Promoting the international acceptance of clinical studies about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions is a key strategy for internationalization of TCM. However, the complexities of TCM interventions—in terms of the theories, practice patterns, and components—pose challenges to the design and implementation of clinical studies that are well accepted by the international community. This article summarized the current status of clinical studies about TCM interventions that were published in international journals, explored underlying barriers hindering the international acceptance, and discussed potential strategies for future development.

Promoting the international acceptance of clinical studies about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions is a key strategy for internationalization of TCM. However, the complexities of TCM interventions—in terms of the theories, practice patterns, and components—pose challenges to the design and implementation of clinical studies that are well accepted by the international community. This article summarized the current status of clinical studies about TCM interventions that were published in international journals, explored underlying barriers hindering the international acceptance, and discussed potential strategies for future development.

Promoting the international acceptance of clinical studies about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions is a key strategy for internationalization of TCM. However, the complexities of TCM interventions—in terms of the theories, practice patterns, and components—pose challenges to the design and implementation of clinical studies that are well accepted by the international community. This article summarized the current status of clinical studies about TCM interventions that were published in international journals, explored underlying barriers hindering the international acceptance, and discussed potential strategies for future development.

This paper summarized the characteristics, rehabilitation needs, and situation and problems of stroke dysfunction in China. Approaches and methods of family rehabilitation were also discussed.

0.05). In the non-smoking group, the pulse pressures of patients with coronary heart disease were significantly higher than those of subjects with negative angiographic results. Among the three subgroups with different severity of coronary arterial lesion, the pulse pressure of 3-vessel diseases was higher than those of both 2-vessel and 1-vessel subgroup. The pulse pressure of subjects with negative angiographic results in smoking group was significantly higher than that in non-smoking group [(56.1?17.2) mm Hg vs (50.9?11.4) mm Hg,1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa P

AIM: To investigate the changes of intrarenal endothelin system in the course of congestive heart failure. METHODS: A canine congestive heart failure model induced by rapid right ventricular pacing was used in the present study. Twenty-one mongrel dogs divided randomly into 3 groups: control, congestive heart failure 2 weeks(CHF2) and congestive heart failure 4 weeks (CHF4). The severity of heart failure was evaluated by means of hemodynamic measurement. The concentration of plasma endothelin was detected via RIA, and the expression of endothelin was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: The concentration of plasma endothelin in both of CHF2 and CHF4 elevated significantly. In CHF2, the expression of endothelin receptor B(ETB) in renal medulla increased significantly. And in CHF4, the expression of preproendothelin, endothelin receptor A(ETA) and ETB increased both in renal cortex and medulla. Furthermore, in cortex, the expression of ETA increased more significantly than ETB, while in medulla, ETB expressed much more than ETA. CONCLUSION: The changes of renal endothelin system expression plays a role in the regulation of water and electrolyte balance during the progress of congestive heart failure.

AIM: To evaluate expression of the components of endothelin system in pulmonary tissue in a canine pacing-induced congestive heart failure model. METHODS: Twenty-one dogs were divided into 3 groups received 2 (pacing 2 group) or 4 weeks (pacing 4 group) rapid right ventricular pacing, respectively, whereas the other group consisted of 7 dogs received sham-operation as control group. Haemodynamic parameters were detected via left and right heart catheterization. Plasma endothelin-1 was determined by means of RIA. In addition, RT-PCR was used to quantify expression of mRNA of components of endothelin system using ?-actin as internal control. One-way ANOVA and linear regression analysis were used for statistical study. RESULTS:Plasma endothelin-1 increased significantly in heart failure animals. The ratio of preproET-1 to ? actin mRNA was significantly increased from 0.14?0.06 in control group to 0.35?0.08 in pacing 2 group and 0.53?0.08 in pacing 4 group ( P