Treating Biliary System Postoperational Complications by Syndrome Differentiation Using Traditional Chinese Medicine

The operation of the biliary system is usually employed for liver, gallbladder or pancreatic diseases. Most benign cases are cholelithiasisinduced cholecystitis and choledochitis, while malignant ones mainly include gallbladder cancers, cholangiocarcinoma orcarcinoma of the head of the pancreas.

Electroacupuncture pretreatment exhibits antidepressive effects by regulating hippocampal proteomics in rats with chronic restraint stress

The clinical effect of electroacupuncture on depression is widely recognized. However, the signal transduction pathways and target proteins involved remain unclear. In the present study, rat models of chronic restraint stress were used to explore the mechanism by which electroacupuncture alleviates depression. Rats were randomly divided into control, model, and electroacupuncture groups. Chronic restraint stress was induced in the model and electroacupuncture groups by restraining rats for 28 days. In the electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture pretreatment at Baihui（GV20） and Yintang（GV29） acupoints was performed daily（1 m A, 2 Hz, discontinuous wave, 20 minutes） prior to restraint for 28 days. Open field tests and body weight measurements were carried out to evaluate the depressive symptoms at specific time points. On day 28, the crossing number, rearing number, and body weights of the model group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Behavior test results indicated that rat models of depressive-like symptoms were successfully established by chronic restraint stress combined with solitary raising. On day 28, an isobaric tag for a relative and absolute quantitation-based quantitative proteomic approach was performed to identify differentially expressed proteins in hippocampal samples obtained from the model and electroacupuncture groups. The potential function of these differential proteins was predicted through the use of the Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins（COG） database. Twenty-seven differential proteins（uncharacteristic proteins expected） were selected from the model and electroacupuncture groups. In addition to unknown protein functions, COG are mainly concentrated in general prediction function, mechanism of signal transduction, amino acid transport and metabolism groups. This suggests that electroacupuncture improved depressive-like symptoms by regulating differential proteins, and most of these related proteins exist in nerve cells.

Effect of Yunqi Decoction (匀气汤 ) on Esophageal Mucosal Morphology and Esophapeal Motility in Reflux Esophagitis Patients

Objective: To observe the effects of Yunqi decoction (匀气汤, YQD) on both esophageal mucosal morphology and esophageal motility in patients with reflux esophagitis (RE). Methods: According to syndrome differentiation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), 42 RE patients were divided into three groups fdisharmony of Liver and Stomach (group D), Deficiency-Cold of Spleen and Stomach (Group DC), Heat Syndrome caused by stagnation of Liver Qi (Group H). No. Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ of YQD were taken respectively for 4 weeks.Before and after treatment scores of typical symptoms were collected, gastroscopy was performed and esophagealmotility were measured. Results: (1 ) The symptom remission rate was 81. 1 %, there were significant differences between the group DC with group D and group H (P< 0. 01 ). (2) The esophageal mucosal healing ratewas 61. 9 %, the effective rate was 90. 5 %, and the ineffective rate was 9. 5 %. There were not significant differences of effective rate among the three groups (P > 0. 05). (3) The changes of esophageal motility: Loweresophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) and average peristaltic pressure (APP) of group D were obviously higherthan before treatment (P < 0. 05), LESP, gastro--esophageal barrier pressure (GEBP) and peristaltic conductspeed (PCS) of group DC were remarkably higher (P < 0. 05). GEBP of group H was improved (P < 0. 05 ).Conclusions: YQD has a good therapeutic effect. It's not only resolving reflux esophageal symptoms, healingesophageal mucosa, but also improving esophageal motile function.

Distributions of Sasang constitutions and six syndromes in patients with functional dyspepsia and healthy subjects

OBJECTIVE:To investigated the characteristics of patients with functional dyspepsia(FD)in terms of Sasang constitutional medicine.METHODS:A total of 116 patients with FD were recruited based on diagnosis by gastroscopy and symptomatic measurements.The distributions of Sasang constitutions and six syndromes in terms of TKM theory in the patients was compared with those from 1423 healthy subjects.RESULTS:The distribution of Sasang constitutions for the patients with FD significantly differed from that for healthy subjects,especially among women;36.7%vs 45.6%for Taeumin,28.9%vs 33.9%for Soumin,and 34.4%vs 20.4%for Soyangin.Our results assumed a high prevalence in Soyangin women(around 1.7 folds),and Soumin(45.2%),inparticular,had a high prevalence of"deficiency and coldness of spleen and stomach"compared with Taeumin(14.9%)and Soyangin types(15.7%).CONCLUSION:This study identified a trend for the frequency of FD and the Sasang constitutions.The findings may provide new ideas for the study of prevention and management of FD.