“Warming yang and invigorating qi” acupuncture alters acetylcholine receptor expression in the neuromuscular junction of rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies have been shown to form against the nicotinic acetylcholine nicotinic postsynaptic receptors located at the neuromuscular junction.＂Warming yang and invigorating qi＂ acupuncture treatment has been shown to reduce serum inflammatory cytokine expression and increase transforming growth factor beta expression in rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis.However,few studies have addressed the effects of this type of acupuncture on the acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction.Here,we used confocal laser scanning microscopy to examine the area and density of immunoreactivity for an antibody to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction in the phrenic nerve of rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis following ＂warming yang and invigorating qi＂ acupuncture therapy.Needles were inserted at acupressure points Shousanli（LI10）,Zusanli（ST36）,Pishu（BL20）,and Shenshu（BL23） once daily for 7 consecutive days.The treatment was repeated after 1 day of rest.We found that area and the integrated optical density of the immunoreactivity for the acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction of the phrenic nerve was significantly increased following acupuncture treatment.This outcome of the acupuncture therapy was similar to that of the cholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine bromide.These findings suggest that ＂warming yang and invigorating qi＂ acupuncture treatment increases acetylcholine receptor expression at the neuromuscular junction in a rat model of autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

TCM Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis by Supplementing the Kidney and Invigorating the Blood Circulation

The therapeutic effects in treating the intermediate and late rheumatoid arthritis by supplementing the kidney and invigorating blood circulation were observed. In the 43 cases of the treatment group, No. 2 Qu Feng Shi Ling capsules (祛风湿灵胶囊2号) and Fenbid (芬必得) were prescribed, while in the 39 cases of the control group Lei Gong Teng Tablets (雷公藤总甙片) and Fenbid were given. The results showed that the total effective rate in the treatment group was more satisfactory than that in the control (P<0.05 or P<0.01). With less toxic effects, the former could better improve the local swelling and lower the blood viscosity.

Research progress on the mechanism of treating chronic kidney disease by invigorating the kidney and removing toxic

Chronic kidney disease is a general term for various types of renal diseases characterized by a long course of disease and difficulty in early detection.It is one of the social diseases that need to be solved urgently and its pathogenesis and treatment have always been a hotspot for researchers.Studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)can effectively delay the progress of chronic kidney disease.According to the clinical experience of national famous TCM physicians,based on its pathogenesis of"kidney deficiency as the foundation and poison as the target",chronic kidney disease can be treated by invigorating the kidney and removing toxic.Based on the above background,this paper summarizes the research progress of invigorating the kidney and removing toxic in delaying chronic kidney disease from multiple mechanisms and pathways in modern research.

Professor JIA Chun-sheng's case report and his academic thought of invigorating spleen to nourish original qi

Under the influence of academic theories of numerous physicians of TCM such as Li Gao and Li Zhong-zi in antient China, Professor Jia Chun-sheng proposed the academic thought of tonifying spleen and kidney in combination with acupuncture based on his clinical experience for decades. In clinical practice of acupuncture, Zhongwan （中脘 CV 12）, bilateral Tianshu （天枢 ST 25）, Qihai （气海 CV 6）, Guanyuan （关元 CV4） are often selected to invigorate spleen so as to nourish original qi and to treat both spleen and kidney. The above-mentioned five acupoints form a pattern similar to a star according to their location distribution, so it is called the starlike selection method of acupoints, which attaches importance to spleen and kidney （original qi）. Many diseases, especially internal injuries, are often treated with the starlike acupuncture manipulation combined with acupuncture at other acupoints, which achieves good clinical efficacy.

Effect of Soothing Gan(Liver) and Invigorating Pi(Spleen) Recipes on TLR4-p38 MAPK Pathway in Kupffer Cells of Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis Rats

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of inflammatory-mediated toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38 MAPK) pathway in Kupffer cells(KCs) of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH) rats and the intervention effect of soothing Gan(Liver) and invigorating Pi(Spleen) recipes on this pathway. Methods: After 1 week of acclimatization, 120 Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 8 groups using a random number table(n=15 per group): normal group, model group, low-dose Chaihu Shugan Powder(柴胡疏肝散, CHSG) group(3.2 g/kg), high-dose CHSG group(9.6 g/kg), low-dose Shenling Baizhu Powder(参苓白术散, SLBZ) group(10 g/kg), high-dose SLBZ(30 g/kg) group, and low-and highdose integrated recipe(L-IR, H-IR) groups. All rats in the model and treatment groups were fed with a high-fat diet(HFD). The treatments were administrated by gastrogavage once daily and lasted for 26 weeks. The liver tissues were detected with hematoxylin-eosin(HE) and oil red O staining. Levels of liver lipids, serum lipids and transaminases were measured. KCs were isolated from the livers of rats to evaluate the mRNA expressions of TLR4 and p38 MAPK by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and proteins expressions of TLR4, p-p38 MAPK and p38 MAPK by Western blot. Levels of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-1 and IL-6 in KCs were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: After 26 weeks of HFD feeding, HE and oil red O staining showed that the NASH model rats successfully reproduced typical pathogenesis and histopathological features. Compared with the normal group, the model group exhibited significant increases in body weight, liver weight, liver index, serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and aspartate aminotransferase as well as TC and TG levels in liver tissues, and significant decrease in serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(P<0.05 or P<0.01), while those indices were significantly ameliorated in the H-IR group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Higher levels of TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 in KCs were observed in the model group compared with the normal group(P<0.01). Significant decreases in TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 were observed in the H-SLBZ, H-IR and L-IR groups compared with the model group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). The m RNA expressions of TLR4 and p38 MAPK and protein expressions of TLR4, p38 MAPK and p-p38 MAPK in KCs in the model group were significantly higher than the normal group(P<0.01), while those expression levels in the L-IR and H-IR groups were significantly lower than the model group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: Inflammation in KCs might play an important role in the pathogenesis of NASH in rats. The data demonstrated the importance of TLR4-p38 MAPK signaling pathway in KCs for the anti-inflammatory effect of soothing Gan and invigorating Pi recipes.

Clinical Evaluation of Soothing Gan(肝) and Invigorating Pi(脾)Acupuncture Treatment on Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Objective： To explore the effect of Soothing Gan （肝） and invigorating Pi （脾） （SGIP） acupuncture treatment on the clinical symptoms and quality of life （QOL） in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-D）. Methods： With a single-blinded randomized control study adopted, 63 patients who met the inclusion criteria were assigned by a random number table to two groups, 31 in the treatment group and 32 in the drug control group. The treatment group received SGIP acupuncture therapy; while the control group was treated orally with pinaverium bromide. The treatment duration of both groups was 28 days. The clinical efficacy was evaluated and compared by scoring patient＇s symptom and QOL. Results： A significant difference was found by variance analysis in efficacies between the two groups （P〈0.01）, shown as the quicker initiation of effect （P〈0.05） and the more evident clinical improvement in symptoms along the increase in treatment duration, as well as the more significant elevation of QOL in the acupuncture treatment group （P〈0.01）. SGIP displayed its superiority especially in improving dysphoria, conflict behavior, dietary restrictions, and social responses. Conclusion： SGIP acupuncture treatment could effectively alleviate the degree and frequency of symptoms＇ attack in IBS-D patients, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, abdominal distension, etc., markedly relieve the tenesmic sensation, with the efficacy better than that of pinaverium bromide, showing a preponderance in improving patient＇s QOL.

Effects of Soothing Liver and Invigorating Spleen Recipe on Lipid Metabolism Disorders in Kupffer Cells of NAFLD Rats by LXRα/SREBP-1c Signal Pathway

Objective To investigate the mechanism of lipid metabolism disorders in Kupffer cells （KCs） of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） rats mediated by LXRα-SREBP-lc pathway and the interference of soothing liver and invigorating spleen recipe （SLISR） on it. Methods SD male rats were randomly divided into five groups： normal, model, soothing liver recipe （SLR）, invigorating spleen recipe （ISR）, and soothing liver and invigorating spleen recipe （SLISR） groups. The rats in treatment groups were administered for 8 weeks. The liver tissue was stained with H＆E and oil red O. The levels of hepatic lipid and blood lipid were measured by biochemical analyzer. KCs were isolated from the livers of rats to evaluate the expression of LXRα, SREBP-1 C, and FAS mRNA by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR tests; LXRα, SREBP-1C, and FAS proteins were measured by Western blotting. Results The H＆E and oil red O staining results showed that the model rats successfully reproduced typical pathogenetic and histopathological features of NAFLD. The levels of hepatic lipid and blood lipid in the model rats were dramatically increased. Compared with the model group, the values of hepatic lipid and blood lipid in the treatment groups were significantly ameliorated （P〈 0.05, 0.01 ）. The yields of purified KCs from each rat were 2×10^7-3×10^7. The viability of KCs was higher than 95%, with the purity over 90.18%. Compared with the model group, the expression of LXRα, SREBP-1C, and FAS mRNA and proteins was decreased in all treatment groups, especially in the SLR group （P〈 0.05）. Conclusion SLISR may protect liver against injury included by lipid metabolism disorders in KCs through LXRα/ SREBP-1 c signaling pathway, which may be an important mechanism for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Mechanism of'Invigorating Qi and Promoting Blood Circulation'Drug Pair Ginseng-Danshen on Treatment of Ischemic Heart Disease Based on Network Pharmacology

Objective:Using network pharmacology to explore the mechanism of the'invigorating qi and promoting blood circulation'drug pair Ginseng-Danshen(Salvia miltiorrhiza)on treatment of ischemic heart disease(IHD).Methods:The chemical constituents of ginseng and Danshen drug pair were identified by searching the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP),and the potential targets of the pair were identified.The pharmacodynamics of the pair was analyzed using network pharmacology.The targets of IHD were identified by database screening.Using protein-protein interaction network,the interaction targets of Ginseng-Danshen on IHD were constructed.A"constituent-target-disease"interaction network was constructed using Cytoscape software,Gene Ontology(GO)term enrichment analysis and biological pathway enrichment analysis were carried out,and the mechanism of improving myocardial ischemia by the Ginseng-Danshen drug pair was investigated.Results:Seventeen active constituents and 53 targets were identified from ginseng,53 active constituents and 61 targets were identified from Danshen,and 32 protein targets were shared by ginseng and Danshen.Twenty GO terms were analyzed,including cytokine receptor binding,cytokine activity,heme binding,and antioxidant activity.Sixty Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)signaling pathways were analyzed,including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-serine-threonine kinase(PI3 K-AKT)signaling pathway,p53 signaling pathway,interleukin 17 signaling pathway,tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway,and the advanced glycation end product(AGE)-the receptor for AGE(RAGE)signaling pathway in diabetic complications.Conclusion:The specific mechanism of Ginseng-Danshen drug pair in treating IHD may be associated with improving the changes of metabolites inbody,inhibiting the production of peroxides,removing the endogenous oxygen free radicals,regulating the expression of inflammatory factors,reducing myocardial cell apoptosis and promoting vascular regeneration.

Study of Different Patterns of Immuno-Modulatory Mechanism byTonifying Kidney and Invigorating Spleen Drugs

Objective: To observe the acting pattern on the immune system by Kidney tonifying (KT) drugs. Methods: Three composite recipes were used on the 7- and 14-day corticosterone rat model to study the effect of recipes on the different patterns of immuno-modulatory and neuro- endocrinological systems. Results:The immune system of Spleen Invigorating(SI) group was well protected in either 7- or 14-day experiments,with the SI recipe showing no effect on the neuroendocrine system. It suggested that SI recipe might have direct action on immune system. On the other hand, KT group with no effect on neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) system in 7-day experiment, but showed a remarkable protective effect of the whole NEI system in 14-day experiment. Conclusion: The results indicated that KT recipe acts on the neuroendocrine system first, and then influence the immune system. It means that the action took place through down pathway of NEI network.

Invigorating Qi and Promoting Blood Circulation in Treatmentof Chronic Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Twenty patients of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) were treated with suchkind of Chinese herbal medicine as invigorating Qi and promoting blood circulation for 4-8 weeks. The ther-apeutic effect was observed and compared with that of the two control groups treated with prednisone and co-enzyme A respectively. In the TCM group, the number of patients with marked effect, good effect and im-provement were 2, 4 and 7, the total effective rate being 65% . This efficacy was higher than that of the co-enzyme group and lower than that of the prednisone group. The changes of antiplatelet IgG antibody and hap-toglobin were also observed in the meantime, and results showed that after TOM treatment, both of themwere decreased as disease improved.

Traditional Chinese Medicine's Spleen Strengthening and Intestinal Microecology

The"spleen"in traditional Chinese medicine is the"acquired foundation"and the"source of qi and blood biochemistry".Strengthening the"spleen"is one of the important treat‐ment methods in traditional Chinese medicine;The gut microbiota has been a hot topic in modern scientific research in recent years,and its nutritional and immune functions correspond to some of the functions of the spleen in traditional Chinese medicine.In terms of philosophy,traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the balance between the spleen and the gut microbiota,emphasizing the importance of supporting the right and eliminating evil,preventing diseases before they occur,seeking the root cause of treat‐ment,and adapting measures to the three causes;Clinically,the treatment of obesity,con‐stipation,diarrhea and other diseases by invigorating the spleen and the treatment mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion,chiropractic and invigorating the spleen are all related to microecology.This article combines relevant literature on traditional Chinese medicine's"spleen"and"spleen health"to explore the treatment concept,clinical application,and correlation with intestinal microbiota of traditional Chinese medicine's"spleen health".It also elaborates on the latest literature,aiming to exchange ideas with peers and promote research on the microbiota of traditional Chinese medicine's"spleen".

Invigorating Private Investment

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao set in motion the policies and measures to encourage and guide the sound development of private investment at an executive meeting of the State Council on March 24. While aimed at improving the overall private investment environment, these measures will help promote China’s economic restructuring and maintain its growth momentum, said Sun Lijian,a professor of finance at Fudan University in Shanghai, in an article for Shanghai Securities News.Edited excerpts follow:

Treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with type 2 diabetes by traditional Chinese medicine:a case report and experience

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes are common comorbidities or target organ damage,which can lead to adverse metabolism and increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.In the management plan of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes,there is no drug with significant efficacy or both.The dialectical idea of traditional Chinese medicine has a good curative effect and significant advantages in treating metabolic disorders.The author now reviewed a case of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis combined with type 2 diabetes.In this case,the method of invigorating the spleen and eliminating turbidity was effective,which effectively prevented the progression of liver disease in the patient,and T2DM was alleviated by maintaining within the standard range after the use of insulin was stopped.It can be said that“killing two birds with one stone”,more fully reflects the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in the integrated treatment of metabolic-related diseases.

Therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine on coagulation disorder and accompanying intractable jaundice in hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis patients

AIM： TO observe the therapeutic effects of new traditional Chinese medicine （TClVl） therapy on coagulation disorder and accompanying intractable jaundice in HBV-related liver cirrhosis patients. METHODS： Using stratified random sampling according to fibrinogen （Fib） levels, 145 liver cirrhosis patients due to hepatitis B complicated by coagulation disorder were treated. Of them, 70 in research group were treated with TCM by ＂nourishing yin, cooling blood and invigorating blood circulation＂ and Western medicine, 75 in control group were treated with conventional Western medicine. The indexes of liver function, coagulation function and bleeding events were observed and compared. RESULTS： The prothrombin time （PT） was shorter and the fibrinogen （Fib） level was higher in the research group than in the control group （Fib = 1.6-2.0 g/L, 1.1-1.5 g/L, and ≤ 1.0 g/L）. The total bilirubin （TBIL） level was significantly lower in the research group than in the control group, except for the subgroup of FIB ≤ 1.0 g/L. CONCLUSION： TCM therapy can improve coagulation fuction and decrease TBIL.

Effect of Danggui Shaoyao San with Huangqi on adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome in rats

Objective:To determine the therapeutic effect of Danggui Shaoyao San with Huangqi on rats with nephrotic syndrome(NS)was discussed,and the scientific connotation of TCM treatment principle was elaborated,so as to provide experimental basis for its clinical application.Methods:The NS rat model was established by iv administration of adriamycin;The rats were divided into model group,Danggui Shaoyao San group,Danggui Shaoyao San with Huangqi group,Huangqi group and positive drug group,with 10 rats in control group;The best dosage ratio of Danggui Shaoyao San and Huangqi was screened by Excel;24 h urine protein was measured by BCA method;The electrolyte level was detected by automatic biochemical analyzer;In serum Urea nitrogen(BUN),Creatinine(SCr),Total cholesterol(TC),Triglyceride(TG),Total protein(TP),Albumin(ALB),Immunoglobulin M(Ig-M)and Immunoglobulin G(Ig-G)were detected by the kit;hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the renal morphology;The Total water content(TBW),Extracellular water content(ECF)and Intracellular water content(ICF)were measured by experimental animal body composition analyzer.Results:Compared with the model group,the urine protein in the modified Astragalus group of Danggui Shaoyao Powder was significantly decreased(P<0.01);Urine electrolytes were significantly decreased and serum electrolytes were significantly increased(P<0.01);Serum BUN,SCR,TC and TG were significantly decreased(P<0.01),while TP,ALB,TBW and ICF were significantly increased(P<0.01);The levels of Ig-M and Ig-G were significantly increased(P<0.01),TBW and ICF were significantly increased,and ECF was significantly decreased(P<0.01);Histopathology showed that the pathological changes of renal tissue were obviously alleviated;The improvement of each index was better than that of Danggui Shaoyao San group and Huangqi group.Conclusion:Danggui Shaoyao San with Huangqi group can significantly improve the edema,proteinuria,blood lipid and immune function of NS rats,and the effect is better than that of Danggui Shaoyao San group and Huangqi group.It has the best therapeutic effect on NS,which indicates that Huangqi plays a key synergistic effect on Danggui Shaoyao San,which verifies the scientific connotation of"Yiqi Huoxue Lishui"in the treatment of NS.

Temporal and Spatial Variations of Global Deep Cloud Systems Based on CloudSat and CALIPSO Satellite Observations

ABSTRACT The spatial and temporal global distribution of deep clouds was analyzed using a four-year dataset （2007-10） based on observations from CloudSat and CALIPSO. Results showed that in the Northern Hemisphere, the number of deep cloud systems （DCS） reached a maximum in summer and a minimum in winter. Seasonal variations in the number of DCS varied zonally in the Southern Hemisphere. DCS occurred most frequently over central Africa, the northern parts of South America and Australia, and Tibet. The mean cloud-top height of deep cloud cores （TDCC） decreased toward high latitudes in all seasons. DCS with the highest TDCC and deepest cores occurred over east and south Asian monsoon regions, west-central Africa and northern South America. The width of DCS （WDCS） increased toward high latitudes in all seasons. In general, DCS were more developed in the horizontal than in the vertical direction over high latitudes and vice versa over lower lat- itudes. Findings from this study show that different mechanisms are behind the development of DCS at different latitudes. Most DCS at low latitudes are deep convective clouds which are highly developed in the vertical direction but cover a rela tively small area in the horizontal direction; these DCS have the highest TDCC and smallest WDCS. The DCS at midlatitudes are more likely to be caused by cyclones, so they have less vertical development than DCS at low latitudes. DCS at high latitudes are mainly generated by large frontal systems, so they have the largest WDCS and the smallest TDCC.

Potentiality of Different Seed Priming Agents to Mitigate Cold Stress of Winter Rice Seedling

Seed priming has proved to be an effective pre-germination seed invigoration technique for different crops to improve seed and seedling performance under different abiotic stresses.In Bangladesh,winter rice is very often exposed to cold waves just after sowing in the nursery bed resulting in poor seed germination and seedling emergence,yellowish and thin seedlings production,and a very low survival rate.Seed priming may mitigate the cold stress during seed germination and seedling emergence and helps in the quality seedling production of winter rice.To evaluate the efficacy of different seed priming techniques in increasing seedling emergence,growth,vigor and survivability of winter rice cultivars under cold stress,a pot experiment was conducted at the Department of Agronomy,Bangladesh Agricultural University during December 2018 to January 2019.The experiment comprised two factors,(A)Winter rice variety namely,(i)BRRI dhan29 and (ii)BRRI dhan36;(B)Seed priming agent namely (i)Control(no priming),(ii)20000 ppm NaCl,(iii)30000 ppm NaCl,(iv)20000 ppm KCl,(v)30000 ppm KCl,(vi)20000 ppm CaCl2,(vii)30000 ppm CaCl2,(viii)50 ppm CuSO4,(ix)75 ppm CuSO_(4),(x)10000 ppm ZnSO4,(xi)15000 ppm ZnSO4,(xii)2 ppm Na2MoO4,(xiii)3 ppm Na2MoO4,(xiv)100 ppm PEG(Polyethylene glycol 4000)and (xv)150 ppm PEG.Seeds were sown on two different dates viz.,1st December and 1st January so that seedlings are exposed to cold stress at different stages.The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design(CRD)with three replications.Results indicated that(in most of the cases)seed priming has a positive impact on seedling emergence rate(%),root length,shoot length,root shoot ratio,root dry weight,shoot dry weight,seedling dry weight and survival rate(%).Among the priming agents,KCl and CaCl2 performed best;while priming with NaCl and PEG showed no advantages over no priming for both the sowing dates.In general,BRRI dhan36 performed better than BRRI dhan29 in terms of seedling growth because of its higher tolerance to cold stress.But,both the varieties performed similarly in terms of emergence rate and survival rate.Thus,priming is an effective tool to increase seed germination,better seedling growth,and higher seedling survivability of winter rice under cold stress,and KCl(20000 ppm)or CaCl2(20000 ppm)can be considered as a viable priming agent.

China Winter Sports Industry is Invigorated

Recent released Chinese Ski Industry White Paper by Asian International Trade Show for Sporting Equipements and Fashion(ISPO)pointed out that ski industry in China received customers of 12.5 million person times in 2015,and many ski resorts had more than200,000 vistors.Zhao Yinggang,

Tourism Invigorates Economy—Notes on Activities Marking '93 Tourism Day

On September 27 this year, in the golden autumn, more than 1,000 overseas travel agents and tourists and over 100 Chinese and foreign reporters converged in Zhengzhou City of China’s Henan Province, and joined thousands of local people in celebrating the ’93 World Tourism Day. World Tourism Day, which was set by the World Tourism Organization in September 1979, is a festival of

论惠特曼诗歌中的民主思想(英文)

沃尔特·惠特曼（WaltWhitman1819－1892）是19世纪美国第一位自由、大胆地讴歌民主精神的诗人。不论是在青年时代，还是在南北战争的日子里，惠特曼的诗歌都显得那样离经叛道，不同凡响。这位民主歌手一反已往抒情诗人的传统做法，没有诗化达官显贵、名流俊彦的柔情密意或无病呻吟，而是高歌社会的真正主人──平民百姓，愤然鞭挞残酷的奴隶制，积极主张人人平等、万物和谐。尤为可贵的是，为了民主的理想，他不仅呐喊，而且行动；不仅用笔作为武器、反对奴隶制，而且积极投身于保护黑奴的实际斗争之中。为此，他曾被解职、遭到迫害。但他不屈不挠，义无反顾。所有这些主题都鲜明地反映在著名的《草叶集》里。惠特曼所处的时代也是美国历史上最为动荡的时代。南北战争和林肯遇刺都紧紧牵系着美国的民主进程。惠特曼满怀深情地多次为林肯这位民主领袖高唱挽歌，其影响在震动美国文坛的同时，也跨越了国界，穿越了时空，波及到来者。他所独创的“自由体”诗及其讴歌的民主精神，即使今日读来，仍能给人以新的启迪。