OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yigan Fupi Decoction (YFD) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) patients.

METHODSA randomized controlled clinical trail was carried out in patients with IBS-D. All patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group (58 cases, treated with YFD) and the control group (58 cases, treated with Pinaverium Bromide Tablet). The treatment course was 4 weeks for all patients. The total effective rate, the stool property and state, the quality of life (QOL), and TCM syndrome efficacy were assessed by IBS bowel symptom severity scale (IBS-BSS), IBS defecation state questionnaire (IBS-DSQ), IBS quality of life questionnaire (IBS-QOL), and traditional Chinese medicine pattern curative effect scoring system (TCM-PES) before and after treatment.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in the total effective rate between the two groups (82.76% vs. 77.59%, P > 0.05). The treatment group was superior in the total IBS-BSS integral to the control group (P < 0.05). The total effective rate of improving the stool property was better in the treatment group than in the control group (81.03% vs. 72.41%, P < 0.05). Besides, the number of days for emergent defecation among 10 days was less in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The improvement of the total IBS-QOL integral and the total integral of TCM syndrome were better in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.01). The total effective rate of TCM-PES was better in the treatment group than in the control group (84.48% vs. 70.69%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONYFD was effective in the treatment of IBS-D patients of Gan-qi invading Pi syndrome, and could effectively relieve bowel symptoms, improve the stool property and the defecation frequency, elevate their QOL, and attenuate Gan-qi invading Pi syndrome with favorable safety and compliance.

Adult ; Diarrhea ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Morpholines ; therapeutic use ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To study the early expression of ca]pain Ⅱ and microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2) mRNA in the hippocampus of the lateral fluid percussion injury rats. Methods 18 Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. The changes of Calpaln Ⅱ and MAP2 mRNA in hippocampus 3 h after injury were detected by real-time PCR. Results Compared to the control group (n = 6), the expression for Ca]pain Ⅱ mRNA increased obviously(P <0.01)in the lateral fluid percussion injury group(n=6) ,the expression for MAP2 mRNA degraded obviously(P <0.01). Compared with the lateral fluid percussion injury group(n =6) ,the expression for calpuin Ⅱ mRNA in the mild hypothermia group degraded obviously (n = 6), the expression for MAP2 mRNA increased obviously(P <0.01). Conclusion Mild hypothermia may act as neuroprotection by inhibiting the expression of Ca]pain Ⅱ and easing the degradation of cytoskeleton.

Traditional mineral Chinese medicine is a characteristic part of Chinese medicine, in the development of traditional Chinese medicine has its unique role. With the development of science and technology and the increase of the medical level, traditional mineral medicine research is gradually thorough and wide-ranging. In recent years, traditional mineral Chinese medicine research mainly includes the physical properties of mineral medicine, structure, chemical composition, pharmacology and treatment mechanism research. The above several aspects of research in the mineral medicine has important practical and theoretical significance. The above several aspects of research status and the problems existing in the research were briefly summarized and reviewed in this paper, and its development were discussed, to provide reference for further studies in the future.
Animals ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Minerals ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Physical Phenomena

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Chronic Disease ; epidemiology ; Dyslipidemias ; epidemiology ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; epidemiology ; Smoking ; epidemiology

Objective:To explore the pathogenesis of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS)with respect to the bal- ance of Th1/Th2.Methods:Eighteen healthy male minipigs,weighing 22-30 kg,were randomly divided into two groups: MODS group and control group.Double-hit method including hemorrhagic shock and endotoxiemia was used to establish the porcine MODS model.The peripheral vein blood samples were collected at different time-points(before bloodletting,before en- dotoxin injection,1 h,24 h,48 h and 72 h after endotoxin injection)in the two groups.The spleen samples were collected after death of the animals.Plasma levels of IFN-?and IL-4 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Real- time PCR was used to detect the expression of IFN-?,IL-4,T-bet and GATA-3 mRNA(The latter 2 were the key transcription factors associated with Th1/Th2 response)in the spleen samples.Results:The plasma levels of IFN-?and IL-4 quickly reached the peak values 1 h after the endotoxin injection,then the level of IFN-?decreased quickly.The ratio of IFN-?/IL-4 was signifi- cantly lower than the baseline value 72 h after endotoxin injection(P=0.000).The ratio of IFN-?/IL-4 mRNA in MODS group was obviously lower than that in the control group(P=0.020);the ratio of T-bet/GATA-3 was also lower in MODS group (P=0.038).Conclusion:The shift from Th1 to Th2 occurs in the progress of MODS.

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in clinical efficacy on lumber disc herniation (LDH) treated with Yaoyangguan (GV 3) between mild moxibustion under thermosensitive condition and that under non-thermo-sensitive condition.

METHODSFifty-seven LDH patients were selected as the study objects. Mild moxibustion at Yaoyangguan (GV 3) was applied for 45 min each time. Additionally, the conventional acupuncture was given, once a day, for 20 days. At the end of treatment, two groups were classified. A thermosensitive acupoint group (thermosensitive group) was composed of the cases with thermo-sensitization at Yaoyangguan (GV 3) and presenting for > or =4 times in the entire treatment. A non-thermosensitive acupoint group (tranquilization group) was composed of the cases without thermo-sensitization or the frequency of thermo-sensitization <4 times in the entire treatment. The modified Japanese orthopedics association scoring system (M-JOA) was adopted to observe the cases before and after treatment and 6 months after treatment in the two groups. The efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment and in 6 months after treatment, the score of M-JOA was apparently reduced as compared with that before treatment in the two groups (all P<0.05). The score reducing in the thermosensitization group was more obvious than that in the tranquilization group (both P<0.01). After treatment and in 6 months after treatment, the curative rate and remarkably effective rate were 89.7% (26/29) and 79.3% (23/29), which was better than 71.4% (20/28) and 60.7% (17/28, both P<0.05) in the tranquilization group separately.

CONCLUSIONMild moxibustion at acupoint under thermosensitive condition achieves the better short-term and long-term effects as compared with that under non-thermosensitive condition.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Treatment Outcome

On account of the dense cuticles of the fresh stem and the light, hard and pliable texture of the dried stem, Dendrobii Caulis is difficult to dry or pulverize. So, it is very important to the ancient doctors that Dendrobii Caulis should be properly treated and applied to keep or evoke its medicinal effects. The current textual research results about the preliminary processing, processing and usage methods of Dendrobii Caulis showed that: (1) In history the clinical use of fresh or processed Dendrobii Caulis as teas and tinctures were very common. (2) Its roots and rhizomes would be removed before using. (3) Some ancillary approaches were applied to shorten drying times, such as rinsing with boiling mulberry-ash soup, washing or soaking with liquor, mixing with rice pulp and then basking, etc. (4) According to the ancients knowledge, the sufficient pulverization, by means of slicing, rasping, hitting or pestling techniques, was necessary for Dendrobii Caulis to take its effects. (5) The heat processing methods for Dendrobii Caulis included stir-baking, stir-frying, steaming, decocting and stewing techniques, usually with liquor as an auxiliary material. Among above mentioned, steaming by pretreating with liquor was most commonly used, and this scheme was colorfully drawn in Bu Yi Lei Gong Pao Zhi Bian Lan (Ming Dynasty, 1591 CE) ; moreover, decocting in advance or long-time simmering so as to prepare paste products were recommended in the Qing Dynasty. (6) Some different processing programs involving stir-baking with grit, air-tightly baking with ondol (Kangs), fumigating with sulfur, which appeared in modern times and brought attractive outward appearance of the drug, went against ancients original intentions of ensuring drug efficacy.
Dendrobium ; History, Ancient ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; history ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; history

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of warm-hot nature Chinese drugs (WHNCD) for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis (PBCRBS) for intervening model rats of cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome (CCBSS).

METHODSCCBSS rat model was set up in outbred SD rats using ice water immersion method. Totally 300 successfully modeled CCBSS rats were randomly divided into 5 groups according to the principle of balance weight, 60 in each group. Contents of triothyrone (T3), tetraiodothyroine (T4), progesterone (P), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and noradrenalin (NE) were paralleledly detected in all groups. Then rats in each group were subdivided into 6 subgroups as the model group, the curcuma group, the Ligsticum Chuanxiong group, the safflower group, the Rhizoma Corydalis group, and the Olibanumg group. Besides, 5 normal control groups were set up for 5 indices, 50 rats in total. We need 70 rats (7 groups) to finish observing 1 index, 350 rats in total for 5 indices. Except those in the model group and the normal control group, rats were administered with corresponding decoction at 20 g crude drugs/kg body weight by gastrogavage, 3 mL each time, once daily for 7 successive days. Equal volume of normal saline was given to rats in the normal control group and the model group. Contents of T3, T4, P, 5-HT, and NE were detected before treatment and 1 week after treatment.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment in the same group, T3 increased in the Ligsticum Chuanxiong group and the Olibanumg group, 5-HT increased in the Ligsticum Chuanxiong group, T4, NE, and P increased in all medicated groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, contents of T3, T4, 5-HT, NE, and P in the model group decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, contents of T3, T4, 5-HT, and NE increased in each medicated group (P < 0.05). There was statistical difference in contents of P between the Ligsticum Chuanxiong group and the Olibanumg group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSWHNCD for PBCRBS had regulatory roles in serum contents of T3, T4, P, and NE in modeled rats of CCBSS. They could promote the thyroid gland-gonadal axis function, enhance the function of the endocrine system, which might be one of the pharmacodynamic mechanism of WHNCD for PBCRBS in intervening CCBSS.

Animals ; Blood Coagulation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Hot Temperature ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Norepinephrine ; metabolism ; Progesterone ; metabolism ; Rats ; Serotonin ; metabolism

To understand Lophatherum gracile plant community's structural characteristics, a survey of community structure and species diversity was conducted through quadrat sampling in Yongchuan district of Chongqing. The results showed that there were 386 species vascular plants, belonging to 117 families and 229 genera. Based on habitat, community structure and species composition, L. gracile were found in three community types: Pinus massoniana community, banboo community, shurb community. Vertical structure was composed of three layers, including tree layer, shrub layer and herb layer. Species in shrub layer was the richness. P. massoniana is the only dominant species of the community, it can not regenerate naturally, the shrub layer has a greater effect on the community of L. gracile in the future. In addition, the banboo community and shurb community is not stable because of human's activity. Therefore, the community characters of L. gracile should be taken care of conservation when the resources are utilized.
China ; Ecosystem ; Pinus ; physiology ; Plants ; Poaceae ; physiology