Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of airways that affects approximately 300 million adults and children worldwide. Most therapy currently uses bronchodilators and corticosteroids. Systemic side effects from chronic use of these drugs are concern. Chinese medicine (CM) has a long history of human use in China and other Asian countries and well received by the patients. But as one component of Western integrative medicine (WIM), it is required that CM use is supported by scientific evidence. On the other hand, there are also suggestions that Western standardized medicine should consider personalized practice. In recent years there have been an increasing studies to narrow the gap between CM, the personalized medicine and Western medicine, evidence based medicine. This communication reviews several CM studies published in the English language in details by reviewing the effects and mechanisms of actions on asthma from clinic and experimental studies.Chinese herbal medicines exhibit broad actions on multiple asthma pathologic mechanisms. These mechanisms may involve antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, inhibiting airway remodeling and normalization of hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal (HPA)-axis disturbances. However, the mechanisms of actions of Chinese herbal medicines for asthma are not fully understood. More controlled clinical studies are warranted and some anti-asthma CM may be proved to be effective when used as monotherapy or complementary asthma therapies.
Animals ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans

Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; Biological Products ; therapeutic use ; Humans

To observe the symptom control, pulmonary function changes and safety of use of omalizumab in patients with moderate to severe allergic asthma for 1 year. A small sample self-controlled study before and after treatment was conducted to retrospective analysis involved 17 patients with moderate to severe asthma who received omalizumab therapy for 12 months in Peking University People's Hospital and Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021. The clinical symptoms and pulmonary function changes were compared before treatment, after 6 months and 12 months of treatment, and the clinical data such as the use of other drugs and adverse reactions were observed. Statistical data are collected using the median method, and non-parametric paired Wilcoxon analysis was used for pairwise comparison. Before treatment with omalizumab, the patients' FeNO value was 79(58, 121) ppb, and the total serum IgE was 228(150.5, 345.5) IU/ml. After 6 months of omalizumab therapy, the percent predicted value of the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1%) before inhaled bronchodilator increased from 86.70(82.65, 91.35)% to 90.90(87.70, 95.85)% (Z=-3.626, P<0.001). The FEV1%pred after inhaled bronchodilator increased from 92.60(85.75, 96.90)% to 94.30(89.95, 98.15)% (Z=-2.178, P=0.029). The absolute value of improvement in FEV1 decreased from 150(95, 210)ml to 50(20, 125) ml (Z=-2.796, P=0.005), and the improvement rate decreased from 6.60(3.80, 7.85)% to 1.90(0.75, 4.85)% (Z=-2.922, P=0.003). After 12 months of treatment, the FEV1%pred before inhaled bronchodilator further increased to 92.90 (91.60, 98.15)% (Z=-3.575, -2.818, and P<0.001, 0.005 compared with before treatment and 6 months after treatment, respectively). The FEV1%pred after inhaled bronchodilator increased to 96.80 (91.90, 101.25)% (Z=-3.622, -1.638, and P<0.001, 0.008 compared with before treatment and after 6 months of treatment, respectively). The absolute value of improvement in FEV1 was 70 (35, 120) ml (P=0.004, 0.842 before treatment and 6 months after treatment, respectively), and the improvement rate was 3.0(1.0, 5.0)% (Z=-2.960, -0.166, and P=0.003, 0.868, compared with before treatment and after 6 months of treatment, respectively). After 12 months of treatment, ACT increased from 13 (10.5, 18) before treatment to 24 (23, 25) (Z=-3.626,P<0.001). Only 1 patient experienced an injection site skin reaction during treatment. Therefore, after 6 months and 12 months of treatment with omalizumab, the patient's lung function improved and symptoms were relieved, which could effectively prevent the acute exacerbation of asthma. Omalizumab treatment is safe and well tolerated, and no effect on blood pressure and blood glucose was observed.
Humans ; Omalizumab/therapeutic use* ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Bronchodilator Agents/therapeutic use* ; Asthma/diagnosis* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo further analyze and identify effective components of anti-asthma in acupuncture serum.

METHODSChanges of eosinophils in the peripheral blood of rats with eosinophilia were observed for 10 days after intravenous injection of the different segments of serum (serum: normal saline = 1:20, 2.5 mL/kg, from the first day of the model establishment, for 3 consecutive days).

RESULTSAfter intravenous injection of different segments of serum, the eosinophil counts in the peripheral blood decreased significantly from the 3rd day as compared with those of the model group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe effective components of acupuncture serum from asthmatic rats treated by acupuncture for eosinophils are not a single component, and acupuncture stimulation may produce many kinds of components of anti-asthma.

Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Emphysema ; Female ; Humans ; Male

Based on the retrieval of literatures in recent fifteen years, the time factors in the acupoint sticking therapy for the bronchial asthma are analyzed and compared in terms of the stage classification of patients, timing selection of acupoint sticking therapy and medication application, and times of application. The acupoint sticking therapy is mostly practiced during remittent stage of bronchial asthma; the timing selection is mostly during the hottest period of summer, the timing selection in certain cases is the coldest period of winter or any day; the duration of medication application is not consistent; therefore, the effectiveness of these cases is different. It may be that the ef fectiveness is proportional to the times and courses of acupoint sticking therapy for the bronchial asthma. In the future, the scientific designs which involve time factor are needed to elucidate the importance of time factor in acupoint sticking therapy for the bronchial asthma.
Acupuncture Points ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Time Factors

Acetates ; therapeutic use ; Acute Disease ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; prevention & control ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Leukotriene Antagonists ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Quinolines ; therapeutic use

Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; therapeutic use ; Adrenergic beta-Agonists ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Medication Adherence

Clinical literature of bronchial asthma treated with acupoints application from January 2000 to March 2014 in modern periodicals databases was retrieved through computer. With cluster analysis and frequency analysis methods of data mining, acupoints selecting and medication rules of bronchial asthma treated with acupoints application were analyzed. Total 38 articles were included eventually, including 25 acupoints and 42 medicines. The results indicate that on acupoints selecting, Feishu (BL 13) is used as the main acupoint and 3 groups of bladder meridian and conception vessel acupoints are applied alternately and on medicines, Baijiezi (Brassica alba Boiss), Xixin (Radix et Rhizoma Asari), Gansui (Radix Kansui), Yanhusuo (Corydalis) and Mahuang (Radix et Rhizonma Ephedrae) are primarily adopted, epispastic medicines being the main medicines; medicines mostly belong to lung meridian, main medicines being unchanged mostly with Shengjiang as guiding drug.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Data Mining ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Meridians

Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; prevention & control ; Continuity of Patient Care ; Humans ; Medication Adherence ; Self Care ; Singapore