Integrative medicine (IM) has made great progress after more than half a century practice. However, many issues are yet to be in-depth explored. How to define clinical connotation and extension of IM, how to define feasible methods and means for diagnosis and treatment of IM, how to train more skilled talents of IM, how to elevate clinical efficacy of IM, these are all topics in need of further study. In this paper authors explored the clinical development mode of IM, extracted connotation and extension of IM clinics, hoping to promote the development of IM clinics.
Integrative Medicine ; trends

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Adult ; Air Pollutants ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Military Medicine ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; Noise, Occupational ; adverse effects

Objective To investigate the relationship of the serum level of IL-23 and MMP-9 with the clinicopathologic features in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods 48 pathologically confirmed ESCC patients and 30 Endoscopic biopsy of benign were included in this study. The serum levels of IL-23 and MMP-9 were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Serum IL-23 level in patients with ESCC was significantly higher than that in controls (t = 26.66, 16.89, P<0.05). Furthermore, Pearson′s correlation analysis revealed that serum IL-23 was positively correlated with the serum MMP-9 level in ESCC patients (r = 0.790, P < 0.05). Statistical analysis showed that enhanced serum IL-23 significantly correlated with the degree of differentiation and lymph node metastasis. Conclusion Overexpression of IL-23 may involve in the occurrence and development of ESCC. IL-23 may contribute to tumorinvasion and metastasis by stimulating the expression of MMP-9.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a crucial role in T cell dysfunction, which is related to poor outcome in patients with severe trauma. Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) contributes to immune disorder in trauma and infection via production of prostaglandin E2. However, the role of Cox-2 in the accumulation and function of MDSCs after traumatic stress has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we treated murine trauma model with NS398, a selective Cox-2 inhibitor. Then the percentages of CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells, proliferation and apoptosis of CD4+ T cells were determined. Arginase activity and arginase-1 (Arg-1) protein expression of splenic CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells, and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response were analyzed. The results showed that Cox-2 blockade significantly decreased the percentages of CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells in the spleen and bone marrow 48 and 72 h after traumatic stress. NS398 inhibited arginase activity and down-regulated the Arg-1 expression of splenic CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells. Moreover, NS398 could promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of CD4+ T cells. It also restored DTH response of traumatic mice. Taken together, our data revealed that Cox-2 might play a pivotal role in the accumulation and function of MDSC after traumatic stress.

Humans ; Aconitine/analysis* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Poisoning/diagnosis*

Adult ; Angiomyolipoma ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; metabolism ; Epithelioid Cells ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism ; Nephrectomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

To evaluate the regulating effect of Buyang Huanwu decoction and its simple prescription (Naojian tablet) on CDK4/Cyclin D1 expression in hippocampus tissues of rats with cerebral ischemia, SD rats were divided into the sham-operation group, the model group, the Buyang Huanwu decoction group (ig, 3.15 g · kg⁻¹) and the simple prescription group (ig, 2.41 g · kg⁻¹). Each group was further divided into five subgroups based on time points after the administration, i. e. 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d and 28 d, respectively. CDK4/Cyclin D1 expressions of the group at different time points were examined by using immunohistochemistry and real-time qPCR. According to the results, the cerebral ischemia model group showed higher CDK4/Cyclin D1 expression than the sham-operation groups (P < 0.05), suggesting that the cell cycle signal pathway would be activated by the cerebral ischemic injury. Both Buyang Huanwu decoction and simple prescription groups showed significantly lower cyclin expression than the model group at 3 d, 7 d, 14 d, 28 d (P < 0.05), indicating both Buyang Huanwu decoction and its simple prescription could play the neuroprotective effect through the cell cycle signal pathway.
Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cyclin D1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of gastrodia in extracorporeal oriented inducing the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into neuron-like cells.

METHODSMesenchymal stem cells were separated from bone marrow of rats by wall sticking method, amplifying cultured in vitro, and differentiated into neuron-like cells by oriented induction with gastrodia. The morphology of cells was observed under light microscopy, neuro-specific enolase (NSE), nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected by immunocytochemistry.

RESULTSRats mesenchymal stem cells could be separated and amplified in vitro. After being induced by gastrodia for 2 hrs, most of the cells would be differentiated into meuron-like cells, revealing cytodendrite. By immunochemical staining, cells showed positive of NSE, nestin, and negative of GFAP.

CONCLUSIONRats' mesenchymal stem cells could be induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gastrodia ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Intermediate Filament Proteins ; metabolism ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; metabolism ; Nestin ; Neurons ; cytology ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo compare the effect of reinforcing Shen method (RSM) and activating blood method (ABM) in treating osteoarthritis (OA) at the molecular level.

METHODSThe physical and chemical characteristics of components from respective recipes of RSM and ABM, and network features of component-target interaction network were analyzed by computer simulation methods including chemical space, molecular docking, and biological network, etc.

RESULTSThe chemical components of RSM and ABM were scarcely scattered with larger overlapping. Among established networks, the distribution of network features was partially similar in RSM and ABM. The average target number correlated with each component was 1.86 in RSM and 2.11 in ABM respectively. Each average target number was respectively correlated with 4.46 compounds and 3.93 compounds, reflecting multi-component and multi-target actions.

CONCLUSIONComputer simulation could intuitively trace out similarities and differences of two different methods and their interaction with targets, which revealed that the compatibility of RSM and ABM could have broader protein targets and potential synergism at the molecular level.

Computer Simulation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Osteoarthritis ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; methods