Based on a systematic review of morphology and distribution of plants, alternate names, actions, and properties of herbs recorded in ancient and modern literatures, in combination of field investigation, 18 Chinese herbal medicines recorded in ancient bencao literature were regarded to be derived from 7 species in the Ardisia genus. Among them, the variety Ardisia crenata f. hortensis was identified as the source of Zhushagen and Zijinniu. A. hanceana is referenced as Tiesan in the illustrated atlas of Botanical Nomenclature (Zhiwu Mingshi Tukao). The name Pingdimu refers to a different substance in the illustrated atlas of Botanical Nomenclature and the Flower Mirror (Huajing). The medicinals named Yedihong, Aicha, and Duanjiao sanlangare all derived from A. japonica. The origin of the herb Xiaoqing referenced in the Illustrated Classic of the Materia Medica (Bencao Tujing) is A. pusilla. The medicinals Bailiangjin, Jiuguanxue and Zoumatai are derived from A. crispa, A. brevicaulis, and A. gigantifolia, respectively. This investigation clarifies the botanical sources and actions of related Chinese medicinal materials in the genus Ardisia, and provides clues and evidence for utilizing and developing their medicinal plant resources.

To explore the clinical effect of Sanbitang recipe in treatment for the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with kidney empty and cold-dampness symptom and its safety. A total 168 cases eligible patients were randomly divided into the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group, the chemical medicine group and the TCM combined with chemical medicine group, with 56 cases in each group. The TCM group was treated with Sanbitang recipe; The chemical medicine group was given methotrexate tablets; And Sanbitang recipe and methotrexate tablets was adopted in the TCM combined with chemical medicine group. A course of treatment was 16 weeks. Health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), disease activity scores 28-joint counts (DAS28), visual analogue scale (VAS), TCM symptom, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) were detected. The efficiencies and incidence of adverse reactions in the three groups were compared. The total effective rate of the TCM combined with chemical medicine group was 92.7%, which was higher than 79.2% of the TCM group and 82.4% of the chemical medicine group (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the TCM group and the chemical medicine group. This suggested that Sanbitang recipe was effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with kidney empty and cold-dampness symptom. After treatment, the scores of HAQ, DAS28, VAS, ESR, CRP, CCP and RF of the TCM combined with chemical medicine group were significantly higher (P<0.05) among the three groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the TCM group and the chemical medicine group. This indicated that Sanbitang recipe could effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with kidney empty and cold-dampness symptom. In terms of efficiency and incidence of adverse reactions, the order from low to high was that the TCM group (3.8%, 2/53)

Stomach pain in Chinese medicine (CM) is a very common disorder in clinical practice and it has been listed as one of the pilot three conditions in Hong Kong to develop evidence-based CM clinical practice guidelines (CM CPGs). The aim of this stomach Pain CPG is to summarize the treatment methods of stomach pain with CM and evaluate reasonably, then to guide local licensed CM practitioners and provide beneficial reference for social medical decision makers and patients. In this manuscript, we defined stomach pain in CM and the category of chronic gastritis in Western medicine. The clinical manifestation, CM pattern classification, and CM intervention including herbal medicine treatment based on pattern differentiation, symptomatic treatment, acupuncture treatment, regulation and nursing were illustrated.

OBJECTIVETo examine the effects of brucine on the invasion, migration and bone resorption of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis.

METHODSThe osteoclastogenesis model was builded by co-culturing human breast tumor MDA-MB-231 and mouse RAW264.7 macrophages cells. RANKL (50 ng/mL) and macrophage-colony stimulating factor (50 ng/mL) were added to this system, followed by treatment with brucine (0.02, 0.04 and 0.08 mmol/L), or 10 μmol/L zoledronic acid as positive control. The migration and bone resorption were measured by transwell assay and in vitro bone resorption assay. The protein expressions of Jagged1 and Notch1 were investigated by Western blot. The expressions of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and Hes1 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSCompared with the model group, brucine led to a dose-dependent decrease on migration of MDA-MB-231 cells, inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption of RAW264.7 cells (P<0.01). Furthermore, brucine decreased the protein levels of Jagged1 and Notch1 in MDA-MB-231 cells and RAW264.7 cells co-cultured system as well as the expressions of TGF-β1, NF-κB and Hes1 (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONBrucine may inhibit osteoclastogenesis by suppressing Jagged1/Notch1 signaling pathways.

Animals ; Bone Neoplasms ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; secondary ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Humans ; Jagged-1 Protein ; metabolism ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; physiology ; Mice ; Osteoclasts ; drug effects ; physiology ; Receptor, Notch1 ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Strychnine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the safety, feasibility, clinical value, indication, and distribution of diagnostic diseases in different age groups of colonoscopy in pediatric patients.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed on the data of pediatric patients receiving colonoscopy from April 2013 to June 2016 at The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Pediatric patients were divided into 0-6 years group (n=57) and 7-14 years group (n=172). Indication for colonoscopy, detective events and diagnostic diseases distribution were compared between two groups.

RESULTSA total of 229 pediatric patients (male 157 and female 72) were divided into 0-6 years group (57/229, 24.9%) and 7-14 years group(172/229, 75.1%). The main Indications for colonoscopy included abdominal pain (81/229, 35.4%), hematochezia (64/229, 27.9%), crissum abscess or fistula (40/229, 17.5%). Hematochezia was the most common complaint in 0-6 years group (40/57, 70.2%), while abdominal pain in 7-14 years group (74/172, 43.0%). Completion rate between 0-6 years group and 7-14 years group was not significantly different (87.72% vs. 85.47%, χ=0.181, P=0.671). Only one pediatric patient (1/229, 0.4%) developed transient oxygen desaturation and recovered quickly after oxygen supply and aspiration of sputum. No serious complications such as bleeding, perforation or death occurred. Including 45 pediatric patients in 0-6 years group and 102 pediatric patients in 7-14 years group, a total of 147 pediatric patients (147/229, 64.2%) were found to have colorectal lesions. Inflammatory bowel disease (57/147, 38.8%), colonic polyps (40/147, 27.2%) and other intestinal inflammation (39/147, 26.5%) were the main findings. The most frequent diagnosis in 0-6 years group was colonic polyps (28/57, 49.1%), among them, 25 pediatric patients (25/28, 89.3%) were with the complaint of hematochezia. The most frequent diagnosis in 7-14 years group was Inflammatory bowel disease (54/172, 31.4%), among them, 29 pediatric patients (29/54, 53.7%) were with the complaint of abdominal pain.

CONCLUSIONSPediatric colonoscopy is safe and effective. Hematochezia and abdominal pain are the most common complaints in 0-6 years group and 7-14 years group respectively. Colonic polyps and inflammatory bowel disease are the most frequent diagnosis in 0-6 years group and 7-14 years group respectively.

BACKGROUNDThe emergency department (ED) has a pivotal influence on the management of acute heart failure (AHF), but data concerning current ED management are scarce. This Beijing AHF Registry Study investigated the characteristics, ED management, and short- and long-term clinical outcomes of AHF.

METHODSThis prospective, multicenter, observational study consecutively enrolled 3335 AHF patients who visited 14 EDs in Beijing from January 1, 2011, to September 23, 2012. Baseline data on characteristics and management were collected in the EDs. Follow-up data on death and readmissions were collected until November 31, 2013, with a response rate of 92.80%. The data were reported as median (interquartile range) for the continuous variables, or as number (percentage) for the categorical variables.

RESULTSThe median age of the enrolled patients was 71 (58-79) years, and 46.84% were women. In patients with AHF, coronary heart disease (43.27%) was the most common etiology, and myocardium ischemia (30.22%) was the main precipitant. Most of the patients in the ED received intravenous treatments, including diuretics (79.28%) and vasodilators (74.90%). Fewer patients in the ED received neurohormonal antagonists, and 25.94%, 31.12%, and 33.73% of patients received angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, and spironolactone, respectively. The proportions of patients who were admitted, discharged, left against medical advice, and died were 55.53%, 33.58%, 7.08%, and 3.81%, respectively. All-cause mortalities at 30 days and 1 year were 15.30% and 32.27%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSSubstantial details on characteristics and ED management of AHF were investigated. The clinical outcomes of AHF patients were dismal. Thus, further investigations of ED-based therapeutic approaches for AHF are needed.

In this paper, the status of adjuvant standard for Chinese materia medica processing in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 edition, the National Specification of Chinese Materia Medica Processing, and the 29 provincial specification of Chinese materia medica was summarized, and the the status including general requirements, specific requirements, and quality standard in the three grade official specifications was collected and analyzed according to the "medicine-adjuvant homology" and "food-adjuvant homology" features of adjuvants. This paper also introduced the research situation of adjuvant standard for Chinese materia medica processing in China; In addition, analyzed and discussed the problems existing in the standard system of adjuvant for Chinese materia medica processing, such as lack of general requirements, low level of standard, inconsistent standard references, and lack of research on the standard, and provided suggestions for the further establishment of the national standards system of adjuvant for Chinese materia medica processing.

OBJECTIVETo survey the reporting quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) case reports published in recent years and understand the common problems. The assessment results would lay the foundation for the development of recommendations for case report in Chinese medicine.

METHODSThis survey determined the reporting quality of cases with Chinese herbal decoction, Chinese proprietary medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion and other traditional therapies published in 20 core medical journals of China by searching the China Academic Journals Full-text Database from 2006 to 2010. Fifty survey items in 16 domains were used to determine the reporting quality. One point was assigned to each item (Yes=1 point; No=0 point), and total score was 50 points. The domain of treatment was assessed independently, ranging from 2 to 9 items for different TCM interventions.

RESULTSThe total of 1,858 case reports, covering 3,417 cases were included to analyze from 13 out of 20 core medical journals of China. There were 74.8% of them did not identify the nature of study in title, while 73.9% did not comprise an abstract. Incomplete reporting was found in discussions/ comment, and only 38.9% had made recommendations or take-away messages. Figures and tables were infrequently used. Three cases cited the full names of patients, but without declaring that any consent was obtained. Over 90% reported the symptoms and signs of TCM, and characteristics on tongue and pulse, but less than 50% did mention other medical history and diagnostic rationale. More than 90% treatments of the included cases were herbal decoction, with clear reporting on the ingredients and dosages. However, the reporting rate of the dosages of each ingredient was just 48.4%. Almost none reported the quality control of crude herbs, manufacturers and lot numbers of herbal proprietary medicine. Besides, advices and precautions on diet, emotions and living were rare to be illustrated.

CONCLUSIONSystematic reporting recommendations are urged to develop for improving the contents and format of case reports in TCM.

Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Periodicals as Topic ; Quality Assurance, Health Care ; Research Report ; standards