Traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions and herbs for the treatment of hypothyroidism:a narrative review

The increasing prevalence of hypothyroidism,which can cause endocrine dysfunction,abnormal neurological function,and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular injuries,poses serious health problems.Thyroid hormone supplementation constitutes the current main therapeutic method for hypothyroidism,yet it has many limitations and risks and is not suitable for everyone.Therefore,it is necessary to seek alternative and complementary treatment methods.It has been proven in practice that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)possesses multi-channel comprehensive characteristics for the treatment of hypothyroidism and has more advantages than single thyroid hormone supplementation.Through a comprehensive examination of existing literature about TCM efficacy in addressing hypothyroidism,we have meticulously consolidated the most recent research findings on prescriptions and herbal substances employed in the treatment of this condition.Furthermore,we have explicated their respective functions in the management of hypothyroidism,thereby offering valuable perspectives and recommendations for the prospective utilization of natural remedies in its treatment.

Effects of Integrated Chinese Herbs and Western Medicine on Swine Toxoplasmosis

[ Objective] To evaluate the efficacy of integrated Chinese herbs and western medicine on the treatment of swine toxoplasmosis, in order to increase cure rate and lower recurrence rate. [ Method] Pigs artificially infected by Toxoplasma gondii were treated with compound suffonamide and a self-designed Chinese herbs formula, and the quantities of toxoplasma in ascites were determined. Animal regression experiment was per- formed after mice were inoculated with pathological samples of the pigs infected with toxoplasma. After treatment with integrated Chinese herbs and western medicine, the clinical manifestations of pigs were observed and the level of circulating antigen （CAg） in sera was detected. Curative effect indexes of integrated Chinese herbs and western medicine-treated group were compared with that of Chinese herbs-treated group, western medi- cine-treated group and positive control group. [ Result] All the toxoplasma trophozoites were killed by integrated and westem medicine. Regression expedment results showed that toxoplasma appeared only in one mouse that was inoculated with brain of pig. The treated pigs had nonsignificant clinical symptoms; the peak of serum CAg was lower than that of the positive control group and CAg turned negative faster than that of Chinese herbs-treated group, westem medicine-treated group, and positive control group. [ Conclusion] The integrated Chinese herbs and western medicine has good effect on the treatment of swine toxoplasmosis.

Sensitivities of Vibrio vulnificus to Chinese Herbs and Effect of Medicinal Bath on Vibrio vulnificus

Vibrio vulnificus can cause rotten-skin disease in marine fish aquaculture, resulting in a large number of deaths. The occurrence of rotten-skin disease is becoming severer and severer, leading to serious economic losses. In this study, the sensitivities of V. vulnificus to the 18 kinds of herbs, such as stone calamus and Chinese rhubarb, were determined using the agar diffusion method （susceptibility paper）. The results showed that Chinese gall, dark plum, sea buckthorn and eucalyptus leaves have bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects, while sappan wood, Chi- nese rhubarb, pomegranate bark, mentha and clove have strong bacteriostatic ef- fects. The Chinese medicinal herb bath showed good control effect on V. vulnificus.

Preliminary Study of 12 Chinese Herbs as Feed Attractants on Turbot Juvenile(Scophthalmus maximus)

[Objective] The paper aims to study the attractive effects of 12 Chinese medicinal herbs on Scophthalmus maximus juvenile.[Method] We took 200 Scophthalmus maximus with the average body length of 3 cm,average weight of 1 g and 60 days of age as the research object,and 12 Chinese medicinal herbs as feed attractants were selected,including Cloves,Cinnamon,Star anise,Kaempferol,Mint,Coptis,Phellodendron,skullcap,Gardenia,Sophora flavescens,Mume,Myrobalan meat were selected.The amount added to the basic diet was 2‰..The times of turbot juveniles going into each inducing room and the times of turbot juveniles biting the feed ball were recorded by maze experiments.Inducing effects of the Chinese herbal medicines were analyzed.[Result] The results showed that the attractant effect of Mume,Gardenia,Scutellaria and kaempferol had the significantly inducing effect on Scophthalmus maximus juvenile.And 2‰ Gardenia,5‰ Matrine,5‰ Scutellaria and 2‰ Kaempferol have the best attractant effects.In compound experients,the attractive effect of mixture of 2‰ matrine and gardenia on Scophthalmus maximus was the best.[Conclusion] The attractive effect on Scophthalmus maximus has something to do with the kind and concentration of Chinese medicinal herbs.

The role of autophagy in the treatment of osteoporosis by Chinese medicines(natural)

Osteoporosis is one of the common orthopaedic diseases,characterised by increased bone fragility due to reduced bone mass and microstructural degeneration,posing a great threat to patients’quality of life and safety.In recent years,Chinese medicine(natural)has had a unique advantage in the treatment of osteoporosis and has shown good efficacy.Autophagy is an inherent cellular survival mechanism for the removal and recycling of damaged proteins and organelles and plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the intracellular environment and organ function.Therefore,this article aims to provide a comprehensive review of these Chinese medicines(natural)for the treatment of osteoporosis through autophagy.They have been intensively studied and reported to have effects such as promoting osteogenesis and anti-bone resorption.The Chinese medicines include plants such as Cistanche deserticola,Epimedium,Curculigo orchioides Gaertn,Achyranthes bidentata Blume,Leonurus japonicus Houtt,Ginseng,Chuanxiong Rhizome,Eucommia ulmoides,Morindae Officinalis Radix,Curcuma longa,Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix,Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge,Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge and Pueraria Lobata,thus providing evidence for the use of alternative herbal therapies for the effective treatment of osteoporosis.

China Association of Chinese Medicine Paper notice for seminar on clinical application of TCM classic prescriptions and herbs in the treatment of emotional diseases

Hosted by ChinaAssociation of Chinese Medicine,and organized by World Journal of Integrated traditional and western Medicine,seminar on clinical application of TCM classic prescriptions and herbs in the treatment of emotional diseaseis planned to be held in Yichang,Hubei province from June 22nd to 24th.

Anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activities of ethanol extracts of selected traditional Chinese medicinal herbs

Objective:To evaluate in ritro antimicrobial activities of selected 58 ethno-medicinal plant extracts with a view to assess their therapeutic potential.Methods:A total of 58 traditional Chinese medicinal plants were carefully selected based on the literature review and their traditional use.The antimicrobial activities of ethanol extracts of these medicinal plants were tested against fungi(Aspergillus funigaius),yeast(Candida albicans),gram-negative(Acirelobacter haumannii and Pseudornnruis aeruginosa)and gram-positive bacteria(Staphglococcus aureus).The activities were tested at three different concentrations of 1.00,0.10 and 0.01 mg/mL.The data was analysed using Gene data Screener program.Results:The measured antimicrobial activities indicated that out of the 58 plant extracts,15 extracts showed anti-fungal activity and 23 extracts exhibited anti-bacterial activity.Eight plant extracts have exhibited both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities.For instance,Eucommia ulmoides,Pohgonum cuspidcrtum,Poria cocas and Uncaria rhineophylla showed activity against both bacterial and fungal strains,indicating their broad spectrum of activity.Conclusions:The results revealed that the ethanol extracts of 30 plants out of the selected 58 possess significant antimicrobial activities.It is interesting to note that the findings from the current study are consistent with the traditional use.A clear correlation has also been found between the antimicrobial activity and the flavonoid content of the plant extracts which is in agreement with the literature.Hence.the results presented here can be used to guide the selection of potential plant species for the isolation and structure elucidation of novel antimicrobial compounds in order to establish the structure-activity relationship.This in turn is expected to lead the way to the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents for therapeutic use.

Herbal Traditional Chinese Medicine and suspected liver injury: A prospective study

AIM To analyze liver tests before and following treatment with herbal Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) in order to evaluate the frequency of newly detected liver injury.METHODS Patients with normal values of alanine aminotransferase(ALT) as a diagnostic marker for ruling out pre-existing liver disease were enrolled in a prospective study of a safety program carried out at the First German Hospital of TCM from 1994 to 2015. All patients received herbal products, and their ALT values were reassessed 1-3 d prior to discharge. To verify or exclude causality for suspected TCM herbs, the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method(RUCAM) was used.RESULTS This report presents for the first time liver injury data derived from a prospective, hospital-based and largescale study of 21470 patients who had no liver disease prior to treatment with herbal TCM. Among these, ALT ranged from 1 × to < 5 × upper limit normal(ULN) in 844 patients(3.93%) and suggested mild or moderate liver adaptive abnormalities. However, 26 patients(0.12%) experienced higher ALT values of ≥ 5 × ULN(300.0 ± 172.9 U/L, mean ± SD). Causality for TCM herbs was RUCAM-based probable in 8/26 patients, possible in 16/26, and excluded in 2/26 cases. Bupleuri radix and Scutellariae radix were the two TCM herbs most commonly implicated. CONCLUSION In 26(0.12%) of 21470 patients treated with herbal TCM, liver injury with ALT values of ≥ 5 × ULN was found, which normalized shortly following treatment cessation, also substantiating causality.

Screening the active constituents of Chinese medicinal herbs as potent inhibitors of Cdc25 tyrosine phosphatase, an activator of the mitosis-inducing p34^(cdc2) kinase

Objective: To screen and evaluate the active constituents of Chinese medicinal herbs as potent inhibitors of Cdc25phosphatase. Methods: The affinity chromatography purified glutashione-S-transferase/Cdc25A phosphatase fusion protein and Cdc2/cyclin B from the extracts of starfish M phase oocytes are used as the cell cycle-specific targets for screening the antimitotic constituents. We tested 9 extracts isolated from the Chinese medicinal herbs and vegetables including the agents currently used in cancer treatment by measuring the inhibition of Cdc25A phosphatase and Cdc2 kinase activity. The antitumor activity of the extracts was also evaluated by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and flow cytometry.Results: Cdc25A inhibitory activity and antitumor activity are detected in the extracts isolated from three Chinese medicinal herbs Agrimonapilosa; Herba solani lyrati; Galla chinesis. Conclusion: We found three extracts isolated from Chinese medicinal herbs have potential inhibitory activity of Cdc25 phosphatase using a highly specific mechanism-based screen assay for antimitotic drug discovery.

Screening of Epstein-Barr Virus Early Antigen Expression Inducers from Chinese Medicinal Herbs and Plants

Ether extrilcls of 1693 Chinesc medicinal herbs and plilnts from 268 families werestudied for the induction of Epstcin-Barr viral (EBV ) early antigcn (EA ) expression in theRaji cell line. Fifty-two from 18 families were found to have inducing activity. Twenty-fiveand seven of them were from Euphorbiaccae and Thymclaeaceae, respectively. Some ofthem, such as Croton tiglium, Euphorbia kansui, Daphnc genkwa, Wikstrocmia chamacdaphen, Wikstroemia indica, Prunus mandshurica Koehne and Achyranthes bidentata arecommonly used drugs. The significance of these herbs in the activation of EBV in vivo andtheir relation to the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma were discussed.

Utilization of Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Coupled with HPLC-UV as a Sensitive and Efficient Method for the Extraction and Determination of Oleanolic Acid and Ursolic Acid in Chinese Medicinal Herbs

Isomeric triterpenic acids of oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) both have very low ultraviolet absorption and always exist in the same plant, so the separation and simultaneous determination of them have been a difficult task. In this study, a sensitive method combining dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) with HPLC-UV was developed for the extraction and determination of OA and UA in traditional Chinese medicinal herbs (CMHs). Variables influencing DLLME such as type and volume of extraction solvent, volume of dispersive solvent, ionic strength, aqueous phase pH, extraction time, centrifugation speed and time, and sample volume were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, both OA and UA attained favorable extraction efficiencies with enrichment factors 1378 and 933, respectively. The linear dynamic ranges of 0.07 - 30.4 μg?mL–1 for OA and 0.08 - 33.6 μg?mL–1 for UA were obtained with square correlation coefficients of 0.9963. The detection limits of OA and UA were both 0.02 μg?mL–1. The method recoveries ranged between 88.2% - 116.2% for OA and 85.7% - 108.2% for UA with the RSDs (n = 5) lower than 8.6%. The proposed method was successfully applied to concentrate and simultaneously determine these two triterpenic acids in Hedyotis diffusa and Eriobotrya japonica samples.

A Review of Chinese Herb Medicine Additives on Chicken Growth Performance

Researches showed that many Chinese herb medicines can improve chicken growth performance not only by their pharmacological function, but also by the improvement of antioxidant function, immunity and disease resistance of chicken. The menace to human health and environment has occurred since too much antibiotics have been used as growth-promoting additives in long term in chicken industry. Therefore, research on replacement of antibiotics by Chinese herb medicines as additives for chicken growth is underway. This paper summarized some research results in the topic briefly to provide information for researchers and readers.

COMBINED TREATMENT OF 54 CASES OF APOPLECTIC SEQUELAE WITH ACUPUNCTURE AND CHINESE MEDICINAL HERBS

In the present paper, 54 cases of apoplectic sequelae were treated with acupuncture plus Chinese medicinal herbs. Acupoints used were scalp point Motor Area (MS 6), points of body acupuncture: Jianyu(LI 15) and Shousanli(LI 10) for paralysis of the upper limb; Zusanli (ST 36)and Xuanzhong (GB 39) for paralysis of the lower limb, combined with other points based on syndromes. Chinese medicinal herbs for reinforcing qi, promoting blood circulation, relieving muscular spasm and dredging meridians were used. Patients of the control group were treated with Troxerutinum, enteric Aspirin, etc.. Findings showed that out of the 54 cases of the treatment group, 28 were cured basically, 16 had marked improvement, 8 had improvement and 2 were ineffective, with the total effective rate of 96. 3%; of the 28 cases in the control group, 3 were cured basically, 7 had striking improvement, 13 had improvement and 5 were ineffective, with the total effective rate of 82.2%.Both the total effective rate and the basic-cure rate of the treatment group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0. 01). Results of the present paper display that manipulating the needle to cause "qi reaching the affected area" and applying Chinese medicinal herbs can act on the locus by way of meridians which is the key point for achieving better therapeutic effect.

Effects of four traditional Chinese medicinal herbs on plasma level of IL-6 and induced TNF level in burned rats with wound infection

Objective : Effects of the decoction of Coptis chinensis Franch. , Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi , P. chinense schneid and Lonicera japonica Thunb. on burn rats with wound infection were observed. Methods : Fifty-six rats were randomly divided into three groups :sham burn , burn wound infected control(BWIC) and burn wound infected and treatment(BWIT). The plasma was harvested from the experimental rats. Plasma IL-6 activity was measured by using the IL-6-dependent cell line B9. The isolated mono-nuclear cells (MNCs) were induced by LPS and cultured for 24 h. TNF in the culture supernatant was detected by ELISA. Results: Plasma IL-6 levels of BWIC and BWIT were significantly elevated at postburn (PB) 24 and 48h , and IL-6 level of BWIC was significantly higher than that of BWIT at PB 48h (P<0. 01). The induced TNF level of BWIT was significantly higher than that of BWIC at PB 24 and 48 h , and that of sham burn at 24 h(P<0. 01). Conclusion : The results indicate that this decoction could inhibit MNCs releasing from pro-inflammatory cytokines which are believed as an endogenous pyrogen.

Case report: Treating postpartum SUI with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine

Background:Stress urinary incontinence(SUI),is the most common type of urinary incontinence affecting women.SUI has a significant impact on psychosocial functioning and quality of life.Biomedical treatments,such as surgery,often result in post-operative complications.In China,traditional Chinese medicine tends to be the treatment of choice for SUI.Case presentation:We present a 35-year-old patient who developed SUI following forceps delivery and was treated successfully with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.Traditional Chinese diagnosis,including channel and acupoint palpation revealed the patient had a syndrome pattern of liver/kidney deficiency,disordered bladder qi transformation,all of which lead to enuresis.Acupuncture,both body and scalp needling,were performed.Herbs were prescribed adjunctively.Conclusion:Traditional Chinese medicine modalities may be considered for treatment of SUI based on appropriate syndrome pattern assessment.

Can Chinese herbal medicine improve the pregnancy outcomes of patients with poor ovarian response?—a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Poor response to ovarian stimulation which results in low pregnancy rate has been a major challenging in assisted reproductive technology.Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)has been used as a supplementary or an alternative intervention in improving pregnancy rate in women with poor ovarian response(POR).This systematic review was aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of POR.We searched Embase,PubMed,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),VIP Database,Chinese biomedical database(CBM),Wan Fang database and the Cochrane library from January 2011 to March 2018.Study quality assessment and metaanalyses were performed according to the Cochrane recommendations.16 trials including 1245 ovulation-promoting cycles were evaluated.The analysis showed that CHM can increase the pregnancy rate(RR=1.80,95%CI(1.41-2.29),P<0.001),while decrease cycle cancellation(RR=0.66,95%CI(0.45-0.97),P=0.04).Conclusion:CHM presented a promising effectiveness in women with POR as a supplementary or an alternative intervention in IVF/ICSI.

Treatment of Retinal Vein Obstruction with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicinal Herbs

We have treated thirty-two cases (52 eyes) of retinal vein obstruction by acupuncture and oral administration of Huo Xue Ming Mu Decoction. The total effective rate of 90.38% demonstrated that the treatment was definitely effective.

ANALYSIS OF VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS OF CHINESE MEDICINAL HERBS BY FLASH DISTILLATION/CAPILLARY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROMETRY

In present work,the volatile constituents of Curcuma longa L.,A.lancea (Thunb.) DC.,Foeniculum vulgare Mill,and Cinnamomun cassia Presl.have been analyzed by flash distillation/capillary gas chro-matography/mass spectrometry.The results are consistent with those obtained by conventional steam distillation extraction method.The optimum condition of flash distillation has been studied.The experimental results showed that this new technique proved to be a simple,rapid and efficient tool for microanalysis of volatile constituents of Chinese medicinal herbs.

Herb-herb interaction in traditional Chinese medicine：a review of pharmacokinetics-based interaction in Herb-Pairs

"Herb-Pairs",also known as pair drugs,refers to a prescription consisted of two relatively fixed traditional Chinese medicine,is the most basic,most simple and most common form of medication prescription in traditional Chinese medicine compound compatibility.It is not a random combination of two herbs,nor is the simple accumulation of efficacy,but the simple and delicate experience of ancient Chinese medicine practitioners.As a bridge between single drug and prescriptions,it is the embodiment of the regular and dialectical connotation.Therefore,research on Herb-Pairs has always been the most basic and most important entry point for compound compatibility studies.However,the interaction between herbs and herbs is an effect with a downside as well as benefits.The beneficial herb-herb interaction in Herb-Pairs include mutual promotion,mutual enhancement,mutual restraint between two drugs and counteract toxicity of another drug.And the harmful herb-herb interaction in Herb-Pairs includes mutual inhibition and antagonism.Al of these interactions areby means of affecting the metabolism of components to play a therapeutic effect.Using the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic(PK-PD)binding model,the combination of drug metabolism and pharmacodynamics can further elucidate the influence on effect caused by drug concentration and metabolism,which can help elucidate the mechanism of drug action.Consequently,in this review,the herb-herb interactions in terms of pharmacokinetic were summarized to elucidate rule of TCM compatibility.

COMBINED TREATMENT OF 200 CASES OF PERIPHERY FACIAL PARALYSIS WITH ACUPUNCTURE AND CHINESE MEDICINAL HERBS

In the present study, 200 cases of periphery facial paralysis were treated with combined therapies of handle needle, electroacupuncture (EA), electronic moxibustion and oral administration of Supplemented Qianzheng San. After treatment, of the 200 cases, 176 were cured, 15 had marked improvement and 9 had improvement. Two groups of acupoints were chosen and used alternately for keeping the excitement of acupoints, preventing acupoint fatigue and raising the therapeutic effect. In the acute stage of periphery facial palsy, acupuncture treatment was performed using shallow needling, mild manipulation and no needling penetration. In the convalescence stage and sequela stage, penetration needling was adopted and stronger stimulation given. During acute period and when facial muscular spasm appeared, EA stimulation was not suitable for facial acupoints. Over use of vision should be avoided.