Objective: To observe the effects of medicinal extract for tonifying kidney to relieve asthma on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in rats with asthma, and to explore its mechanism in treating asthma. Methods: Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group, untreated group, dexamethasone group, and medicinal extract-prevented, medicinal extract-treated, and medicinal extract-prevented and -treated groups, with ten rats in each group. Asthma was induced by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) and forced inhalation of atomized OVA. Expression of GR in lung tissues was detected by immunohistochemical method. Pathological changes of the lung tissues were observed by HE straining. Results: Expression of GR was lower in the untreated group than in the normal control group (P<0.05). Expressions of GR in medicinal extract groups were up-regulated as compared with those in the untreated group and dexamethasone group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and there were no significant differences as compared with the normal control group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Medicinal extract for tonifying kidney to relieve asthma can increase the expression of GR in lung tissues of asthmatic rats, which may be one of its mechanisms in preventing and treating asthma.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the Kechuansan acupoint plaster combined with acupoint injection of Chuankezhi in treating bronchial asthma. Methods:A total of 65 patients with bronchial asthma, who met the inclusion criteria in Shanghai Municipal Hospital of TCM from June 2018 to September 2018, were selected anddivided into control group and observation group by random number table method, 32 in the control group and 33 in the observation group. The control group was treated with acupoint injection of Chuankezhi, while the observation group was treated with acupoint plaster of Kechuansan combined with acupoint injection of Chuankezhi. Both groups were treated for 6 weeks. TCM syndromes and frequency of acute attackin one year before and after the treatment was scored and recorded. The patients' quality of life was assessed by Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) level was measured by Sunvou-p100 nakurun breath analyzer to evaluate the clinical efficacy. Results:Through out the treatment, there were 3 dropouts in the observation group and 2 dropouts in the control group. 30 cases were completed in each group. The total effective rate in the observation group was 93.3% (28/30), and the control group was 73.3% (22/30). The difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.320, P=0.038). After the treatment, the scores of TCM syndromes and ACT in the observation groups were significantly higher than those of the control group ( t values were 4.834 and 5.642, respectively, all Ps<0.01). The FeNO in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t=3.180, P=0.020). The frequency of acute attack in one year in the observation group was less than that ofthe control group ( t=5.466, P<0.01). Conclusions:Acupoint plaster Kechuansan combined with acupoint injection of Chuankezhi can relieve the clinical symptoms of asthma, reduce the frequency of asthma attack, improve the control ability of asthma, reduce airway inflammation, which is more effective than using acupoint injection therapy alone.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of the Jinshui-Xiangsheng Decoction in treating metabolic syndrome (MS) with yin deficiency and heat. Methods:From October 2018 to May 2020, a total of 60 patients with MS and Yin deficiency and heat syndrome in the Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine who met the selection criteria were divided into 2 groups according to a random number table, with 30 in each group. The control group took Western medicine standard treatment and lifestyle intervention, and the observation group took Jinshui-Xiangsheng Decoction on the basis of the control group. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. TCM syndrome scores were performed before and after treatment, and fasting blood glucose, TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, and fasting insulin (FINS) were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer and enhanced chemiluminescence immunoassay. We aimed to observe and record the patient's waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure level, and evaluate the clinical efficacy. Results:The total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the observation group and 60.0% (18/30) in the control group. There was significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=4.135, P=0.016). After treatment, waist circumference, BMI, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t values were 4.650, 2.687, 2.134 and 2.333, respectively, P<0.01 or P<0.05), and fasting blood glucose, FINS, TG, TC, LDL-C and HDL-C were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t values were 2.812, 2.899, 2.678, 2.485, 2.527 and 2.905, respectively, all Ps<0.05). The score of TCM syndrome [(3.87 ± 2.21) vs. (6.50 ± 2.01), t=-4.827] in the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Combination of conventional western medicine treatment and Jinshui-Xiangsheng Decoction can improve clinical objective indicators and clinical symptom scores, and improve metabolic disorder state for the patients with metabolic syndrome and Yin deficiency and heat.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of kidney-invigorating and asthma-relieving granules in treating kidney deficiency type of bronchial asthma patients in persistent.Methods:A total of 100 patients with bronchial asthma admitted to Shanghai Municipal Hospital of TCM from March 2020 to August 2020 were selected as the research subjects. The patients were divided into control group and treatment group by random and double blind method, 50 in each group. Both groups were treated by routine basic treatment. The control group was treated with Kidney-invigorating and asthma-relieving Placebo, while the observation group was treated with kidney-invigorating and asthma-relieving granules. All the treatment lasted for 6 weeks. The TCM syndromes scores, Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores, Peak expiratory flow/predicted value (PEF%) and eosinophil in peripheral blood before and after treatment were observed.Results:A total of 91 patients completed the clinical study. There were 45 patients in the control group and 46 in the treatment group. The total effective rate in the treatment group was 93.5% (43/46), while that in the control group was 77.8% (35/45), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.579, P=0.032). After the treatment, the scores of integral efficacy on syndromes in Chinese medicine, ACT and PEF% in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( t values were 2.802, 3.420 and 8.938, respectively, all Ps<0.01). The eosinophil in peripheral blood of patients in the treatment group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( t=3.481, P=0.001). Conclusion:On the basis of conventional treatment of western medicine, kidney-invigorating and asthma-relieving granules can relieve the clinical symptoms of asthma, improve the control level of asthma, enhance the level of PEF, reduce airway inflammation.