Effects of Salinity Fluctuation and Dietary Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicines on Survival,Growth and Immunity of Exopalaemon carinicauda

[Objective]The aim of this study was to provide a theoretical basis for the large-scale breeding of Exopalaemon carinicauda. [Method]Effects of salinity fluctuation （S0,S3,S6 and S9 represented salinity fluctuations of 0,3,6 and 9 respectivley） and dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines （0,1%,2% and 4% respectively） on survival,growth and immunity of E.carinicauda were studied,and its experiment lasted for 60 d. [Result]The results showed that specific growth rate,feed conversion efficiency and superoxide dismutase activity of E.carinicauda in the treatment group with 1% dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicine and S6 salinity fluctuation were higher than those in other treatments,which was significantly higher than the treatment groups with S0,S3 and S9 salinity fluctuation at the same adding level of 1% dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicine. The regression analysis indicated that at S0,S3 and S6 salinity fluctuation,the optimal adding level of dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines in feeds decreased with the increase of salinity fluctuation,accounting for 2.74%,1.77% and 0.51% respectively. At four adding levels of dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines,the optimal salinity fluctuation of E.carinicauda also decreased with the increase of dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines in feeds,accounting for 5.26,4.95,3.54 and 1.97 respectively. [Conclusion]Salinity,dietary traditional Chinese herbal medicines and their interactions have a significant effect on survival,growth and immunity of E.carinicauda,which calls for attentions in the breeding.

Real-World Study on the Treatment of Macular Edema in Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Using Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)and Its Medication Guidelines

Object:The aim is to evaluate how effective Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)is in treating patients who have central retinal vein occlusion with macular edema(CRVO-ME)in a real-world study.Furthermore,the objective of the research was to examine the TCM prescription trends in the management of CRVO-ME.Method:A single-center real-world study(RWS)was carried out over a span of 19 years,following the established design.The study encompassed 113 patients diagnosed with CRVO-ME.Out of these,74 patients received TCM treatment,while the remaining individuals underwent a combined therapy involving TCM and anti-VEGF drugs through intravitreal injection.The patients were matched using propensity score matching(PSM).The result measured in the RWS was BCVA.The oral prescriptions for CRVO-ME that led to observable and effective outcomes were collected.Excel and the TCM Inheritance Auxiliary Platform V2.5 were utilized to optimize mutual information,hierarchical clustering based on entropy,and other techniques to extract medication regulations and features.Result:After applying PSM,each group comprised 29 cases.Both groups exhibited improved BCVA following treatment;however,there was no statistically significant distinction in BCVA or effectiveness between the two groups(all P>0.05).Apart from the analysis of oral prescriptions for CRVO-ME,the investigation pinpointed the most frequently used TCMs,namely Flos Carthami,Semen Persicae,Radix Angelica sinensis,Radix Rehmanniae,and Radix et Rhizoma Notoginseng.Frequently utilized medications tended to possess cold,warm,or mild attributes and exhibited a taste profile that was either bitter or sweet.The primary meridians associated with the medicines employed in treating CRVO-ME were liver,spleen,stomach,heart,and lung.Through the application of association rule analysis,it was discerned that there were 195 commonly employed combinations of medicines.Additionally,a complex system entropy cluster analysis unveiled 13 key combinations of medicines.By employing an unsupervised entropy hierarchical clustering analysis,a novel prescription was formulated.Conclusion:Within a real-world population of CRVO-ME patients,TCM exhibited its effectiveness.The treatment approach for CRVO-ME predominantly involved the regulation of qi(Qi is an exceedingly subtle substance within the human body,brimming with vitality and ceaseless motion.It constitutes the fundamental element that shapes and sustains the various processes of human life.)and blood as well as the resolution of dampness.The oral prescriptions frequently targeted the meridians of liver,spleen,stomach,heart,and lungs.

An ultra-robust fingerprinting method for quality assessment of traditional Chinese medicine using multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry

Chromatographic fingerprinting has been perceived as an essential tool for assessing quality and chemical equivalence of traditional Chinese medicine.However,this pattern-oriented approach still has some weak points in terms of chemical coverage and robustness.In this work,we proposed a multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)-based fingerprinting method in which approximately 100 constituents were simultaneously detected for quality assessment.The derivative MRM approach was employed to rapidly design MRM transitions independent of chemical standards,based on which the large-scale fingerprinting method was efficiently established.This approach was exemplified on QiShenYiQi Pill(QSYQ),a traditional Chinese medicine-derived drug product,and its robustness was systematically evaluated by four indices:clustering analysis by principal component analysis,similarity analysis by the congruence coefficient,the number of separated peaks,and the peak area proportion of separated peaks.Compared with conventional ultraviolet-based fingerprints,the MRM fingerprints provided not only better discriminatory capacity for the tested normal/abnormal QSYQ samples,but also higher robustness under different chromatographic conditions(i.e.,flow rate,apparent pH,column temperature,and column).The result also showed for such large-scale fingerprints including a large number of peaks,the angle cosine measure after min-max normalization was more suitable for setting a decision criterion than the unnormalized algorithm.This proof-of-concept application gives evidence that combining MRM technique with proper similarity analysis metrices can provide a highly sensitive,robust and comprehensive analytical approach for quality assessment of traditional Chinese medicine.

Effects of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine on Immune Organ Indexes and Macrophages Phagocytic Indexes in Chickens Infected by Infectious Bronchitis Virus

[ Objective] To study the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions on infectious bronchitis （IB） and find a novel avenue for prevention and treatment of viral diseases in poultry. [Method] A total of 160 cockerels at the age of 15 d were divided into four groups randomly, including traditional Chinese medicine group, moroxydine control group, challenge control group and healthy control group. Except the healthy control group, other groups were challenged with infectious bronchitis virus （IBV） on Day 15. After 48 h post challenge, the traditional Chinese medicine groupand moroxydine control group were respectively administrated with Chinese herbal medicine prescription and moroxydine, continuously for 5 d. The immune organ indexes and macrephage phagocytic indexes were detected on Day 18, 24 and 30, respectively. [ Result] The immune organ indexes and macrophage phagocytic indexes were not significantly different between traditional Chinese medicine group and moroxydine control group on Day 18. But all the indexes of the traditional Chinese medicine groups were increased significantly （ P 〈 0.05） on Day 24 and 30, and showed extremely significant difference （ P 〈 0.01 ） with those of challenge control group on Day 30. [ Conclusion] The traditional Chinese herbal medicine can enhance macrophage phagocytic indexes and immune organs indexes of chickens infected by IBV.

Literature review and analysis of the application of health outcome assessment instruments in Chinese medicine

OBJECTIVE： To evaluate the application of health assessment instruments in Chinese medicine. METHODS： According to a pre-defined search strategy, a comprehensive literature search for all articles published in China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was conducted. The resulting articles that met the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used for analysis. RESULTS： A total of 97 instruments for health outcome assessment in Chinese medicine have been used in fundamental and theoretical research, and 14 of these were also used in 29 clinical trials that were randomized controlled trials, or descriptive or cross-sectional studies. In 2 152 Chinese medicine-based studies that used instruments in their methodology, more than 150 questionnaires were identified. Among the identified questionnaires, 51 were used in more than 10 articles （0.5%）. Most of these instruments were developed in Western countries and few studies （4%） used the instrument as the primary evidence for their conclusions. CONCLUSION： Usage of instruments for health outcome assessment in Chinese medicine is increasing rapidly; however, current limitations include selection rationale, result interpretation and standardization, which must be addressed accordingly.

Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Zizania latifolia to Traditional Chinese Medicine Wastewater

Effects of traditional Chinese medicine wastewater treatment on the physiological and biochemical indexes( such as TTC,Pro,GSH,MDA,SOD,POD,CAT,and PAL) of Zizania latifolia were investigated under four concentrations of medicine wastewater. The results showed that under the stress of traditional Chinese medicine wastewater,the contents of GSH,MDA and Pro had different degrees of increase,which would promote the increasing of superoxide anion. Meanwhile,the activities of root,SOD,POD,CAT and PAL also increased with the concentration of traditional Chinese medicine wastewater. Therefore,Z. latifolia had very strong anti-adversity abilities and tolerances to traditional Chinese medicine wastewater and can be used as one of the constructed wetland plants treating medicine wastewater.

In vitro study on the antiviral activity of 9 extracts of traditional Chinese herbal medicine against the human respiratory syncytial virus

Objective:To study the in vitro virucidal activity of 9 extracts of traditional Chinese herbal medicine(the water extracts of Evodia lepta,Clausena lansium,Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum,Callicarpa nudiflora,Nauclea officinalis and Elaeagnus gonyanthes,the alcohol extracts of Nauclea officinalis,Elaeagnus gonyanthes and Zanthoxylumarmatum)on human respiratory syncytial virus(HRSV).Methods:The cytotoxic effect of the extracts on cells was evaluated by a cell viability assay using the CCK-8 method,a concentration of the extracts with cell viability greater than 50%was selected for the follow-up anti-HRSV effect assay,the 50%effective concentration(EC50)was assessed by an in vitro cell infection model.Results:The EC50s of the water extract from Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum,Callicarpa nudiflora and Elaeagnus gonyanthes were 0.05 mg/mL,0.03 mg/mL and 0.05 mg/mL,and the therapeutic index(TI)of them were 18.60,21.67 and 56.80 respectively.Conclusion:The water extracts of Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum,Callicarpa nudiflora and Elaeagnus gonyanthes possess the activity of anti-HRSV virus.

脓毒症中医证型分布、死亡因素分析及AT-Ⅲ联合NT-proBNP、SOFA评分对预后的评估价值

目的:探讨脓毒症中医证型分布规律及影响脓毒症患者预后的因素,并分析抗凝血酶原-Ⅲ(AT-Ⅲ)、N-末端脑钠肽前体(NT-proBNP)及序贯性器官衰竭(SOFA)评分对脓毒症患者预后的评估价值。方法:选取148例脓毒症患者作为研究对象,总结中医证型分布规律。根据预后情况分为存活组115例及死亡组33例。通过单因素及多因素逻辑(logistic)回归分析影响脓毒症患者预后的相关因素。绘制受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线评价AT-Ⅲ、NT-proBNP及SOFA评分对其预后的评估价值。结果:148例脓毒症患者的中医证型分布按频次从高到低排序依次为急性虚证64例(43.24%)、毒热证35例(23.65%)、血瘀证31例(20.95%)、腑气不通证18例(12.16%)。死亡组患者中急性虚证比例高于存活组(P<0.05)。急性虚证、AT-Ⅲ降低、NT-proBNP升高、SOFA评分、男性均为脓毒症患者死亡的危险因素(P<0.05)。AT-Ⅲ、NTproBNP、SOFA评分预测脓毒症患者死亡的ROC曲线下面积分别为0.676、0.715、0.724。当三者联合诊断时,ROC曲线下面积提高到0.8,敏感度高达90.9%。结论:脓毒症中医证型分布依次是急性虚证、毒热证、血瘀证和腑气不通证,急性虚证、AT-Ⅲ降低、NT-proBNP升高、SOFA评分、男性均为脓毒症患者死亡的危险因素。AT-Ⅲ联合NT-proBNP及SOFA评分可有效提升脓毒症患者死亡的早期预测准确性。

Risk assessment models of integrative medicine indicators for malignant transformation of chronic atrophic gastritis:A registry study protocol

Objective:Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and modern medicine have both been used in arresting malignant transformation of chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG)in China with good therapeutic effect.However,no studies have been undertaken to assess the risk of malignant transformation in CAG patients using both modern medicine and TCM features.Our study aimed to develop risk assessment models for malignant transformation of CAG combining indicators of both TCM and modern medicine.These models will facilitate early warning and control of malignant transformation of CAG from the perspective of evidence-based integrative medicine.Methods:In the proposed registry study,a total of 1000 eligible CAG patients will be recruited from four hospitals in China.A 10-year follow-up study will be conducted both on-site and off-site to track the events of malignant transformation.Frequency analysis and chi-squared tests will be used to perform the comparative analysis on the prevalence of malignant transformation events and indicators in TCM or modern medicine in different groups.A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model will be used to perform correlation analyses of malignant transformation events and factors of TCM or modern medicine.Conclusion:The proposed study has been designed with a large sample size and long follow-up period,in which wide-ranging modern medicine and TCM indicators can be gathered over the whole process of malignant transformation of CAG.Based on this study,risk assessment models for malignant transformation ofCAGmaybe constructed fromthe perspective of integrative medicine.This may provide clinicians and patients with an optimized early warning system as well as prevention strategies for malignant transformation of CAG.

Health technology assessment in traditional Chinese medicine in China: current status, opportunities, and challenges

Objectives:The widespread usage of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and the government's emphasis on TCM in China have created a positive macro-environment and great opportunities to develop and strengthen health technology assessment(HTA)in TCM.Over the past ten years,a series of policies have been issued by the government to promote the application of HTA and the development of TCM in China.This study reviews the concepts and characteristics of TCM,summarizes the current status of HTA in TCM,and analyzes the opportunities and challenges faced by HTA development in TCM with respect to deepening of healthcare reforms.Methods:Literature review and website searches were used to acquire information regarding the basic theories of TCM and the current status,opportunities,and challenges for HTA in TCM.Results:The number of articles on HTA in TCM rose substantially,especially those published in China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI).With the optimistic policy environment and huge market demand for TCM,the development of HTA in TCM is expected to flourish in China.However,HTA in TCM also faces numerous challenges such as the absence of a clinical efficacy evaluation system for TCM and insufficient basic research evidence and qualified personnel.Conclusions:TCM has unique characteristic that distinguishes it from Western medicine.Currently,it is important to take all measures to address the existing main challenges and thereby take advantage of the present opportunities to develop and improve HTA in TCM.

Hospital-based health technology assessment:The next frontier for traditional Chinese medicine hospitals

Hospital-based health technology assessment(HB-HTA)is highly valuable in the application of hospital medical technology,cost control,improvement of medical quality,and protection of medical safety,and its use is increasing daily globally.However,in China,HB-HTA is still in its infancy,and it is yet to be adopted in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).Therefore,this article introduces the application and development of HB-HTA,as well as discusses the current situation of TCM and related future development strategies to provide ideas and references for the development of HB-HTA in TCM.We conclude and recommend that all major stakeholders,including the state,health departments,and hospital leaders,support and promote the exploration and development of HB-HTA in TCM hospitals and integrative medicine hospitals.We also suggest the utilization of existing talents and introduction of other necessary talents to promote better and faster organizational development,as well as suggest the formation of a national and internationally recognized HB-HTA guidance manual and toolkit for TCM hospitals based on both the national HTA guidelines and the evaluation of TCM hospitals pilot projects.Moreover,we recommend that HB-HTA pilot study should be executed with Chinese patent medicine as the starting point to form the implementation process and framework in the TCM arena.

Chinese medicine formulas for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Overview of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)affects more than one-quarter of the global population.Due to the lack of approved chemical agents,many patients seek treatment from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formulas.A variety of systematic reviews have been published regarding the effectiveness and safety of TCM formulas for NAFLD.AIM To critically appraise available systematic reviews and sort out the high-quality evidence on TCM formulas for the management of NAFLD.METHODS Seven databases were systematically searched from their inception to 28 February 2020.The search terms included“non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,”“Chinese medicines,”“systematic review,”and their synonyms.Systematic reviews involving TCM formulas alone or in combination with conventional medications were included.The methodological quality and risk of bias of eligible systematic reviews were evaluated by using A Measure Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2(AMSTAR 2)and Risk of Bias in Systematic Review(ROBIS).The quality of outcomes was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development and Evaluation(GRADE)system.RESULTS Seven systematic reviews were ultimately included.All systematic reviews were conducted based on randomized controlled trials and published in the last decade.According to the AMSTAR 2 tool,one systematic review was judged as having a moderate confidence level,whereas the other studies were rated as having a low or extremely low level of confidence.The ROBIS tool showed that the included systematic reviews all had a high risk of bias due to insufficient consideration of identified concerns.According to the GRADE system,only two outcomes were determined as high quality;namely,TCM formulas with the HuoXueHuaYu principle were better than conventional medications in ultrasound improvement,and TCM formulas were superior to antioxidants in alanine aminotransferase normalization.Other outcomes were downgraded to lower levels,mainly because of heterogeneity among studies,not meeting optimal information sample size,and inclusion of excessive numbers of small sample studies.Nevertheless,the evidence quality of extracted outcomes should be further downgraded when applying to clinical practice due to indirectness.CONCLUSION The quality of available systematic reviews was not satisfactory.Researchers should avoid repeatedly conducting systematic reviews in this area and focus on designing rigorous randomized controlled trials to support TCM formula applications.

Effects of ginger moxibustion combined with Chinese medicine iontophoresis on patients with primary dysmenorrhea

Objective:To observe the effects of Ginger moxibustion combined with iontophoresis with traditional Chinese medicine on the improvement of symptoms, serum platelet activating factor (PAF) level and uterine artery pulsation index in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.Methods 114 patients with primary dysmenorrhea who were treated in our hospital from August 2017 to February 2019 were divided into two groups according to the different treatment schemes. 57 patients in the control group were treated with ibuprofen capsules, and 57 patients in the study group were treated with Ginger moxibustion combined with iontophoresis with traditional Chinese medicine. After three menstrual cycles of treatment, the curative effect was evaluated and the improvement of symptoms was counted. PAF, PAF-AH and platelet adhesion rate were compared, uterine artery hemodynamics was measured, and levels of serum hs-CRP and IL-6 were measured.Results The overall response rate of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the scores of different symptoms in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and the scores of different symptoms in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, PAF and platelet adhesion rate in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), PAF-AH was significantly higher than that before treatment (P < 0.05), and PAF and platelet adhesion rate in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05), PAF-AH was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the pulsation index, resistance index and peak systolic-diastolic ratio in the study group were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and the pulsation index, resistance index and peak systolic-diastolic ratio in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum hs-CRP and IL-6 in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and the levels of serum hs-CRP and IL-6 in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).Conclusions Ginger moxibustion combined with iontophoresis with traditional Chinese medicine is helpful to improve the overall response rate of primary dysmenorrhea treatment, reduce the score levels of different symptoms, rationally improve PAF, PAF-AH, platelet adhesion rate, and the pulse index, resistance index, peak systolic-diastolic ratio are decreased significantly, and serum hs-CRP and IL-6 levels tend to be normal.

Blinding assessment in clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine:Exploratory principles and protocol

As one of the key components of clinical trials, blinding, if successfully implemented, can help to mitigate the risks of implementation bias and measurement bias, consequently improving the validity and reliability of the trial results. However, successful blinding in clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is hard to achieve, and the evaluation of blinding success through blinding assessment lacks established guidelines. Taking into account the challenges associated with blinding in the TCM field, here we present a framework for assessing blinding. Further, this study proposes a blinding assessment protocol for TCM clinical trials, building upon the framework and the existing methods. An assessment report checklist and an approach for evaluating the assessment results are presented based on the proposed protocol. It is anticipated that these improvements to blinding assessment will generate greater awareness among researchers, facilitate the standardization of blinding, and augment the blinding effectiveness. The use of this blinding assessment may further advance the quality and precision of TCM clinical trials and improve the accuracy of the trial results. The blinding assessment protocol will undergo continued optimization and refinement, drawing upon expert consensus and experience derived from clinical trials.

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.

Effect of sericin on diabetic hippocampal growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 axis

Previous studies have shown that sericin extracted from silk cocoon significantly reduces blood glucose levels and protects the nervous system against diabetes mellitus. In this study, a rat type 2 diabetes mellitus model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 25 mg/kg streptozotocin for 3 successive days, following which the rats were treated with sericin for 35 days. After treatment, the blood glucose levels of the diabetic rats decreased significantly, the growth hormone level in serum and its expression in the hippocampus decreased significantly, while the insulin-like growth factor-1 level in serum and insulin-like growth factor-1 and growth hormone receptor expression in the hippocampus increased significantly. The experimental findings indicate that sericin improves disorders of the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 axis to alleviate hippocampal damage in diabetic rats.

Electroacupuncture upregulated platelet derived growth factor expression in spared dorsal root ganglion of cats

A bilateral spared dorsal root ganglion model was established in healthy adult cats by bilateral resection of L1-5 and L7-S2 dorsal root ganglia. L6 dorsal root ganglia were spared. Zusanfi （ST36） and Xuanzhong （BL39） or Futu （ST32） and Sanyinjiao （SP6） were alternatively electro-stimulated on the right leg. Immunohistochemical staining of anti-serum platelet-derived growth factor demonstrated that the number of total neurons and medium-small sized platelet-derived growth factor positive neurons was significantly decreased on the 7~ day following injury. After 7 days of acupuncture, the total number of positive and large neurons staining for platelet-derived growth factor on the acupuncture side significantly increased compared to the non-acupuncture side. After acupuncture for 14 days, the total positive and medium-small sized neurons significantly increased compared with the non-acupuncture side. Results indicate that acupuncture promoted the synthesis of platelet-dedved growth factor in spared dorsal root ganglia.

Discrimination of TCM constitutions by biochemical and routine urine indexes

Objective:To investigate whether the specific traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution of individuals can be defined by certain biological indexes instead of answering the questionnaire,and to explore the possibility of discriminating nine TCM constitutions from each other simultaneously using biological indexes.Methods:Blood and urine samples from 152 individuals with nine TCM constitutions were collected,and the related biological indexes were analyzed combining ANOVA,multiple comparison,discriminant analysis,and support vector machine.Results:We found that 4 out of 24 blood routine indexes,7 out of 10 urine routine indexes,and 12 out of 32 biochemical indexes showed differences among the constitutions.High-sensitivity C-reactive protein,apolipoprotein A1,and alkaline phosphatase were potential candidates for screening out individuals with unbalanced constitutions.Combining uric acid,high-density lipoprotein,apolipoprotein A1,creatine kinase,total protein,aspartate aminotransferase,total bile acid,dehydrogenase,sodium,and calcium levels had the potential to directly distinguish the nine TCM constitutions from each other.Among these indexes,the highest ratio of discriminant analysis between two constitutions was 95.5%,while the lowest was 66.1%.Conclusion:Our results suggest that some biochemical and urine indexes are related to various TCM constitutions,and thus they have the potential to be used for TCM constitution classification.

基于PubMed和Web of Science数据平台的中医药网络药理学论文特征分析

目的:基于PubMed和Web of Science两大外文数据库,运用文献计量学的方法对中医药网络药理学的相关论文进行特征分析,以期评价目前国内外中医网络药理学的科研水平,总结研究热点,预判研究趋势。方法:以"network pharmacology"和"中医药"为并列主题词,在PubMed和Web of Science中检索2008-2018年的相关论文,并对年发文数,发表地区分布,研究内容,期刊分布,参考文献引用等内容进行描述性统计分析。对参考文献的篇引用数和普赖斯指数以中英文进行独立样本t检验。结果:研究共纳入447篇论文。中医药网络药理学的发文数量逐年上升,至今仍处于上升期。论文作者的单位以国内占据多数。从研究内容来看,以复方的网络药理学研究为主,而复方中又以自拟方占据一半之多。研究方向主要涉及循环系统疾病、肿瘤、消化系统疾病和神经系统疾病。从期刊来看,高影响因子的论文较少,青睐发Scientific Reports,Frontiers in Pharmacology和Journal of Ethnopharmacology等。再者,从参考文献的引用情况分析,中英文刊的参考文献篇引用数具有显著差异(P<0.001),而普赖斯指数没有差异。结论:中医药网络药理学的发展仍处于上升期,近些年来,对所得虚拟网络要求进行验证的期刊越来越多。高影响因子中医药网络药理学的论文仍是短板。

Immediate effects of scalp acupuncture with twirling reinforcing manipulation on hemiplegia following acute ischemic stroke: a hidden association study

Data mining has the potential to provide information for improving clinical acupuncture strategies by uncovering hidden rules between acupuncture manipulation and therapeutic effects in a data set. In this study, we performed acupuncture on 30 patients with hemiplegia due to acute ischemic stroke. All participants were pre-screened to ensure that they exhibited immediate responses to acupuncture. We used a twirling reinforcing acupuncture manipulation at the specific lines between the bilateral Baihui（GV20） and Taiyang（EX-HN5）. We collected neurologic deficit score, simplified Fugl-Meyer assessment score, muscle strength of the proximal and distal hemiplegic limbs, ratio of the maximal H-reflex to the maximal M-wave（Hmax/Mmax）, muscle tension at baseline and immediately after treatment, and the syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine at baseline. We then conducted data mining using an association algorithm and an artificial neural network backpropagation algorithm. We found that the twirling reinforcing manipulation had no obvious therapeutic difference in traditional Chinese medicine syndromes of ＂Deficiency and Excess＂. The change in the muscle strength of the upper distal and lower proximal limbs was one of the main factors affecting the immediate change in Fugl-Meyer scores. Additionally, we found a positive correlation between the muscle tension change of the upper limb and Hmax/Mmax immediate change, and both positive and negative correlations existed between the muscle tension change of the lower limb and immediate Hmax/Mmax change. Additionally, when the difference value of muscle tension for the upper and lower limbs was 〉 0 or 〈 0, the difference value of Hmax/Mmax was correspondingly positive or negative, indicating the scalp acupuncture has a bidirectional effect on muscle tension in hemiplegic limbs. Therefore, acupuncture with twirling reinforcing manipulation has distinct effects on acute ischemic stroke patients with different symptoms or stages of disease. Improved muscle tension in the upper and lower limbs, reflected by the variation in the Hmax/Mmax ratio, is crucial for recovery of motor function from hemiplegia.