Zhong xi yi jie he xue bao = Journal of Chinese integrative medicine最新文献

Cold-heat problem is one core of traditional Chinese medicine theory. This paper summarizes the experimental research related to the biological basis of cold-heat essence in cold-heat syndrome, cold-heat body constitution and cold-heat property of Chinese herbs. In view of the classical physiological and biochemical indices, gene expression, protein expression and metabolic differences, differences in cold-heat syndrome or cold-heat constitution are mainly based on neurotransmitter, thyroid function, sex hormone, cyclic nucleotide system, and energy metabolism relating to the corresponding gene and protein expression. Furthermore, this paper analyses the change of correlation indices that accompany with a dynamic development process of "constitution-syndrome-herbal intervention", implying that the research of biological basis of cold-heat essence has turned from single index to multiple indices, and from dispersion research to system research.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a kind of chronic autoimmune disease and osteoporosis is one of its complications.

Objective: To explore the effects of Qianggu Capsule, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis in patients with RA.

Design, setting, participants and intervention: Eighty-two patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, who were treated in Shanghai Guanghua Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from January 2010 to December 2011, were divided into treatment group (42 cases) and control group (40 cases). The patients in the treatment group were administered with Qianggu Capsule and two disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The patients in the control group were administered with two common-used antirheumatic drugs. The course of treatment was 6 months.

Main outcome measures: Blood levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), calcium, phosphorus, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were determined before and after the treatment. BMD in the lumbar spine, femur and the left distal radius were also examined before and after the treatment.

Results: The ALP level, a bone metabolic parameter, was significantly increased in patients of the treatment group after treatment compared with before treatment. BMD values in the lumbar spine, femur and the radius were higher after treatment than before treatment (P<0.05). There were no changes in ALP level and BMD in the patients of the control group after the treatment when compared with before treatment.

Conclusion: Treatment with Qianggu Capsule can increase BMD of RA patients, and then ameliorate their osteoporosis.

Objective: The study was formulated with the objective to assess phytochemical constituents, antibacterial activity and anticancer activity of Alpinia purpurata.

Methods: The leaves of A. purpurata were washed thoroughly by tap water, shade dried and powdered. The plant powder was extracted with successive solvent system. Phytochemical constituents were evaluated, antibacterial activity was carried out by disc diffusion method and anticancer activity of the ethyl acetate leaf extract was evaluated by using 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay.

Results: The ethyl acetate extract of A. purpurata showed most of the phytochemicals. The extract exhibited antibacterial activity with a zone of inhibition from 5 to 14 mm at various concentrations and the extract showed potential anticancer activity against PA1 ovarian cancer cell line at the 48 h with half maximal inhibitory concentration value of 110.25 μg/mL and exhibited a dose-dependent decrease in cell count for all the concentrations tested.

Conclusion: The present study scientifically proved that ethyl acetate leaf extract of A. purpurata is a good source of phytoconstituents, showing antibacterial and anticancer activities.

Objective: To study the different effects of soy extract on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures in the presence and absence of ovarian hormones in rats, and the gender-dependent differences in the effects of phytoestrogens on behavior.

Methods: Male and female Wistar rats were randomly divided into nine groups with eight in each, namely, male-saline (M-saline), male-low-dose soy (M-LDS), male-high-dose soy (M-HDS), sham-saline (Sh-saline), sham-low-dose soy (Sh-LDS), sham-high-dose soy (Sh-HDS), ovariectomized-saline (OVX-saline), ovariectomized-low-dose soy (OVX-LDS) and ovariectomized-high-dose soy (OVX-HDS). The rats of groups 7 to 9 were ovariectomized under ketamine anesthesia. The rats of groups 2, 5 and 8 were treated by 20 mg/kg of soy extract while the animals of groups 3, 6 and 9 received 60 mg/kg of soy extract for two weeks. In groups 1, 4 and 7, saline was injected instead of soy extract. The animals were then injected by a single dose of PTZ (90 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally) and placed in a plexiglas cage and the latency to minimal clonic seizure (MCS) and generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS) was recorded.

Results: Both MCS and GTCS latency in M-LDS and M-HDS groups was significantly lower than that in M-saline group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Treatment for female sham rats by soy extract did not affect MCS and GTCS latency. The animals of OVX-LDS and OVX-HDS groups had lower MCS and GTCS latency in comparison with OVX-saline group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

Conclusion: It is concluded that the phytoestrogens of soy affect seizure severity induced by PTZ, but their effects are different in the presence or absence of ovarian hormones. However, further studies are necessary to be done.

Objective: To evaluate the antiosteoporotic effects of benzyl benzoate glucosides from Curculigo orchioides (COBG) in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Methods: A total of 70 female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to sham-operated and OVX model groups. The OVX rats were further divided into six subgroups treated by gavage with vehicle, 1 mg/kg of nylestriol, 6, 18 and 54 mg/kg of COBG and 3.0 g/kg of ethanol extract of Curculigo orchioides respectively for 12 weeks. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The sections of tibia were prepared for histomorphometric analysis. The biomarkers in serum and urine were determined using reagent kits.

Results: Ovariectomy induced the bone loss and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue with the activities of increased serum alkaline phosphatase and loss of calcium through the excretion in urine, and decreased levels of antioxidant in serum (P<0.05, P<0.01). Administration of 6, 18 and 54 mg/kg of COBG significantly increased the BMD, improved the microarchitecture of bone tissue, prevented the depletion of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, inhibited the increase of malondialdehyde in serum and reduced the excretion of urine calcium in OVX rats (P<0.05, P<0.01).

Conclusion: COBG could prevent the bone loss through improving the antioxidant status, which offers a potential new therapeutic drug for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Objective: To study the possible anticancer and antiproliferative activities of ethanolic leaf extract of Thuja occidentalis (TO) on A549 non-small lung carcinoma cells in vitro.

Methods: Cell viability was ascertained through 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay after deployment of TO in different doses. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) dose (282 μg/mL) was determined, and two other doses for dose-dependence study, one below the IC50 dose (IC35=188 μg/mL) and one above the IC50 dose (IC65=376 μg/mL) were selected. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay and migration studies were performed to elucidate antiproliferative activity of the drug, if any. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis after annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide (annexin V-FITC-PI) dual staining method was done to ascertain early stage of apoptosis, if any. DNA fragmentation assay was done through Hoechst 33258 and acridine orange-ethidium bromide staining. DNA damage was quantified through comet assay. Bax-Bcl2 regulation and expression studies were performed through indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Caspase 3 activity was measured at gene level through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Its activation at protein level was analyzed through indirect ELISA and Western blot analysis.

Results: TO demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in viability of A549 cells after 24 h of exposure. Cell proliferation was reduced in a time-dependent manner of drug exposure as revealed from BrdU incorporation and migration studies. Annexin-V-FITC positivity of cells up to 11.72% as compared to the untreated control revealed early state of TO-induced apoptosis. Occurrence of comet tail and increased fluorescence of Hoechst after 24 h of drug exposure revealed significant DNA nick generation and chromatin condensation. Bax up-regulation and Bcl-2 down-regulation suitably altered ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 in favor of apoptosis. From RT-PCR, indirect ELISA and Western blot studies, caspase 3 activity was also found to be significantly increased along with cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase expression.

Conclusion: Ethanolic leaf extract of TO demonstrated apoptotic and antiproliferative potentials against A549 cell line.

The genus Michelia, belonging to family Magnoliaceae, consists of about 80 plant species mainly distributed in South Asian countries. The plants of this genus have been traditionally used in curing various diseases like fever, colic, leprosy, eye disorders, inflammation, antidote for scorpion, etc. Ninety-four compounds isolated from nine species of the genus Michelia like sesquiterpenes, steroids, flavonoids, aporphines, phenols, esters, benzenoid and alkaloids have antibacterial, anticancer and antiplasmodial activities. This review presents first time detailed information on chemical and biological properties of constituents isolated from the genus Michelia.

Objective: To compare the responsiveness of a newly designed symptom scale, the Chinese Medical Symptom Rating Scale for Heart Failure (CMSRS-HF), with the Chinese version of Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-form 36 (SF-36), and provide basis for the selection of subjective outcome measures for clinical evaluation of treatment of chronic heart failure by integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Methods: One hundred and fifty-six patients with chronic heart failure were recruited from three clinical centers and were treated with Chinese herbal medicine based on syndrome classification. The patients were classified with standard of New York Heart Association and evaluated with CMSRS-HF, MLHFQ and SF-36. Three techniques for the quantification of responsiveness were utilized: paired t-test, effect sizes (ES) and standardized response means (SRM).

Results: a) After 2-week treatment, patients scored significantly lower in CMSRS-HF, while scores of each dimension on MLHFQ and SF-36 increased significantly (P=0.000). b) ES of CMSRS-HF was greater than 0.8. ES of physical and emotional dimensions and comprehensive scores of MLHFQ were between 0.37 and 0.61; ES of each dimension, physical and emotional domains, and comprehensive scores were between 0.14 and 0.49. c) SRM of CMSRS-HF was greater than 0.8; SRM of physical and emotional dimensions and comprehensive scores of MLHFQ ranged from 0.53 to 0.92; SRM of each dimension, physical and emotional domains, and comprehensive scores were between 0.23 and 0.83. d) By stratified analysis according to NYHA classification, the acute patients (NYHA III, IV) were more sensitive to subjective outcome measures.

Conclusion: Responsiveness of the newly designed CMSRS-HF is high. However, responsiveness of MLHFQ and most dimensions in SF-36 is moderate. When evaluating clinical effects of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine on chronic heart failure, different scales can be applied according to actual clinical presentations.