Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an important component of complementary and alternative medicine, has evolved over thousands of years with its own unique system of theories, diagnostics and therapies. TCM has been increasingly used in the last decades and become well known for its significant role in preventing and treating cancer. We believe that TCM possesses advantages over Western medicine in specific aspects at a certain stage of cancer treatment. Here we summarize the advantages of TCM from three aspects: preventing tumorigenesis; attenuating toxicity and enhancing the treatment effect; and reducing tumor recurrence and metastasis.

With the further development of clinical modernization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), new request to tongue diagnosis for objectivity and quantification is raised. Many researchers have devoted themselves to this field and have achieved some accomplishments since 1950's. Especially in recent years, the revolution of information technique derived from computer industry brings the research new chances. The research history of the past five decades can be divided into three stages: (1) looking for micro-markers by newly-developed medical technique; (2) quantifying traditional markers by new technique; (3) further development based on information technique and corporation of multiple subjects. This article reviewed the three stages and described its prospect.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the rules of therapeutic methods, formulas and medicines of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for primary liver cancer (PLC). METHODS: The frequencies of treatments and medicines of TCM in 978 pieces of documents concerning PLC were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 165 therapeutic methods, 277 formulas and 459 kinds of herbs, the methods for activating blood circulation, the formulas for regulating qi-flowing and the herbs for invigorating qi are the most commonly used. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic methods such as invigorating qi, regulating qi-flowing and activating blood circulation are the main choices for PLC, and the methods such as clearing heat, removing dampness and nourishing yin are used as supplements.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the characteristics of the sublingual venae in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC). METHODS: The shape, color and the red, green and blue values of the sublingual venae were analyzed quantitatively for PLC patients in different clinical stages by analysis system for comprehensive information of tongue diagnosis. RESULTS: With the aggravating of the disease, the patients' sublingual venae became wide and tortuous, and their color became blue and purple. The abnormality of the sublingual venae was more serious in clinical stage III than in stages I and II (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The shape, color and abnormality degree of the sublingual venae in patients with PLC in different clinical stages are distinct.

To investigate the effects of a formula of components from Shengmai Powder, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in rats after thermal injury.

Objective To extract the color feature of tongue image.Methods The tongue image was divided into 8?8 dynamic rectangular grids. Then the color histogram of each grid was calculated. All of them composed a high-dimensional vector (we call it the original feature vector).Finally, the dimensionality of the original feature vector was reduced by using Landmark Isomap. Results Experiments on 3 594 tongue images showed that several color features of tongue image, such as the color of tongue substance, the color of tongue coat, the shades of tongue color, and so on could be extracted. Conclusion This proposed method can be used to extract the color feature of tongue image effectively.

Objective To investigate the effects and the possible mechanisms of nerve growth factor (NGF) on serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) protein expression in rats with focal cerebral ischemia.Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighting 200 ～ 250 g were subjected to middle cerebral occlusion (MCAO).MCAO rats were randomly divided into NGF group,saline control group and NGF+PI3K antagonist group (n =12).The neurological function was evaluated on the 4th,7th day after MCAO,and the serum levels of VEGF and SDF-1 protein were measured by ELISA.Results The neurological function was better in rats of the NGF group than those of the saline control group and NGF+PI3K antagonist on the 4th,7th day after MCAO (P ＜ 0.05).The serum levels of VEGF and SDF-1 protein of the NGF group was significantly higher than that of the saline control group and NGF+PI3K antagonist group on the 4th day after MCAO (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Treatment with NGF may improve neurological function of rats with focal cerebral ischemia,and upregulate serum levels of VEGF and SDF-1 protein expression.PI3K/AKT signal pathway may have attended the above regulation.

BACKGROUND:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s have immunomodulatory properties and have potential applications in immunosuppression. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the isolation and culture of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s and the immunoregulation of CD8+T lymphocytes. METHODS:Primary bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s were isolated from Wistar rats by bone marrow adherence method. The primary cel s were purified by differential adherence and digestion, and col agen type I was added as extracel ular matrix to expand bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s. Passage 2 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s at densities of 0, 1×103, 1×104 and 1×105/wel were co-cultured with CD8+T lymphocytes, fol owed by phytohemagglutinin stimulation for 68 hours. T lymphocyte aggregation and proliferation were detected by staining with staining with 5,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester and MTT, respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Different concentrations of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s had an inhibitory effect on T lymphocytes, but this effect was weakest for the cel s at the density of 1×103 per wel and strongest for the cel s at the density of 1×105 per wel . Obvious agglomeration was observed in the same media. The proliferation rates of CD8+T lymphocytes were (44.83±4.92)%, (31.94±6.28)%and (15.77±3.98)%, respectively, after co-culture with 1×103, 1×104, 1×105/wel bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s. There were significant differences between groups (P<0.05). These results showed that primary rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s could be obtained by direct adherence method of the whole bone marrow, and the cel s could be purified by differential adherence combined with digestion and control method. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s could inhibit T lymphocyte proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner.

Objective The effects of TPT on the induction of apoptosis of leukemia cells and the regulation of c-myc in mRNA and protein level. Methods RT-PCR method was adopted to examine the expressions of the genes and immune histochemistry for the proteins of c-myc in HL-60 cells treated with TPT of optimal concentration and time. Results After HL-60 cells by TPT of 0.15 μmol/L for 12 h, the expression of c-myc mRNA decreased markedly assayed by RT-PCR. There was a significant difference between the TPT group and the control group(0.17±0.03 vs 1.11±0.25, P <0.05), expressive c-myc protein decreased assayed by evidently immunohistochemistry. The percentage of positive cells expressing c-myc protein was a significant difference between the TPT treated group and the control group (19.67 % vs 68.33 %, P<0.05). Conclusion TPT down-regulates endogenic c-myc mRNA and c-myc protein in HL-60 cells.

To study the clinical efficacy of Pihui Fanggan Sachet (PHFGS), a sachet of traditional Chinese herbs, in preventing influenza and its immune regulation on mice.