Chinese herbal property theory (CHPT) is the fundamental characteristic of Chinese materia medica different from modern medicines. It reflects the herbal properties associated with efficacy and formed the early framework of four properties and five flavors in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica. After the supplement and improvement of CHPT in the past thousands of years, it has developed a theory system including four properties, five flavors, meridian entry, direction of medicinal actions (ascending, descending, floating and sinking) and toxicity. However, because of the influence of philosophy about yin-yang theory and five-phase theory and the difference of cognitive approach and historical background at different times, CHPT became complex. One of the complexity features was the multiple methods for determining herbal property, which might include the inference from herbal efficacy, the thought of Chinese Taoist School and witchcraft, the classification thinking according to manifestations, etc. Another complexity feature was the multiselection associations between herbal property and efficacy, which indicated that the same property could be inferred from different kinds of efficacy. This paper analyzed these complexity features and provided the importance of cognitive approaches and efficacy attributes corresponding to certain herbal property in the study of CHPT.

Chinese herbal property is the highly summarized concept of herbal nature and pharmaceutical effect, which reflect the characteristics of herbal actions on human body. These herbal actions, also interpreted as presenting the information about pharmaceutical effect contained in herbal property on the biological carrier, are defined as herbal property expressions. However, the biological expression of herbal property is believed to possess complex features for the involved complexity of Chinese medicine and organism. Firstly, there are multiple factors which could influence the expression results of herbal property such as the growth environment, harvest season and preparing methods of medicinal herbs, and physique and syndrome of body. Secondly, there are multiple biological approaches and biochemical indicators for the expression of the same property. This paper elaborated these complexities for further understanding of herbal property. The individuality of herbs and expression factors should be well analyzed in the related studies.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic values of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and computed tomographic virtual endoscopy( CTVE) in protuberant lesions of upper gastrointestinal tract. Methods EUS and CTVE were used to diagnosis the 48 patients with protuberant lesions of upper gastrointestinal tract which were diagnosised by gastroscopy. All of the results except 11 cases were compared with pathological diagnosis. Results The accuracy of electronic gastroscopy, EUS and CTVE on the diagnosis of the protuberant lesions of the upper gastrointestinal tract were 16.7% ,89. 6% ,66. 7% , respectively . There was a significantly difference among them (P

Herbal property theory of traditional Chinese medicines is the theoretical guidance on authentication of medicinal plants, herborization, preparation of herbal medicines for decoction and clinical application, with important theoretical value and prac- tical significance. Our research team proposed the "three-element" theory for herbal properties for the first time, conducted a study by using combined methods of philology, chemistry, pharmacology and mathematics, and then drew the research conclusion that herbal properties are defined as the chemical compositions-based comprehensive expression with complex and multi-level (positive/negative) biological effects in specific organism state. In this paper, researchers made a systematic mathematical analysis in four aspects--the correlation between herbal properties and chemical component factors, the correlation between herbal properties and organism state fac- tor, the correlation between herbal properties and biological effect factor and the integration study of the three elements, proposed future outlook, and provided reference to mathematical studies and mathematical analysis of herbal properties.
Drug Compounding ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Models, Theoretical ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Objective To analysis the outcome of gastroscopy and B ultrasonography in patients of post hepatitis cirrhosis with portal hypertension, and to evaluate the degree of cirrhosis in clinic and affording suggestions in preventing complication. Methods One hundred and ninety two cirrhosis patients with portal hypertension were divided into three groups : mild, moderate and severe group based on the extent of esophageal varicosis. By estimating the diameter of portal vein, thickness of spleen and width of splenic vein in three groups to investigate their correlation with the extent of cardio-esophageal varicosis. Results The incidences of gastric varices in these three groups have prominent difference,The severer the degree of esophageal varices , the higher the incidence of gastric varices. According to the different degree of esophageal varices, the diameter of portal vein,thickness of spleen,diameter of splenic vein are differed. There is linear relation between thickness of spleen and diameter of splenic vein. Conclusion Diameter of portal and splenic vein, thickness of spleen,can provide valuable suggestion in predicting the presence of portal hypertension,but further confirmation is based on the result of gastroendoscopy.

Objective: Investigate the curative effect of acupuncture on dysphasia in hypophrenia children. Methods: One hundred and sixty children with hypophrenia and dysphasia were randomly divided into an acupuncture group of 80 cases, a language training group of 40 cases and a composite group of 40 cases for clinical observation. Total intelligence quotient (TIQ), vocal intelligence quotient (VIQ) and practical intelligence quotient (PIQ) were compared between pretreatment and posttreatment in the children themselves and between the groups before and after treatment. Results: The total efficacy rate was 77.5% in the acupuncture group, 82.5% in the composite group and 52.5% in the language training group. Conclusion: Acupuncture significantly raises TIQ, VIQ and PIQ in the sick children. Language training only raises VIQ to some degree.Acupuncture in cooperation with language training is an effective way to treat this disease.

· AIM: To observe the effects of PTEN and the tumor suppressor gene in proliferative LECs of the rabbit.·METHODS:Forty-two white rabbits were randomly divided into test group (36 rabbits) and control group (6rabbits). The transparent lenses of treated rabbits were operated with extra capsular cortex extraction, and the controls were kept untouched. The rabbits were sacririced at 1d, 3d, 1wk, 2wK, 1mo and 2mo after surgery.Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect proliferative cellular nuclei antigen (PCNA) as well as hybridization in situ and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) were applied to detect phosphatase as well as tensin homology deleted on chromosome 10(PTEN) mRNA in lens equartor.·RESULTS:PCNA expression increased significantly to a high level at 1wk, began to reduce 2wk later, and recovered to the normal level 1 or 2mo after the surgery.PTEN mRNA expressed positively in normal rabbit LECs.The relative PTEN mRNA contents reduced greatly at 1dafter operation and remained low level at 3d. It began to increase slightly at 1wk, kept rising at 2wk and regained the normal expression after 1 or 2mo. There was inverse correlation between the PTEN mRNA and PCNA expression.·CONCLUSION: PTEN mRNA expresses positively in normal rabbit LECs plasma. PTEN participates in LECs proliferation and correlates with lens proliferative conditions.

Objective Retrospective analysis of clinical features, treatment results and prognostic factors in 19 patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Methods Diagnostic and treatment data of 19 patients with ALCL from Jan 2003 to Feb 2007 were analyzed. Results Among the sample group, 18 patients (94.74 %) shows B-symptoms, extranodal involvement is present in 14 patients (73.7 %), clinical misdiagnosis rate reaches 84.2 %. The overall response rate to chemotherapy is 100 %, complete remission rate after 6 courses chemotherapy were 95 %, the probabilities of event free survival at 1 and 2 years were both 88.2 %, relapse occurred in one case. Conclusion In the studied group, majority of ALCL patients have B-symptom. Extranodal involvement is present earlier, and clinical misdiagnosis rate is high. While it' s found that ALCL is sensitive to chemotherapy and tend to get good prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Motion artifacts and magnetic susceptibility artifacts have serious impacts on magnetic resonance (MR) image quality. Periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (Propeller) technique, collecting data spirally using radial blades by filling pattern, greatly reduce or eliminate these artifacts.OBJECTIVE: To discuss the clinical application of MR Propeller technique in eliminating the artifacts of brain images.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The comparative observation was performed at Kunming General Hospital of Chengdu Military Area Command of Chinese PLA from July 2006 to April 2007.PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one cases showed dysphoria or unable to control oneself in the routine cranial MRI examination, and 5 presented artifacts because of magnetic-susceptibility.METHODS: Twenty-one cases, who had dysphoria and could not control themselves in routine cranial MRI examination, underwent Propeller T2 weighted imaging (WI), and the images were compared with routine T2 fast-recovery fast spin echo sequence; 5 cases, who had artifacts because of magnetic-susceptibility, received Propeller diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and the images were compared with routine DWI.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The changes of motion artifacts and magnetic susceptibility artifacts resulted from Propeller technique.RESULTS: The artifacts caused by motion in 21 cases were significantly reduced or eliminated by Propeller T2WI scanning, and those caused by magnetic susceptibility in the other 5 cases were also significantly eliminated by Propeller DWI. Satisfactory MR images were obtained.CONCLUSION: Propeller T2WI or DWI technique can obviously reduce or eliminate the artifacts caused by motion or magnetic-susceptibility, and can significantly improve the image quality for clinical diagnosis.

Objective To observe the regularities of distribution of TCM syndrome types and correlation between TCM syndrome types and cardiovascular prognosis risk factors of elderly hypertensive patients in three different urban and rural communities.Methods Totally 299 elderly hypertensive patients who conformed to the hypertensive diagnostic criteria from 896 respondents which participated in the health monitoring questionnaire drafted by health management team of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences were screened. The syndrome types were differentiated according to Guiding Principle of Clinical Research on New Drugs of Traditional Chinese Medicine (for Trial Implementation). The levels of some risk indicators, such as blood glucose, blood lipid, CREA, ET, Hcy and mALB were measured by radioimmunoassay, enzymatic cycling assay and other methods. Age, gender, BMI and pulse pressure were recorded.Results The TCM syndrome types of 299 elderly hypertensive patients were deficiency of yin and yang type (74 cases), hyperactivity of yang due to yin deficiency type (65 cases), blood stasis syndrome type (62 cases), stagnation of phlegm-dampness type (61 cases), hyperactivity of liver-fire type (37 cases). Single factor analysis showed that there existed statistical significance among BMI, FBG, GHbA1c, CREA, TC, LDL-C, ET, Hcy and mALB in the 5 TCM syndromes (P<0.05,P<0.01), and the statistical significance was more apparent in the stagnation of phlegm-dampness type, blood stasis syndrome type and hyperactivity of yang due to yin deficiency type. Discriminant analysis showed BMI and Hcy have certain reference value for the diagnosis of TCM syndrome types in elderly hypertensive patients. Binary-Logistic regression analysis showed that the course of disease had a positive correlation with syndrome of deficiency of yin and yang.Conclusion Compared with other types of elderly hepertensive patients, stagnation of phlegm-dampness type and blood stasis syndrome type are more closely related to hypertension cardiovascular prognosis risk factors.