An interpretability model for syndrome differentiation of HBV-ACLF in traditional Chinese medicine using small-sample imbalanced data

Objective Clinical medical record data associated with hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure(HBV-ACLF)generally have small sample sizes and a class imbalance.However,most machine learning models are designed based on balanced data and lack interpretability.This study aimed to propose a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)diagnostic model for HBV-ACLF based on the TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment theory,which is clinically interpretable and highly accurate.Methods We collected medical records from 261 patients diagnosed with HBV-ACLF,including three syndromes:Yang jaundice(214 cases),Yang-Yin jaundice(41 cases),and Yin jaundice(6 cases).To avoid overfitting of the machine learning model,we excluded the cases of Yin jaundice.After data standardization and cleaning,we obtained 255 relevant medical records of Yang jaundice and Yang-Yin jaundice.To address the class imbalance issue,we employed the oversampling method and five machine learning methods,including logistic regression(LR),support vector machine(SVM),decision tree(DT),random forest(RF),and extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)to construct the syndrome diagnosis models.This study used precision,F1 score,the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC),and accuracy as model evaluation metrics.The model with the best classification performance was selected to extract the diagnostic rule,and its clinical significance was thoroughly analyzed.Furthermore,we proposed a novel multiple-round stable rule extraction(MRSRE)method to obtain a stable rule set of features that can exhibit the model’s clinical interpretability.Results The precision of the five machine learning models built using oversampled balanced data exceeded 0.90.Among these models,the accuracy of RF classification of syndrome types was 0.92,and the mean F1 scores of the two categories of Yang jaundice and Yang-Yin jaundice were 0.93 and 0.94,respectively.Additionally,the AUC was 0.98.The extraction rules of the RF syndrome differentiation model based on the MRSRE method revealed that the common features of Yang jaundice and Yang-Yin jaundice were wiry pulse,yellowing of the urine,skin,and eyes,normal tongue body,healthy sublingual vessel,nausea,oil loathing,and poor appetite.The main features of Yang jaundice were a red tongue body and thickened sublingual vessels,whereas those of Yang-Yin jaundice were a dark tongue body,pale white tongue body,white tongue coating,lack of strength,slippery pulse,light red tongue body,slimy tongue coating,and abdominal distension.This is aligned with the classifications made by TCM experts based on TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment theory.Conclusion Our model can be utilized for differentiating HBV-ACLF syndromes,which has the potential to be applied to generate other clinically interpretable models with high accuracy on clinical data characterized by small sample sizes and a class imbalance.

Bio-soft matter derived from traditional Chinese medicine:Characterizations of hierarchical structure,assembly mechanism,and beyond

Structural and functional explorations on bio-soft matter such as micelles,vesicles,nanoparticles,aggregates or polymers derived from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has emerged as a new topic in the field of TCM.The discovery of such cross-scaled bio-soft matter may provide a unique perspective for unraveling the new effective material basis of TCM as well as developing innovative medicine and biomaterials.Despite the rapid rise of TCM-derived bio-soft matter,their hierarchical structure and assembly mechanism must be unambiguously probed for a further in-depth understanding of their pharmacological activity.In this review,the current emerged TCM-derived bio-soft matter assembled from either small molecules or macromolecules is introduced,and particularly the unambiguous elucidation of their hierarchical structure and assembly mechanism with combined electron microscopic and spectroscopic techniques is depicted.The pros and cons of each technique are also discussed.The future challenges and perspective of TCM-derived bio-soft matter are outlined,particularly the requirement for their precise in situ structural determination is highlighted.

The Distribution Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes in Patients with Hyperlipidemia

Objective: Hyperlipidemia is a representative nutritional metabolic disease in clinic, which is easy to induce atherosclerotic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, with complex classification. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome aims to reflect the characteristics of diseases and is the basic principle of TCM treatment of diseases. This study aimed to summarize the distribution pattern of TCM syndromes in patients with hyperlipidemia. Methods: The frequency, characteristics and distribution of all TCM syndromes of 1012 patients with hyperlipidemia were analyzed. Results: The main disease types determined by frequency of 1012 patients included hypertriglyceridemia combined with hypo high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia (19.76%), hypo high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia (18.58%), hypercholesterolemia (16.50%), mixed hyperlipidemia (16.40%), and hypertriglyceridemia (15.12%). The distribution of TCM syndromes, in order of frequency, was as follows: Qi-deficiency and blood stasis syndrome (23.52%), liver depression and spleen deficiency (9.88%), syndrome of qi stagnation and blood stasis (9.29%), phlegm stasis syndrome (7.41%), and syndrome of yang deficiency of spleen and kidney (6.92%). Conclusion: Qi-deficiency and blood stasis syndrome and liver depression and spleen deficiency are the most common TCM syndromes in patients with hyperlipidemia.

Integrated data mining and network pharmacology to discover a novel traditional Chinese medicine prescription against diabetic retinopathy and reveal its mechanism

Background:Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is currently the leading cause of blindness in elderly individuals with diabetes.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)prescriptions have shown remarkable effectiveness for treating DR.This study aimed to screen a novel TCM prescription against DR from patents and elucidate its medication rule and molecular mechanism using data mining,network pharmacology,molecular docking and molecular dynamics(MD)simulation.Method:TCM prescriptions for treating DR was collected from patents and a novel TCM prescription was identified using data mining.Subsequently,the mechanism of the novel TCM prescription against DR was explored by constructing a network of core TCMs-core active ingredients-core targets-core pathways.Finally,molecular docking and MD simulation were employed to validate the findings from network pharmacology.Result:The TCMs of the collected prescriptions primarily possessed bitter and cold properties with heat-clearing and supplementing effects,attributed to the liver,lung and kidney channels.Notably,a novel TCM prescription for treating DR was identified,composed of Lycii Fructus,Chrysanthemi Flos,Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix.Twenty core active ingredients and ten core targets of the novel TCM prescription for treating DR were screened.Moreover,the novel TCM prescription played a crucial role for treating DR by inhibiting inflammatory response,oxidative stress,retinal pigment epithelium cell apoptosis and retinal neovascularization through various pathways,such as the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications and the MAPK signaling pathway.Finally,molecular docking and MD simulation demonstrated that almost all core active ingredients exhibited satisfactory binding energies to core targets.Conclusions:This study identified a novel TCM prescription and unveiled its multi-component,multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics for treating DR.These findings provide a scientific basis and novel insights into the development of drugs for DR prevention and treatment.

Traditional Chinese medicine for acute mountain sickness prevention: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) for preventing acute mountain sickness(AMS).Methods: We included randomized controlled trials(RCTs) which evalueded the effect of TCM for preventing AMS, compared with a placebo, no treatment or acetazolamide. The literature was searched in 6major databases. RevMan 5.4 software was used for the meta-analysis. The relative risk for discrete variables and the mean difference for continuous variables with 95% confidence intervals(CIs) were applied to express the effect size. The risk of bias in the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk assessment tool 2.0(RoB 2.0), and the evidence certainty was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment and the Development and Evaluation(GRADE) approach.Results: Twenty RCTs involving 3015 participants and 16 TCM patent drugs were included. The overall risk of bias in the majority of studies(15/20) was of some concerns. In terms of the AMS incidence,Rhodiola rosea(R. rosea, Hong Jing Tian) and Ginkgo biloba(G. biloba, Yin Xing Ye) were equivalent to the placebo/no treatment [RR(95% CI): 0.66(0.43-1.01), 0.82(0.63-1.06), respectively]. The AMS incidence in the G. biloba group was higher than that in the acetazolamide group [RR(95% CI): 2.92(1.69-5.06)]. In terms of improving the AMS symptom score on days 1 and 3 in the plateau, R. rosea and G. biloba were superior to the placebo or no treatment [MD(95% CI):-0.98(-1.71,-0.25),-2.05(-3.14,-0.95), respectively]. The other 14 Chinese patent medicines were evaluated in a single trial, and the majority of the results were negative. The subgroup analysis showed that the effect of R. rosea was related to the intervention time, way of ascending, and altitude.Conclusion: R. rosea and G. biloba were effective in improving AMS symptoms but had no effect in reducing the AMS incidence. There was insufficient evidence to support the use of other TCM patent drugs to prevent AMS. More randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials are warranted to evaluate and screen effective Chinese patent medicines for AMS prevention.

How modern teaching technology affects the transmission of traditional Chinese medicine knowledge: reflections from educators in clinical Chinese pharmaceutical education

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)education plays a crucial role in cultivating TCM talents and preserving the profound cultural heritage of the Chinese nation.This paper explores the current situation and problems of TCM education and proposes philosophical reflections on this issue.The analysis shows that the current TCM education faces various challenges,including an unbalanced curriculum,a narrow teaching approach,a lack of practical experience,and an insufficient number of qualified teachers.To enhance the teaching effectiveness and foster a new generation of high-quality Chinese medicine professionals,it is necessary to reform the teaching methods of TCM and integrate the depth of humanities into the teaching process.The paper argues that a philosophical perspective can provide a more comprehensive understanding of TCM education and its role in the development of Chinese medicine.

Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine compound in the treatment of gout based on intestinal flora

Because of the continuous improvement of the quality of life,the population of gout patients is also increasing,which seriously affects the quality of life of patients.Traditional Chinese medicine compound has a long history and remarkable clinical effect in treating gout patients,and has been widely used.Intestinal flora and its metabolites are the focus of current research,which can promote intestinal mucosal barrier,improve immunity and improve metabolism.The regulation of intestinal flora can reduce serum uric acid and inhibit inflammation to fight gouty arthritis.Moreover,the mechanism of intestinal flora is related to the spleen in Chinese medicine theory.Therefore,this study discusses the research mechanism and clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine compound in treating gout by regulating intestinal flora,and provides theoretical basis for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine and the expansion of new dosage forms.

The new era of integrative medicine—the confluence of tradition and modernity

In the context of accelerated globalization and rapid advancements in science and technology,integrative medicine—combining traditional medicine with modern science—is emerging at the forefront of medical research.This article focuses on the current research hotspots and frontiers in integrative medicine.The field of integrative medicine has seen the emergence of numerous new research hotspots and cutting-edge technologies,which reveal the scientific foundations and application potential of traditional medicine from various perspectives.(1)Application of multi-omics technologies:multi-omics technologies,including metabolomics,transcriptomics,proteomics,and genomics,have become essential tools in integrative medicine research.Metabolomics analyzes metabolites within biological systems to elucidate the metabolic pathways and mechanisms of traditional medicines.Recent advancements in high-throughput technologies have enabled more comprehensive and accurate profiling of metabolic changes induced by traditional medicines,facilitating the identification of bioactive compounds and their pathways.Transcriptomics investigates the effects of traditional medicines on gene expression,revealing molecular mechanisms by comparing transcriptome data under different conditions.Innovations in single-cell RNA sequencing have allowed researchers to study the heterogeneity of cellular responses to traditional medicines,uncovering cell-specific therapeutic targets and pathways.

Comparative efficacy of traditional Chinese herbal injection for chronic renal failure:A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis(NMA) for the comparison of the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal injection(CHI) combined with Western medicine(WM) and WM monotherapy for chronic renal failure(CRF).Methods: Eight databases were searched from inception to August 30, 2022. Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) regarding the comparison of CHI-WM combination therapy and WM monotherapy were included. Literature search, risk-of-bias assessment, and data extraction were conducted by 2 reviewers independently. NMA was performed by Stata 14.0, R 4.0.4 software, and the latest risk of bias assessment tool 2(RoB 2).Results: A total of 53 RCTs were finally included, involving 4445 participants and 16 CHIs. RoB 2 showed that 2 of these studies had a high risk of bias. Tianqi injection(TQ) + WM was the most effective in reducing serum creatinine(Scr) level. Xingding injection(XD) + WM was the most effective in reducing blood urea nitrogen(BUN) and cystatin C(Cys C) levels. Guhong injection(GH) + WM had the highest endogenous creatinine clearance rate(Ccr). Shuxuetong injection(SXT) + WM was the most effective in improving the clinical effective rate. Danhong injection(DH) + WM resulted in the lowest 24-h urinary protein quantity(24 h-UPQ), while Danshen injection(DS) + WM led to the lowest blood uric acid(UA)level. Shenfu injection(SF) + WM was the most effective in increasing hemoglobin(Hb) level.Conclusion: CHIs-WM combination therapy is more effective than WM monotherapy in treating CRF.Considering all of the indicators, SK + WM may be the optimal treatment option for improving renal function in patients with CRF.

Rheumatic valvular heart disease treated with traditional Chinese medicine:A case report

BACKGROUND Rheumatic heart disease(RHD)is an autoimmune disease that leads to irreversible valve damage and heart failure.Surgery is an effective treatment;however,it is invasive and carries risks,restricting its broad application.Therefore,it is essential to find alternative nonsurgical treatments for RHD.CASE SUMMARY A 57-year-old woman was assessed with cardiac color Doppler ultrasound,left heart function tests,and tissue Doppler imaging evaluation at Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University.The results showed mild mitral valve stenosis with mild to moderate mitral and aortic regurgitation,confirming a diagnosis of rheumatic valve disease.After her symptoms became severe,with frequent ventricular tachycardia and supraventricular tachycardia>200 beats per minute,her physicians recommended surgery.During a 10-day preoperative waiting period,the patient asked to be treated with traditional Chinese medicine.After 1 week of this treatment,her symptoms improved significantly,including resolution of the ventricular tachycardia,and the surgery was postponed pending further follow-up.At 3-month follow-up,color Doppler ultrasound showed mild mitral valve stenosis with mild mitral and aortic regurgitation.Therefore,it was determined that no surgical treatment was required.CONCLUSION Traditional Chinese medicine treatment effectively relieves symptoms of RHD,particularly mitral valve stenosis and mitral and aortic regurgitation.

Quality assessment of systematic reviews assessing the effects of traditional Chinese exercises in the control of diabetes mellitus

Objective:To assess the quality of systematic reviews assessing the effects of traditional Chinese exercises on controlling blood indices,anthropometric indices,psychological indices,and quality of life in patients with diabetes.Methods:Systematic studies/meta-analyses of intervention with traditional Chinese exercises on diabetes mellitus were searched in the Pub Med,Web of Science,the China National Knowledge Infrastructure Databases(CNKI),Wan Fang Database,and Chinese Scientific Journal Database(VIP).Two researchers independently screened the studies and extracted the data.The methodology and quality of evidence of the included studies were assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews2(AMSTAR-2)and Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development and Evaluation(GRADE)criteria,respectively.Results:A total of 32 systematic reviews/meta-analyses were included in the present study.Of them,the methodological quality of 4 studies was graded as low,while that of the other 28 was graded as extremely low.The most common quality flaws in key items included a lack of preliminary proposals for systematic reviews,failure to explain the reasons for the inclusion criteria,failure to provide a list of excluded studies and reasons for exclusion,failure to report potential conflicts of interest,and inadequate assessment of publication bias.The quality of evidence for most of the 18 outcomes was subsequently graded as medium or low.Overall,the results of these studies indicated that Tai Chi,health qigong,and other traditional Chinese exercises lowered fasting blood glucose(FBG),2-h postprandial blood glucose(2hPBG),hemoglobin A_(1c)(HbA_(1c)),and body mass index,and relieved anxiety and depression in patients with diabetes.Conclusion:Our findings indicate that the methodological quality of systematic reviews related to traditional Chinese exercises in the diabetic population is generally low,and the quality of evidence is also relatively poor.Therefore,we suggest that the quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on traditional Chinese exercises for controlling diabetes mellitus needs to be improved.In the future,researchers should conduct higher-quality clinical studies with reference to the AMSTAR2 checklist and GRADE system.

Methodological survey of using Bayesian Network for predicting pharmacology-based bioactivities of Chinese medicines:a scoping review

Background:It seems to be numerous unclear black-box mechanisms of Chinese Medicines(CMs)with multiple bioactivities in the real-world clinical practice.Meanwhile,prior prediction is necessary before the implementation of pharmacodynamics-pharmacokinetics-based researches.With emergent ML techniques for TCM domain,Bayesian Network(BN)has shown its potentials for CM-bioactivity prediction and syndromes identification in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM),benefited from many advantages,such as flexibility in addressing,data-driven and probability-based inference under complex uncertainty.Although BN has been extensively used in TCM,the scarcity of researches on refining methodological features of BN-modelling for optimization poses a significant challenge.Our goal is to present methodological overview of BN-modelling for CM-bioactivities prediction towards pharmacology,which tends to acquire a sequence of intimations for boosting in-depth and optimized CM-BN collaboration based on detected gaps.Methods:We performed systematic search of 13 databases from their inception to November 10th 2022 regardless of language written,which excluded unindexed journals and clinical trial registries,using the 3 keywords(CM,Pharmacology,BN).And full-text original researches with the given subject were under consideration.Afterwards,selection of eligible studies,data refinement and inspection were totally conducted by 6 review authors.Results:A total of 7 studies involving 17 BN models were included for synthesis and refinement,based on existing literatures and databases with 2 modelling functions:regression and tagging.There were 3 prediction patterns:property-bioactivity,efficacy-bioactivity and constituent-bioactivity inference,covering 8 feature-utilized efficacies,5 feature-utilized properties and 10 feature-utilized constituents.Thereafter,without an independent validation dataset,established BNs were mostly utilized to predict the root-node probabilities of unknown data.Indeed,incomplete report on modelling samples,directed acyclic graphs,conditional probability tables and algorithms hindered us from gathering information.Conclusion:A spot of studies were found in this work.And current evidence suggested that some breakthroughs should be achieved in CM-BN integration in the future.At last,to our knowledge,we preliminarily proposed certain recommendations and elicited implications for future work.

Association between metabolic syndrome and body constitution of traditional Chinese medicine:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:The constitution theory of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)states that body constitution and disease are associated;therefore,the identification of body constitution can provide reference for disease prevention and treatment.A series of clinical studies evaluating the association between TCM constitution and metabolic syndrome(MetS)have been conducted in recent years.The aim of this systematic review is to summarize and evaluate the clinical evidence of the relationship between constitution and MetS.Methods:The PubMed,Embase,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Chongqing VIP,and Wanfang Data electronic databases were searched from April 2009 to July 2020.The search terms included“metabolic syndrome,”“constitution,”and“Chinese medicine.”Observational studies evaluating the relationship between body constitution of TCM and MetS were included.The primary outcome included the distribution of constitutional types in the MetS population,and odds ratio(OR)or relative risk(RR)between constitution and MetS.Effect size was expressed as proportion or OR with 95%confidence interval(CI).Methodological quality of included studies was evaluated by the NewcastleeOttawa Scale(NOS)or the American Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality(AHRQ)criteria.Results:Three caseecontrol and 26 cross-sectional studies involving 30435 cases were included.Phlegm-dampness,qi-deficiency,and damp-heat were the main constitution types in patients with MetS,accounting for 29%(22%e39%),18%(13%e24%),and 12%(9%e17%)of the population,respectively;the risk of MetS in people with phlegm-dampness and qi-deficiency constitution was 1.74[1.27,2.38]and 1.29[1.01,1.65]times higher than that in those with other constitutions.There were sex-and age-related differences in the distribution of TCM constitution in patients with MetS.Conclusion:Phlegm-dampness and qi-deficiency were associated with the occurrence of MetS.Welldesigned cohort and caseecontrol studies are needed to provide evidence for the use of TCM to prevent and treat MetS.

Structural and functional characteristics of microbiota in oropharynx of sub-healthy children with gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome differentiated by traditional Chinese medicine

Objective:To explore the structural and functional characteristics of microbiota in oropharynx of subhealthy children with gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome(GHRS)differentiated by traditional Chinese medicine,and screen the biometric operational taxonomic units(OTUs)to assist the clinical diagnosis.Methods:We recruited children according to the“GHRS diagnostic scale”,collected their oropharyngeal swabs,and sequenced the 16 SrDNA V4 region.We described the bacterial structure with alpha-indexes,beta-distances,and relative abundances;moreover,we screened the differential genera/OTUs with Wilcoxon rank-sum test,Metagenome Seq analysis,and linear discriminant analysis effect size(LEf Se)analysis,in which biometric OTUs were selected to construct the receiver operating characteristic curve to verify the diagnostic value.The bacterial function was predicted with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways according to 16S rDNA gene by using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States.Results:The study population was composed of 10 children with GHRS and 10 healthy control children.GHRS children were more likely to overeat(gluttony,P=.033).Alpha-indexes,such as Sobs,abundancebased coverage estimator,Bootstrap,and Qstat,were significantly higher in the GHRS group,while betadistances did not exhibit any significant intergroup differences.There were 9 differently distributed nonpredominant genera between the groups in Wilcoxon rank-sum test,as well as 13 non-predominant genera in Metagenome Seq analysis and 3 non-predominant OTUs in LEfSe analysis.OTU44 and OTU196 were used to construct the receiver operating characteristic curve,and the area under curve was 0.92.Predicted functions showed that pathways related to oxidative phosphorylation and carbon metabolism were enriched in healthy control samples,while the pathway related to renin secretion was remarkably enriched in GHRS samples.Conclusion:Unique oropharyngeal microbial structure and function were identified in GHRS children.OTU44 and OTU196 were specific OTUs,which could be used as biomarkers of GHRS to assist clinical diagnosis.

Serum protein profile of yang-deficiency constitution in traditional Chinese medicine revealed by protein microarray analyses

Background:Based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and preepidemiological investigation,Professor Qi Wang classified the entire human population into nine constitutions and put forward the theory of 'Nine-Constitution Medicine.' Among these constitutions,the main feature of the yang-deficiency constitution (YADC) is intolerance of the cold,which has been proven to reduce quality of life and confer susceptibility to specific diseases.Previous studies explored the genetic and transcriptional bases of YADC.In this experiment,we explored the potential mechanism of YADC using protein microarray,to deepen our understanding of its biological mechanism.Methods:Subjects identified with a YADC (n =12) or a balance constitution (BC;n =12) in accordance with the Classification and Determination Standards of Constitutions in Traditional Chinese Medicine were selected.Blood was collected to separate serum and protein microarray technology was used to analyze serum protein expression.Results:The clustering of subjects' constitutions based on protein expression profiling largely coincided with the TCM classification.Based on false discovery rate correction (P <.01) and fold change ≥ 5 or ≤ 0.2,a total of 85 proteins differentially expressed in YADC compared with their status in BC were selected,including 64 upregulated and 21 downregulated ones.Enrichment analysis suggested that subjects with YADC are susceptible to endocrine and energy metabolism disorders,as well as decline in immune function.Conclusion:This study revealed that YADC exhibits systematic differences in its protein expression profile.Moreover,we can potentially explain the characteristics of YADC partly via differentially expressed proteins.

Correlation between Tibetan and traditional Chinese medicine body constitutions: A cross-sectional study of Tibetan college students in the Tibet Autonomous Region

Objective:To evaluate the correlation between the body constitution types of Tibetan medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).Methods:The cluster sampling method was employed to recruit participants from a university in the Tibet Autonomous Region.Tibetan medicine and TCM questionnaires were respectively used to assess the participants' constitution information.Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the baseline and constitution characteristics of the participants.Two-factor correlation analysis and the paired chi-square test were applied to analyze the correlation between Tibetan and TCM constitution types.Results:Data from 466 Tibetan students were analyzed.The mean scores of the rlung,mkhris pa,and bad kan constitution types in Tibetan medicine were 43.2 (11.1),42.1 (10.1),and 45.0 (8.0),respectively;participants with the three-factor convergence body constitution type accounted for 13.7% of the whole population.Among the TCM constitution types,qi stagnation was the most common (21.5%),followed by the balance type (16.5%);the other constitutions detected were qi deficiency,yin deficiency,and yang deficiency.The rate of consistency for the identification of the three-factor convergence constitution in Tibetan medicine and the balance constitution in TCM was 89.1%,with a Kappa coefficient of 0.57 (P >.05).The rlung constitution in Tibetan medicine was associated with the yin deficiency,yang deficiency,and blood stasis constitutions in TCM.The mkhhris pa constitution in Tibetan medicine was associated with the damp heat and yin deficiency constitutions in TCM.The bad kan constitution in Tibetan medicine was associated with the phlegm dampness,qi deficiency,and yin deficiency constitutions in TCM.Conclusion:There is a correlation between the body constitution types of Tibetan medicine and TCM.The reliability and validity of the Questionnaire for TibetanMedicine Constitution requires improvement,and more studies with larger sample sizes and more varied populations are warranted to verify the correlation between Tibetan medicine and TCM constitutions.

A Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Treatment of Depression

Depression is a common mental illness with symptoms such as loss of interest.At present,It is mainly treated with antidepressants,which are effective in a short time,but it is highly addictive and has a high probability of adverse reactions.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)treatment of depression has the advantages of high feasibility,good tolerance,obvious effect,and small side effects.In addition,TCM has great potential for the treatment of depression with the overall concept of the unity of nature and man as its guiding ideology and rich clinical experience.This review mainly expounds on the research progress of TCM treatment of depression from two aspects of TCM non-drug therapy and TCM drug therapy,to provide a reference for clinical treatment of depression.

Analysis of treatment strategies of traditional Chinese medicine for COVID-19 in tropical regions based on the pathogens of dampness and heat

Objective:To summarize the treatment strategies of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)for COVID-19 in tropical regions based on the pathogens of dampness and heat.Methods:For heat pathogen,analyzing heat in the superficies,lung and Yang Ming based on the different locations.Based on the progress of the disease,analyzing the stage of toxin and Qi deficiency induced by heat.For dampness pathogen,analyzing endogenous and external dampness based on the different locations.Analyzing dampness pathogen's special disease location—Moyuan and special symptom of dry cough with less sputum caused by sticky and stagnant characteristic of dampness.Results:The treatment strategies for heat and dampness pathogen were summarized.Conclusion:In the tropics,the pathogens of dampness and heat occur frequently and clinical treatments need to be dialectical.

Effect of traditional Chinese medicine on anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in animal models:A systematic review and metaanalysis

Objective:To evaluate the effect of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)on anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity(AIC)in animal models.Methods:Separate systematic searches for preclinical studies were performed in the PubMed,EMBASE,Web of Science,Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure,Chinese Biomedical Database,Chinese Scientific Journal Database,and Wanfang Data from inception to August 2019.The primary outcomes were echocardiography,serum assays for myocardial enzymograms,histological assessments,and electrocardiograms.The secondary outcomes mainly included body weight and safety evaluations.The protocol is registered on PROSPERO(CRD42019145819).RevMan(V.5.3)was used for meta-analysis.Results:We identified 10 studies from 9 international scientific publications describing the efficacy of TCM on AIC animal models.All the included studies reported that,compared with animal model without any intervention,TCM significantly improved ventricular function,cardiac biomarkers,electrocardiograph results,and cardiac fibrosis.Improved survival rates and body mass indices were also observed with TCM.We further pooled the available data from four studies(63 animals)for the meta-analysis and the results showed that,compared with models without any intervention,TCM significantly increased the ejection fraction by 14.13%(95%CI,9.96e18.29)and fraction shortening by 8.66%(95%CI,6.05 e11.26).Creatine kinase-MB(SMD=2.49,95%CI:-3.12 to-1.85)and lactate dehydrogenase(SMD=-2.78,95%CI:-3.45 to-2.12)were also significantly decreased by TCM.Conclusions:TCM is effective in improving AIC in animal models and has tremendous potential to be translated to treat AIC in clinical practice.Additionally,the systematic review and meta-analysis of animal experiments may be valuable in enhancing and guiding animal experiments and promoting the transformation of the results.

Clinical application of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. (Fu Zi in Chinese) by traditional Chinese medicine physicians–A cross-sectional questionnaire survey in Beijing

Objective:To investigate clinical application of aconite root(Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.;hereinafter“aconite”)by traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)physicians in TCM hospitals in Beijing and explore the specific use of aconite and the effect of different doses on decoction time.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study using two-stage sampling.Questionnaires were administered among TCM physicians from TCM hospitals in Beijing between September 2020 and August 2021.The questionnaire mainly included general demographics,clinical backgrounds of TCM physicians,and clinical application of aconite.The data analyses were performed using SPSS 20.0.Results:A total of 387 questionnaires were collected,of which 385 were valid.Of the 385 participating TCM physicians,331(85.97%)used aconite in clinical practice.The top three medical diagnoses treated with aconite were heart failure,diarrhea without cause,and chronic gastritis.The TCM pattern treated most frequently with a high dose of aconite was spleen-kidney yang deficiency,and the TCM pattern treated most frequently with a low dose was spleen yang deficiency,while spleen-kidney yang deficiency was treated most frequently with a common dose of aconite.The top three common formulas were Sini decoction,Mahuang Xixin Fuzi decoction,and Zhenwu decoction.Hei Shun Pian was the most common herbal pieces of aconite.The highest frequency of the maximum dose of aconite was 15 g,that of the minimum dose was 3 g,and that of the common dose was 10 g.There was a certain correlation between decoction time and the dose of aconite.Most TCM physicians advised their patients to take medicine twice a day.Conclusion:In this study,we refined and quantified the use of aconite and enriched the exploration of the clinical application of aconite besides its provisions in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China.