ObjectiveTo analyze the efficacy and safety of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction （补中益气汤， BYD） in the treatment of mechanically ventilated patients of intensive care unit acquired weakness （ICU-AW） with spleen qi deficiency syndrome. MethodsSeventy-two patients eligible for mechanical ventilation ICU-AW and spleen qi deficiency were selected and randomly divided into routine ICU basic treatment and nursing combined with nasal feeding or oral administration of normal saline 3 times a day， 50 ml per time as control group， and routine ICU basic treatment and nursing combined with BYD 3 times a day， 50 ml per time as treatment group， with 36 cases in each group. The treatment cycle was 7 days. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， Medical Research Council （MRC） score， diaphragm mobility， diaphragm thickness at the end of inspiration and expiration， diaphragm thickness rate， time to successfully remove the tracheal tube， superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA） levels of patients were measured before and after treatment， and the efficacy of TCM syndrome was evaluated. ResultsThe total effective rate regarding TCM syndrome was 88.89% in the treatment group， which was higher than 66.67% in the control group （P = 0.033）. After treatment， the main symptom score， secondary symptom score and total score of TCM syndrome， diaphragm mobility and MDA level significantly decreased in both groups， while MRC score， diaphragm thickness rate and SOD level increased （P＜0.01）， with more improvement in the treatment group than in the control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The number of successful tracheal intubation removal within 7 days after treatment in the treatment group （28/36 cases， 77.78%） was higher than that in the control group （19/36 cases， 52.78%）. ConclusionBasic treatment combined with oral administration of BYD can improve the MRC score， general condition， diaphragm contraction， and antioxidant capacity of patients with mechanical ventilation in ICU-AW with spleen qi deficiency， thereby improving the success rate of extubation with sound safety.

BACKGROUND:Tougu Xiaotong Capsule (TGXTC) is a clinical prescription for the treatment of osteoarthritis;however, its mechanism has not been ful y elucidated. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) system participating in the degradation of the extracel ular matrix of articular cartilage and hyperplasia of joint synovium plays an important role in the pathological process of osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of TGXTC medicated serum on the expression of uPA, uPA receptor (uPAR), plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAIs), matrix metal oproteinase-3 (MMP-3), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in osteoarthritis synovial cel s of rats and to discuss the mechanism by TGXTC medicated serum prevents and cures osteoarthritis. METHODS:Rat models with knee osteoarthritis were established by injecting 4%papain into the knee joint cavity. Primary synoviocytes and osteoarthritis synoviocytes were cultured with col agenase digestion method. The cultured synoviocytes were divided into normal group, model group and TGXTC group. The western blot method was adopted to detect uPA, uPAR, PAI, MMP-3, IL-1βand TNF-αprotein expression of synoviocytes after acting by TGXTC medicated serum for 72 hours. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The expression of uPA, uPAR, MMP-3, IL-1βand TNF-αwere decreased, while PAI was increased in the TGXTC group, and there were significant differences when compared with model group. In a word, TGXTC can significantly inhibit the expression of uPA, uPAR, MMP-3, IL-1β, TNF-α, and improve PAI expression in synoviocytes, which may partly explain the mechanism of the treatment of Tougu Xiaotong Capsule on osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND:Bone marrow stromal stem cel s have multilineage differentiation capacity and can differentiate into transparent chondrocytes under certain conditions, which can provide new thoughts for treatment of osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of Tougu Xiaotong Granule containing serum on the cartilage differentiation of bone marrow stromal stem cel s. METHODS:Bone marrow stromal stem cel s from Sprague-Dawley rat limbs were cultured in vitro, and those cel s at passage 3 were used in the study. Cel s were divided into six groups:saline serum group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule water extract group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule alcohol extract group, chondroinductive group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule water extract and chondroinductive group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule alcohol extract and chondroinductive group. The Sox9, col agen Ⅱ, and col agen X mRNA and protein expression levels were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After cel s were intervened with drug-containing serum for 14 days, the Sox9, col agen Ⅱ, and col agen X mRNA and protein expression in Tougu Xiaotong Granule water extract group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule alcohol extract group, chondroinductive group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule water extract and chondroinductive group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule alcohol extract and chondroinductive group were significantly higher than that in saline serum group (P<0.05, P<0.01). In addition, the chondroinductive group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule water extract serum and chondroinductive group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule alcohol extract and chondroinductive group showed significantly higher expression levels than Tougu Xiaotong Granule water extract serum group, Tougu Xiaotong Granule alcohol extract group (P<0.01). Sox9 expression in Tougu Xiaotong Granule water extract serum and chondroinductive group were significantly higher than that in the chondroinductive group. Experimental findings indicate that, Tougu Xiaotong Granule containing serum can accelerate bone marrow stromal stem cel s differentiate into cartilage cel s by up-regulation of Sox9 expression.