatigue (PDNF) and 15 matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the retrospective cross-sectional study. We used voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) to analyze the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of these subjects. Compared to PDNF, PDF patients had decreased VMHC values in the supramarginal gyri (SMG). Furthermore, the mean VMHC values of the SMG were negatively correlated with the mean fatigue severity scale (FSS/9) scores (r = -0.754, p = 0.001). Compared to HCs, PDF patients had decreased VMHC in the SMG and in the opercular parts of the inferior frontal gyri (IFG operc). The VMHC values in the IFG operc and middle frontal gyri (MFG) were notably decreased in PDNF patients compared with HCs. Our findings suggest that the reduced VMHC values within the bilateral SMG may be the unique imaging features of fatigue in PD, and may illuminate the neural mechanisms of fatigue in PD.

BDNF rs6265 single-nucleotide polymorphism is involved in levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease via its regulation of the cortical thickness of the left postcentral gyrus.

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene rs6265 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is thought to be involved in neuroplasticity and influence the development of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to determine how the BDNF rs6265 SNP regulates cortical thickness and to investigate the association between BDNF and the pathological mechanisms of LID in PD. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 75 patients with PD, including 37 patients with LID and 38 patients without LID, and 33 healthy controls. All the participants underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, clinical evaluations, and BDNF rs6265 genotyping. Two-way factorial analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to explore the primary effects of disease status, rs6265 genotype, and their interactions on cortical thickness. Associations between cortical thickness in the regions of the brain affected by disease status-genotype interactions and clinical symptoms were detected using Spearman's rank-order correlation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to test cortical thickness measurements as an indicator of LID. Results: The main effects of disease status were observed in the right pars orbitalis (F=4.229, P=0.017), medial orbitofrontal cortex (F=3.639, P=0.030), and left banks superior temporal sulcus (F=3.172, P=0.046). The left pars orbitalis (F=4.541, P=0.036) and lingual gyrus (F=4.307, P=0.041) were thicker in carriers of the CC genotype than in carriers of the TC/TT genotype. Interaction between disease status and genotype showed that in the LID group, carriers of the CC genotype had a thicker left postcentral gyrus (mean difference =0.103, 95% confidence interval, 0.036 to 0.107, Bonferroni-corrected P<0.005) than did carriers of the TC/TT genotype, whereas no difference was found in the non-LID and healthy control (HC) groups. In carriers of the CC genotype, the cortical thickness of the left postcentral gyrus could identify whether patients with PD had LID, with an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of 0.757 (P=0.033, optimal cut-off =2.102). The cortical thickness of the left postcentral gyrus was also positively correlated with the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS) score in the LID-CC subgroup (r=0.825, P=0.001). Conclusions: The BDNF rs6265 SNP might be associated with dyskinesia symptoms in patients with PD and LID through its regulation of cortical thickness in the left postcentral gyrus.

Clinical Efficacy of Kuijietong Against Mild to Moderate Active Ulcerative Colitis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To re-evaluate the intervention effect of Kuijietong（KJT） on ulcerative colitis（UC）. Method:Sixty patients with mild-to-moderate UC in the active stage were enrolled and randomized into a KJT group （<italic>n</italic>=30） and a sulfasalazine （SASP） group （<italic>n</italic>=30）. Patients in the KJT group were treated with KJT granules， one bag divided in two daily doses， once in the morning and once in the evening， while those in the SASP group received SASP， 1 g per time， four times per day. Then the clinical efficacy was evaluated. Result:According to the modified Mayo score，the clinical remission rates of the KJT group and SASP group were determined to be 46.7% （14/30）and 40% （12/30），exhibiting no significant difference between the two groups （<italic>P</italic>>0.05）. The clinical effective rate of the KJT group was 83.3% （25/30），which was better than 60% （18/30） of the SASP group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The mucosal healing rate in the KJT group was 36.7% （11/30）， not significantly different from 30% （9/30） in the SASP group. In the alleviation of UC symptoms，the score of large intestine dampness heat syndrome in the KJT group was remarkably better than that in the SASP group （<italic>P</italic><0.05），but there was no significant difference in inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire （IBDQ） score between the two groups. In terms of physical and chemical indexes，serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR） in the KJT group after intervention was lower than that in the SASP group （<italic>P</italic><0.05），whereas the interleukin-10 （IL-10） level was higher（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The comparison between the two groups revealed no significant difference in C-reactive protein （CRP）， tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α</italic> （TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， CD4⁺ T cells and regulatory T （Treg） cells after intervention. During the intervention，no obvious adverse reactions were found in the two groups，indicating good safety. Conclusion:KJT is not inferior to SASP in relieving mild-to-moderate UC in the active stage.

Identification of lncRNA-associated differential subnetworks in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma by differential co-expression analysis.

Differential expression analysis has led to the identification of important biomarkers in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Despite enormous contributions, it has not harnessed the full potential of gene expression data, such as interactions among genes. Differential co-expression analysis has emerged as an effective tool that complements differential expression analysis to provide better insight of dysregulated mechanisms and indicate key driver genes. Here, we analysed the differential co-expression of lncRNAs and protein-coding genes (PCGs) between normal oesophageal tissue and ESCC tissues, and constructed a lncRNA-PCG differential co-expression network (DCN). DCN was characterized as a scale-free, small-world network with modular organization. Focusing on lncRNAs, a total of 107 differential lncRNA-PCG subnetworks were identified from the DCN by integrating both differential expression and differential co-expression. These differential subnetworks provide a valuable source for revealing lncRNA functions and the associated dysfunctional regulatory networks in ESCC. Their consistent discrimination suggests that they may have important roles in ESCC and could serve as robust subnetwork biomarkers. In addition, two tumour suppressor genes (AL121899.1 and ELMO2), identified in the core modules, were validated by functional experiments. The proposed method can be easily used to investigate differential subnetworks of other molecules in other cancers.

The increased gray matter volumes of precentral gyri in Parkinson's disease patients with diphasic dyskinesia.

Abnormal dopaminergic modulation of the cortico-basal ganglia motor loops results in the emergence of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). We focused on alterations in the gray matter (GM) volume and the cortical thickness of the brain, especially in cortico-basal ganglia motor loops, in Parkinson's disease (PD) with diphasic dyskinesia. 48 PD patients with diphasic dyskinesia, 60 PD patients without dyskinesia and 48 healthy controls (HC) were included. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was applied to get GM images from MRI brain images. FreeSurfer was used to get cortical thickness. Distinct analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) and linear contrasts were performed for early- and late-onset PD groups. The severity of diphasic dyskinesia was evaluated by the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS). Finally, the correlations between mean volumes of clusters showing differences and the UDysRS scores were performed by Pearson's correlation. The GM volumes of precentral gyri were increased in PD patients with diphasic dyskinesia when compared with those without dyskinesia, which were positively correlated with UDysRS scores in PD patients with diphasic dyskinesia. However, there was no significant difference in cortical thickness among groups. The increased precentral gyri GM volumes might be associated with the pathogenesis and the severity of diphasic dyskinesia.

Bioleaching of silicon in electrolytic manganese residue using single and mixed silicate bacteria.

Electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) is a type of industrial solid waste with a high silicon content. The silicon in EMR can be used as an essential nutrient for plant growth, but most of the silicon is found in silicate minerals with very low water solubility, that is, it is inactive silicon and cannot be absorbed and used by plants directly. Thus, developing a highly effective and environmentally friendly process for the activation of silicon in EMR is important both for reusing solid waste and environmental sustainability. The aim of this study was to investigate the desilication of EMR using cultures of Paenibacillus mucilaginosus (PM) and Bacillus circulans (BC). The results showed that the two types of silicate bacteria and a mixed strain of them were all able to extract silicon from EMR with a high efficiency, but the desilication performance of the mixed PM and BC was the best. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that silicate bacteria can induce a suitable micro-environment near the EMR particles and release Si into the solution through their metabolism. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that layered crystal minerals, such as muscovite and diopside, were more likely to be destroyed by the bacterial action than quartz, which has a frame structure. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry proved that the silicate structures were destroyed and that Si in the residue was decreased, indicating the dissolution of silicon under the action of these microorganisms. This study suggests that bioleaching may be a promising method for the activation of silicon in EMR.

MiR-186 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion in human cutaneous malignant melanoma.

AIMS: MicroRNA-186 (miR-186) has been shown to be involved in various types of cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression level and functional role of miR-186 in human cutaneous malignant melanoma cells. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Expression of miR-186 was analyzed in human cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) cell lines SK-MEL-1, G-361, A375 and A875, and human normal epidermal melanocytes cell line HEMn-LP by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Additionally, the functional role of miR-186 on melanoma cells was investigated by transfection of miR-186 mimic followed by analyses of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. RESULTS: We found that the expression levels of miR-186 were decreased in CMM cell lines compared with normal epidermal melanocytes cell line. Moreover, overexpression of miR-186 inhibited cells proliferation through abrogating the G1-S transition, and reduced cells migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that miR-186 exhibit an inhibitory effect on CMM cell proliferation, migration, and invasion; thus, may serve as a potential therapeutic target for human CMM intervention.

MiR-330-5p regulates tyrosinase and PDIA3 expression and suppresses cell proliferation and invasion in cutaneous malignant melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence has suggested that miR-330-5p can function as a tumor suppressor in different types of cancers. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of miR-330-5p in the development of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) remain largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of miR-330-5p in CMM and to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying its action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression level of miR-330-5p was detected in 26 cases of primary CMM tissues and cell lines by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We also assessed whether overexpression of miR-330-5p influences in vitro cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Western blotting analysis was used to detect the influence of miR-330-5p on the targets, and Pearson analysis was used to calculate the correlation between the expression of targets gene and miR-330-5p in CMM tissues. RESULTS: Our study showed that miR-330-5p was downregulated in CMM tissues (P = 0.010) and cell lines (P < 0.05), and patients with high mitotic activity showed lower miR-330-5p expression levels (P = 0.002). Enforced expression of miR-330-5p inhibits malignant CMM cells proliferation and migration and led to downregulation of the TYR and PDIA3 protein. Moreover, the expression level of miR-330-5p in CMM tissues showed inverse relationship with the expression level of TYR and PDIA3 protein. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our findings suggested that miR-330-5p represents a potential tumor-suppressive miRNA and plays an important role in CMM progression by suppressing TYR and PDIA3 expression.

Mitochondrial genome of a melanoma disease model rat strain (Muridae; Rattus).

We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome sequencing of an important melanoma disease model inbred rat strain for the first time. The total length of the mitogenome was 16,309 bp and coding 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes.

System for simultaneous measurements of bilaterally symmetrical acupoints multifrequency impedances.

Devices which can obtain comparable bilaterally symmetrical acupoints (BSA) multifrequency impedances (MFI) are often needed in the detection of the energy balance states of acupoints in traditional Chinese medicine. To satisfy these needs, a two-channel impedance measurement system has been introduced which is capable of accurately and simultaneously measuring BSA MFI. The system includes a set of five electrodes, two of which are injected with exciting current signal to synchronously and equally excite BSA; the other three electrodes are used as sensors to simultaneously sense the response signal from both sides. The system also includes a PC-based time-domain signal testing platform with arbitrary current waveform generation and three channels (one exciting current and two response voltages) simultaneously sampling, and a set of MFI simultaneously unbiased computing algorithms based on special odd multisine current signal input. Preliminary validating experiments suggest that the system allows accurate and synchronous measurement of BSA MFI at least in the frequency range of 10 Hz to 60 kHz, and the obtained BSA MFI are well comparable.

Content of somatostatin and cholecystokinin-8 in hypothalamus and colons in a rat model of spleen-deficiency syndrome / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of neuropeptides content in a rat model of spleen-deficiency syndrome. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal group, untreated group and treatment group. There were ten rats in each group. Spleen-deficiency syndrome was induced by intragastrically administration of rhubarb concentrate in rats of the untreated and treatment group. The rats in the treatment group were intragastrically administered with Sijunzi decoction, a traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine for strengthening spleen and supporting qi. Normal saline was intragastrically administered to the rats in the normal and untreated groups. The somatostatin (SS) and cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) content in hypothalamus and colons was detected by the method of radioimmunoassay and the D-xylose content in urine was also detected. RESULTS: The CCK-8 content in hypothalamus of the untreated group was higher than that of the normal group (P<0.05). SS and CCK-8 content in colons of the untreated group was higher than that of the normal group (P<0.05). The CCK-8 content in colons of the untreated group was lower than that of the treatment group (P<0.05). The excretion rate of D-xylose in the untreated group was lower than that of the normal group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The disorder of neuroendocrine regulation in rats with spleen-deficiency syndrome may be chiefly responsible for "spleen-deficency and dysfunction of spleen" in traditional Chinese medicine.

Clinical study of chronic renal failure with syndrome of dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency treated with Jianpi Qinghua Recipe / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Jianpi Qinghua Recipe (JPQHR) on chronic renal failure with syndrome of dampness-heat due to spleen deficiency and its mechanism. METHODS: One hundred and six patients were randomly divided into two groups: control group (53 patients treated with routine therapy) and JPQHR-treated group (53 patients treated with routine therapy and JPQHR). RESULTS: Routine therapy combined with JPQHR could improve symptoms. The serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein decreased significantly in the JPQHR-treated group as compared with those in the control group (P<0.05), while the number of erythrocyte rosette-forming cells increased significantly in the JPQHR-treated group as compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Routine therapy combined with JPQHR can significantly decrease blood lipid level and strengthen cellular immune system, so it can lower the urine protein in the early and middle stages of chronic renal failure and improve renal function.

Observation on intestinal flora in patients of irritable bowel syndrome after treatment of Chinese integrative medicine / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine in treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the result of intestinal flora regulation. Methods: Sixty IBS patients, 36 males and 24 females, were divided into two groups, with 30 patients in each group. Herbal formula of TongxieYaofang and clostridium butyricum (Cb) were used in the first group for four weeks, while only Cb was used for four weeks in the second group. We observed the changes of coliform group, enterococcus, lactobacillus, bifidobacterium after treatment. RESULTS: The effective rate of the Tongxie Yaofang and Cb treated group was significantly higher than that of the Cb treated group (P < 0.05). The numbers of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus increased, while the numbers of coliform group and enterococcus decreased after the treatment, and the changes of intestinal flora in the integrative medicine treated group were significantly greater than those in the Cb treated group. CONCLUSION: After treatment with the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, the intestinal flora can be regulated to equilibrium state.

Randomized controlled clinical study on effect of Chinese compound changjitai in treating diarrheic irritable bowel syndrome / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To verify the clinical efficacy and safety of the proven Chinese Compound Changjitai (CJT), in treating the diarrheic irritable bowel syndrome (DIBS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Randomized controlled open clinical trial design was adopted, 45 patients were randomly divided into two groups, CJT and pinaverium bromide (PVB) were given as treated and control agent respectively. IBS scoring system (BSS), defecation state questionnaire (DSQ) were used to record the changes of the patients' main symptoms before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate of CJT group was 83.3%, while that of PVB was 73.3%. CJT was superior in efficacy to that of PVB in improving stool quality, reducing defecation episodes of diarrheic patients, alleviating tenesmus symptoms, decreasing bellyache days and ameliorating abdominal distention. Any drug-related adverse reaction was not seen.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The efficacy of CJT in treating DIBS is definite and without any toxic and adverse effects.</p>

Clinical Observations on Influences of Spleen-strengthening Decoction on the Expression of GLP-1 in Patients with Type Ⅱ Diabetes / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Spleen- strengthening decoction on GLP- 1 in patients with type II diabetes. METHODS: A randomized double- blind placebo- controlled test was conducted, and through observations for 8 wks, the changes of the two patient groups in plasma glucose, HbA1c, plasma GLP- 1 and Glucagon as well as TCM symptom score were measured for comparison. RESULTS: Before administration of Spleen- strengthening decoction, the two groups showed no significant difference in all of the indexes. After administration, the treatment group recorded lower indexes in fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c and plasma Glucagon, but higher index in fasting plasma GLP- 1, with no significant difference seen in other indexes. CONCLUSIONS: Spleen- strengthening decoction can improve glucose metabolism through heightening fasting plasma GLP- 1, and lowering both Glucagon and fasting plasma glucose.