1.Study on the mechanism of moxibustion for rheumatoid arthritis based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
Xiangtian PANG ; Yufei LENG ; Yao YAO ; Danwen WANG ; Cheng LI ; Xiao XU ; Zhiling SUN
Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science 2022;20(4):247-256
Objective: To explore the mechanism of moxibustion for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by observing the metabolite changes in urine using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomic analysis. Methods: Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, and a moxibustion group. Rats in the model and moxibustion groups were established as collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) models. The control and model groups did not receive any intervention; rats in the moxibustion group received moxibustion at Shenshu (BL23) and Zusanli (ST36). After three weeks of intervention, ankle joint, serum, and urine samples were collected for pathological examinations and metabolomic tests. Results: After moxibustion treatment, the CIA rats showed increased body mass, reduced swelling of the hind paws and arthritis score, decreased serum cytokine levels, and improved histopathological evaluation of the ankle joint. Twenty-four significantly altered metabolites were found, mainly involved in alanine metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, phenylalanine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, and primary bile acid biosynthesis. These metabolites may serve as potential biomarkers for RA. Conclusion: Moxibustion can effectively resist inflammation in CIA rats. The potential biomarkers and the abnormal metabolic pathways of RA can be identified by LC-MS-based metabolomics. Metabolomics may be an effective way to explain the mechanism of moxibustion in treating RA.
2.Suggestions on the adjustment of therapeutic drugs for COPD in the national essential medicine list
Licheng ZHANG ; Ming GAO ; Yufei FENG ; Yanliang MA ; Jiahua LENG
China Pharmacy 2023;34(16):1931-1935
OBJECTIVE To provide a reference for the standardized treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the adjustment of therapeutic drugs for COPD in the national essential medicine list. METHODS Relevant clinical experts, pharmaceutical experts and medical insurance experts were invited to sort out the COPD treatment drugs involved in the domestic and foreign COPD clinical guidelines, the national essential medicine list, the WHO standard list of essential medicine, the national medical insurance catalogue, and comparatively analyzed the COPD treatment drugs. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS Compared with domestic clinical guidelines, foreign clinical guidelines included an additional COPD triple preparation, while involving fewer types of expectorants and antioxidants; there were only 12 kinds of COPD treatment drugs included in the WHO standard list of essential medicine, while there were 18 kinds in the national essential medicine list in China, and more theophylline drugs, expectorants and antioxidants were included. In addition, 15 kinds of COPD treatment drugs were found in both the national clinical guidelines and the national medical insurance catalogue, but not in the national essential medicine list, including terbutaline, levalbuterol hydrochloride, salmeterol, formoterol, indacaterol, beclometasone, mometasone furoate, salbutamol ipratropium, glycopyrronium formoterol, umeclidinium vilanterol, indacaterol glycopyrronium, beclometasone formoterol, budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate, fluticasone furoate/vilanterol/umeclidinium, and fudosteine, which were mainly long-acting beta 2-agonists and COPD triple preparations. These drugs had certain evidence-based medicine evidence, their efficacy and economy had certain advantages, and their impact on the budget of the medical insurance fund was controllable. Therefore, it is suggested that the aforementioned drugs should be included in the essential medicines list in the subsequent update.