OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-angiogenic effects and mechanisms of Zengmian Yiliu Granule (ZMYLG) on ovarian carcinoma xenograft.

METHODSThe SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma bearing mouse model was established. The tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into the control group, the paclitaxel group, the high, medium, and low dose ZMYLG group, 8 in each group. The medication was lasted for ten days. The microvessel density (MVD) in the xenograft was calculated by the method of using cell membrane differentiation antigen 34 (CD34) antibody marking new vascular endothelial cells. The protein and mRNA expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor fetal liver kinase-1 (FLK-1), hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) in the tumor were determined using immunohistochemical assay and RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe MVD of ovarian carcinoma xenografts in the paclitaxel group, the high, medium, and low dose ZMYLG group obviously decreased, showing statistical difference when compared with the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Each ZMYLG dose group could down-regulate the protein and mRNA expressions of VEGF, FLK-1, and HIF-1alpha (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSZMYLG could inhibit neogenesis of tumor vessels. Its mechanisms might be associated with down-regulating the expression of HIF-1alpha, modifying the hypoxic state, inhibiting the expressions of VEGF and FLK-1, and exerting its anti-angiogenic effects.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; blood supply ; drug therapy ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; prevention & control ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; blood supply ; drug therapy ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 ; metabolism ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical effects of Yupei Qisun Sequential Method (YQSM, by Shen supplementing and Pi invigorating) of Chinese medicine on correlated indices of repeated implantation failure patients in the fresh cycle.

METHODSSixty patients with more than three failure cycles of in virto fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were recruited. They were assigned to the treatment group (treated by IVF/ICSI and Chinese medicine) and the control group (treated by IVF/ICSI alone), 30 in each group. The total dose of gonadotropin (Gn), the days of controlled ovary hyperstimulation (COH), the thickness of endometrium on the day of embryo transplantation, the number of retrieved oocytes, the fertilization number, the embryo number, the high quality embryo number, the pregnancy rate, and the implantation rate were compared.

RESULTSIn the treatment group the numbers of embryo and high quality embryo were 7.5 +/- 4.9 and 5.1 +/- 3.2 respectively, which were both higher than those of the control group with significant difference (5.1 +/- 3.2, 3.2 +/- 1.8; P < 0.05). No significant difference existed in aspects of the total numbers of Gn, the days of COH, the thickness of endometrium on the day of embryo transplantation, the numbers of retrieved oocytes, the fertilization number, the pregnancy rate, and the implantation rate between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONYQSM combined with COH could improve the quantity and the quality of embryos, which was promising to increase the accumulative pregnancy rate of RIF patients.

Adult ; Embryo Transfer ; Endometrium ; physiology ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Gonadotropins ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Oocyte Retrieval ; Ovulation Induction ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Treatment Failure

ObjectiveTo explore the inhibitory effect of Bushen Jiedu prescription （BSJDP） on the metastasis of colorectal cancer （CRC） via activation of M2 tumor-associated macrophages （M2-TAMs） in vivo. MethodThe model of xenograft tumor was established with C57BL/6 mice， and then the model mice were randomly assigned into blank control group， Bushen Jiedu recipe-low dose （11.2 g·kg^-1） group （BSJDP-L）， and Bushen Jiedu Recipe-high dose （22.4 g·kg^-1） group （BSJDP-H）. Tumors were abolished when the volume reached 1.5-2.0 cm³. The mice were sacrificed 28 days post tumor abolishing and then the lung metastasis was observed. Histopathological changes in lung metastasis were examined by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining of metastasis tissues， and immunofluorescence （IF） staining was employed to observe the effect of BSJDP on tumor apoptosis and hypoxia. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the macrophages M1/M2 ratio of tumor tissue. The expression levels of the genes （Arg1， CD206， and CD163） associated with the polarization of M2-TAMs were determined by Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultThe metastasis rate was 70%， 40%， and 10% in the blank control group， BSJDP-L group， and BSJDP-H group， respectively. The lower metastasis rates of BSJDP-L and BSJDP-H groups proved that BSJDP significantly inhibited lung metastasis of CRC. Compared with the blank control group， BSJDP-L and BSJDP-H reduced the tumor cell infiltration in tumor tissue （P<0.01）， increased the apoptosis of tumor cells， alleviated the hypoxic environment， and down-regulated the expression of Arg1， CD206， and CD163 in the tumor tissue （P<0.01）. In addition， the ratio of M2 macrophages ranked in a descending order of blank control group （34.867%） > BSJDP-L group （22.033%） > BSJDP-H group （11.633%） （P<0.01）. ConclusionBSJDP inhibits the lung metastasis of CRC by inhibiting the activation of M2-TAMs in the tumor microenvironment.

OBJECTIVE: Traditional Chinese medicine plays a significant role in the treatment of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Tanreqing Capsule (TRQC) was used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of TRQC in the treatment of COVID-19. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 82 patients who had laboratory-confirmed mild and moderate COVID-19; patients were treated with TRQC in one designated hospital. The treatment and control groups consisted of 25 and 57 cases, respectively. The treatment group was given TRQC orally three times a day, three pills each time, in addition to conventional Western medicine treatments which were also administered to the control group. The clinical efficacy indicators, such as the negative conversion time of pharyngeal swab nucleic acid, the negative conversion time of fecal nucleic acid, the duration of negative conversion of pharyngeal-fecal nucleic acid, and the improvement in the level of immune indicators such as T-cell subsets (CD3, CD4 and CD45) were monitored. RESULTS: COVID-19 patients in the treatment group, compared to the control group, had a shorter negative conversion time of fecal nucleic acid (4 vs. 9 days, P = 0.047) and a shorter interval of negative conversion of pharyngeal-fecal nucleic acid (0 vs. 2 days, P = 0.042). The level of CD3 CONCLUSION Significant reductions in the negative conversion time of fecal nucleic acid and the duration of negative conversion of pharyngeal-fecal nucleic acid were identified in the treatment group as compared to the control group, illustrating the potential therapeutic benefits of using TRQC as a complement to conventional medicine in patients with mild and moderate COVID-19. The underlying mechanism may be related to the improved levels of the immune indicator CD3
Adult ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; COVID-19/pathology* ; Capsules ; DNA, Viral/analysis* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Feces/virology* ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics* ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo probe the safe depth and angle of needling the point Yaotu for treatment of prolapse of intervertebral disc.

METHODSCT technique was used for scanning investigation of the depth and angle of needling the point Yaotu.

RESULTSWhen the acupuncture needle was inserted vertically to the external space of intervertebral foramen of human body with arrival of qi, the tip of needle could reach to 73 mm deep, which is the best needling depth and angle.

CONCLUSIONThe needle vertically inserting to the external space of intervertebral foramen at the point Yaotu is proper in treatment of prolapse of intervertebral disc.

Acupuncture Analgesia ; Acupuncture Points ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; therapy ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the clinical effect of sequential therapeutic intervention Yupei Qisun [compensating for weakness by invigorating Kidney (Shen) and Spleen (Pi) in advance] in Chinese medicine (CM) and hysteroscopic endometrial mechanical stimulation on the treatment of infertile patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF); and to study the differences in patients' endometrial thickness and type on the day of embryo transfer, serum hormone levels on embryo transfer day and clinical pregnancy outcomes.

METHODSIn the clinical study, 168 frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles for couples with RIF conforming to the research protocol were randomly divided into three groups: a CM group with 56 cycles (CM combined with FET), a hysteroscopy group with 55 cycles (hysteroscopic endometrial mechanical stimulation), and a control group with 57 cycles (conventional FET). Differences in endometrial thickness on the embryo transfer day, levels of serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) on the embryo transfer day, the E2/P ratio on the embryo transfer day, biochemical and clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rate, abnormal pregnancy rate and other indices were compared among the three groups.

RESULTSEndometrial thickness, E2 and P levels, and the E2/P ratio on embryo transfer day and other factors had no significant differences among groups. The biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, and implantation rates of the CM and hysteroscopy groups were significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05), and there were no significant differences between these two groups. The abnormal pregnancy rate had no significant difference among the three groups.

CONCLUSIONSSequential therapy of Yupei Qisun could significantly improve the clinical outcomes of rif-fet cycles, being equivalent to hysteroscopic endometrial mechanical stimulation, and provided a reliable method to treat such infertile couples.

Abortion, Habitual ; therapy ; Adult ; Embryo Implantation ; Embryo Loss ; therapy ; Embryo Transfer ; Endometrium ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hysteroscopy ; Infertility, Female ; pathology ; therapy ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Physical Stimulation ; methods ; Pregnancy ; Retreatment ; statistics & numerical data