OBJECTIVETo formulate a comprehensive treatment program for rheumatoid arthritis arthralgia by clinical observing the efficacy of Xiaoyan Zhitong Paste (XZP).

METHODSAdopted was stratified, block randomized, double-blinded, placebo parallel controlled method. Subjects were assigned to the treatment group and the placebo group. Those in the treatment group were treated by external application of XZP, one to two pastes each time, covering the painful area, exchange once per 24 h, with one-day interval during a 7-day consecutive medication, two 7-days of treatment consisting of one therapeutic course. XZP placebos were applied for those in the placebo group in the same medication way. Joint pain and VAS were taken as main indices for observing the clinical efficacy of XZP.

RESULTSThe improvement of the analgesic effect and the Chinese medical syndrome efficacy of XZP were superior to that of the placebo.

CONCLUSIONXZP showed obvious effect in treating rheumatoid arthritis arthralgia with no obvious adverse reaction.

Adult ; Arthralgia ; drug therapy ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of PMC therapy (Prednisone, Methotrexate, Chloroquine) combined Langchuang Fuzheng Jiedu Capsule (LFJC), thus choosing a better therapy of integrative medicine for SLE in the period of glucocorticoid use.

METHODSSixty active SLE patients were randomly assigned to two groups, the control group and the treatment group. Those in the control group received PMC therapy (As for Prednisone, it was given at the daily dose of 1 mg/kg till 2 weeks after the condition being stable or after 8 weeks of treatment. Then the dose was reduced by 10% every two weeks. When the dose was reduced to 0.5 mg/kg daily, it was reduced by 2.5 mg per two weeks. When the dose was reduced to 15 mg daily, the dose was reduced to 2.5 mg per four weeks. As for Methotrexate, 10 mg each time, once a week. As for Chloroquine, 100 mg each time, twice daily), while those in the treatment group received PMC therapy (the same way as that for the control group) combined with LFJC (consisting of Astragalus membranaceus 50 g, Angelica sinensis 20 g, Ligusticum Chuanxiong 20 g, prepared Rehmannia Rhizome 30 g, Herba Serissae 30 g, Centella 30 g, centipede 4 g, scorpions 10 g, nidus versace 12 g, et al., 0.5 g per pill, containing 5.7 g crude drug. When the hormone was given at a large dose, LFJC was administered at 12 pills each time, three times daily). When the hormone was given at a middle dose, LFJC was administered at 8 pills each time, three times daily. When the hormone was given at a small dose, LFJC was administered at 6 pills each time, three times daily. The treatment course was six months. The improvement of symptoms and signs between before and after treatment, SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), efficacy of Chinese medical syndrome, UPro quantitation, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), complement 3 (C3), C-reactive protein (CRP), the reduction and withdrawal of hormones, and infection of the respiratory tract were observed.

RESULTSThe difference in post-SLEDAI was obviously larger in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The fatigue severity scale (FSS) was less after treatment than before treatment in the treatment group, showing statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 93.33% in the treatment group, showing statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (86.66%; chi2 = 6.736, P < 0.05). The ESR decreased after treatment in the treatment group, showing statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (P < 0.01). C3 increased after treatment in the treatment group, showing statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05). The hormone was reduced to (13.70 +/- 5.42) mg/d by the end of the therapeutic course in the treatment group, obviously less than that of the control group [(17.63 +/- 7.80) mg/d, P < 0.05). Seven patients suffered from secondary infection of the respiratory tract infection in the treatment group (5 from upper respiratory tract infection and 2 from lower respiratory tract infection), obviously less than those of the control group (25 from upper respiratory tract infection and 10 from lower respiratory tract infection) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPMC combined LFJC was a better treatment program for severe active SLE (SLEDAI > or = 15). It was more safe and effective when compared with using Western medicine alone. It could enhance the efficacy of hormones and help reduction/withdrawal of hormones.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Chloroquine ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; drug therapy ; Male ; Methotrexate ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; Prednisone ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the curative effect and safety of Bushen Qiangji Decoction (BQD) and Qingre Qiangji Decoction (QQD) in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, and to verify the clinical utility of AS syndrome differentiation and treatment scheme [Shen-deficiency induced stasis obstruction syndrome (SDISOS) and dampness-heat obstruction syndrome (DHOS) being two basic syndrome types, Shen invigorating blood activating method (SIBAM) and heat clearing dampness resolving method (HCDRM) being two basic treatment methods].

METHODSTotally 354 AS patients of SDISOS and DHOS were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group using a multi-center randomized, positive drug parallel-controlled clinical trail. Patients in treatment group were treated by BQD or QQD according to syndrome typing, while those in the control group took Sulfasalazine enteric-coated tablet (SECT), 24 weeks as one therapeutic course. After treatment, the clinical efficacy was evaluated by using ASAS20 standard (set by Asessment in Ankylosing Spondylitis working group), Chinese medical efficacy evaluation standards, and BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, night-pain index, spinal pain index, PGA, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).

RESULTSAfter 24 weeks of treatment by BQD or QQD, ASAS20 standard rate was 86.75% in the treatment group, and the total effective rate of Chinese medical syndrome was 85.47%. They could significantly reduce patients' integrals of Chinese medical syndrome, BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, night-pain index, spinal pain index, and PGA (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSQQD and BQD got confirmable clinical effects in treating AS, providing strong evidence of evidence-based medicine for syndrome differentiation and treatment of AS.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Phytotherapy ; Precancerous Conditions ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology

Atherosclerosis has been thought to be a disease of modern society, and its occurrence was closely related to contemporary diet and lifestyle. However, a series of investigations on ancient mummies by autopsy and CT scan concluded that atherosclerosis was commonly seen in ancient times. The presence of atherosclerosis in ancient human beings suggested that aging and genetic predisposition might be essential risk factors for atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis ; history ; History, Ancient ; Humans

Gastrointestinal Transit ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Postoperative Period

Diabetic Nephropathies ; drug therapy ; Glucosides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Phytotherapy

Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted

The necessity of establishing an evaluation system about the combination program of Chinese medical pharmacy and Western medical pharmacy was addressed in this paper. Besides, its contents were systematically clarified. Besides, existent problems and its future development trend were also explained. The author believed that it was necessary to perform researches on constructing the evaluation system on the basis of patients' needs and physicians' responsibilities. The ultimate goal of this system was to produce an optimal combination program of Chinese medical pharmacy and Western medical pharmacy for a specific disease. This optimal program was the results of comparing and analyzing the therapeutic efficacies of different combination programs. In this program, Chinese medical pharmacy and Western medical pharmacy combined together. On the one hand, it is safe; on the other hand, they do not produce adverse reaction. Their therapeutic effects were synergetic. Chinese medical pharmacy could not only advance the cure effects of Western medical pharmacy, but also supplement the insufficiency of Western medical pharmacy. Of course, the author put forward some assumptions only from the perspective of clinical application in this paper. The evaluation system will become perfect along with further deepening researches of basic sciences.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Herb-Drug Interactions ; Integrative Medicine

OBJECTIVETo study effects of Yishen Kangxian Compound (YKC) and benazepril containing serums on HK-2 cells (human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells) in the process of renal tubular epithelial cells to mesenchymal myofibroblasts transdifferentiation (TEMT) by gene chip.

METHODSYKC and benazepril containing serums were prepared. Their inhibitory effects on HK-2 cells in the transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1)-induced TEMT process were observed. HK-2 cells were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., the blank control group, the model group, the benazepril group, and the YKC group. The gross RNAs were extracted and purified by taking advantage of the HumanHT-12 v4 of IlluminaBeadChip. Differentially expressed genes were obtained after they were reversely transcribed to cDNA, incorporating biotin labeling probe, hybridized with GeneChip, picture signals of fluorescence in gene array scanned and compared with differential genes by computer analysis.

RESULTSDifferentially expressed genes were successfully identified by gene chip. Compared with the model group, there were 227 differentially expressed genes in the benazepril group, including 118 up-regulated genes and 109 downregulated genes. Compared with the model group, there were 97 differentially expressed genes in the YKC group, including 69 up-regulated genes and 28 down-regulated genes. The Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that YKC was more actively involved in the regulatory process than benazepril in terms of cell damage, apoptosis, growth, NF-KB, protein kinase, neuron, and blood vessel growth.

CONCLUSIONSYKC and benazepril could inhibit the TEMT process of HK-2 cells. But YKC also had taken part in cell damage, apoptosis, growth,and more pathways of early stage TEMT.

Cell Line ; Cell Transdifferentiation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Genomics ; Humans ; Kidney Tubules, Proximal ; cytology ; pathology