[Improvement of survival quality of the patients with hemodialysis treated with moxibustion for regulating spleen and stomach functions: multi-central randomized controlled study].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the impacts of moxibustion for regulating spleen and stomach function on the survival quality of the patients of end stage renal disease (ESRD) with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). METHODS: One hundred and nine cases of uremia with MHD from 3 hemodialysis centers were randomized into an observation group (58 cases) and a control group (51 cases). The regular hemodialysis and conventional medication were used in the two groups. In the observation group, on the basis of the common treatment, moxibustion was applied to Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), 2-3 times a day, the treatment of 4 weeks made one session. Totally, 3 sessions were required and the follow-up lasted for 3 months. KDQOL-SF (kidney disease quality of life short form,KDQOL-SFTM 1. 3) was adopted for the questionnaire investigation on survival quality before treatment, after treatment and at the end of follow-up separately in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the survival quality scores in terms of physical functioning (83.62+/-13.27 vs 79.32+/- 22. 17), general health (58. 88+/- 20.24 vs 48.82+/-20.89) and vitality (77.07+/-15.56 vs 70. 59+/-22.61) in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0. 05). In comparison before and after treatment in the same group, the survival quality scores in terms of physical functioning, general health, vitality and symptoms/problems were all improved in the observation group (all P<0. 05). At the end of follow-up, the survival quality scores in terms of physical functioning, general health, mental health, social functioning, vitality, effects of kidney disease and cognitive function were higher in the observation group as compared with those in the control group (all P<0. 05). In comparison of the results at the end of follow-up with those before treatment, the survival quality scores in terms of vitality, symptoms/problems and cognitive function in the observation group were improved (all P< 0. 05). The differences were not significant in all of the 19 fields of survival quality evaluation before and after treatment, and after follow-up in the control group (all P>0. 05). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion for regulating spleen and stomach function improves the survival quality of the patients with hemodialysis in terms of physical functioning, general health and vitality, which benefits the psychological condition of the patients, resulting in the improvements of the survival quality in the fields of mental health, social functioning, effects of kidney disease and cognitive function.

[Randomized controlled trail on moxibustion for maintenance hemodialysis patients in deficiency syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effective therapy for maintenance hemodialysis patients in dificiency syndrome in end-stage renal disease. METHODS: Ninety-seven cases were divided into an observation group (51 cases) and a control group (46 cases) randomly, and routine western medicine was used in both of them. On this base, moxibustion was used in Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) in paper-tube-moxibustion equipment in the observation group. Evaluate the therapeutic effect on symptoms by comparing the symptom scores in two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS: All the symptom scores in the observation group were improved after treatment, and the differences were significant (all P < 0.05). Among all symptoms, the most improved ones included lassitude and fatigue, short breath and aversion to talk, poor appetite, soreness and softness of waist and knees, aversion to cold, cold extremities and so on. In the aspect of therapeutic effect on symptoms, the total effective rate in observation group (64.7%, 33/51) was higher than that in control group (23.9%, 11/46), and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion can improve the clinical symptoms of maintenance hemodialysis patients in end-stage renal disease, and can generate some therapeutic effect to the dificiency syndrome of this disease.

Enhancement of neutral endopeptidase activity in SK-N-SH cells by ginsenoside Rb1.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 on Neprilysin (NEP) activity in SK-N-SH cells, and probe the underlying mechanism. METHODS: The effects of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 on NEP activity were analyzed by NEP peptidase assay. Western blot was used to determine NEP gene expression at translational level, and RT-PCR was also performed to detect NEP gene expression at transcriptional level. RESULTS: NEP peptidase assay indicated that ginsenoside Rb1 can improve the activity of NEP, and RT-PCR and western blot results showed that the enhancement of NEP activity by ginsenoside Rb1 was due to enhancing NEP gene expression, while Rg1 did not have this effect. CONCLUSION: Our studies showed that ginsenoside Rb1 can enhance NEP activity by upregulating NEP gene expression. Our findings might offer a pharmacological explanation for the use of ginseng in traditional medicine.