Comparison of the anti-apoptotic effects of 15-and 35-minute suspended moxibustion after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Heat-sensitive suspended moxibustion has a neuroprotective effect against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, but the underly- ing mechanisms remain unclear. The duration of heat-sensitive suspended moxibustion （usually from 30 minutes to 1 hour） is longer than traditional suspended moxibustion （usually 15 minutes）. However, the effects of 15- and 35-minute suspended moxibustion in rats with cerebra/ischemia/reperfusion injury are poorly understood. In this study, we performed 15- or 35-minute suspended moxibustion at acupoint Dazhui （GV14） in an adult rat model of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Infarct volume was evaluated with the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride assay. Histopathological changes and neuronal apoptosis at the injury site were assessed by hematoxy- lin-eosin staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Caspase-9 and caspase-3 expression at the in- jury site was detected using immunofluorescent staining. Bax and Bcl-2 expression at the injury site was assessed using western blot assay. In the 35-minute moxibustion group, infarct volume was decreased, neuronal apoptosis was reduced, caspase-9, caspase-3 and Bax expres- sion was lower, and Bcl-2 expression was increased, compared with the 15-minute moxibustion group. Our findings show that 35-minute moxibustion has a greater anti-apoptotic effect than 15-minute moxibustion after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Clinical effect of Cidan capsule on primary hepatocellular carcinoma in 325 cases

OBJECTIVE： To observe the clinical effect of Cidan capsules, a traditional Chinese medicine applied as an antitumor drug for decades, on the treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC）. A two-month experiment was carried out. METHODS： A total of 325 patients with primary HCC were randomly divided into 3 groups. The 125 patients in Group A were treated with Cidan capsules exclusively. The 100 patients in Group B were treated with Cidan capsules combined with chemotherapy. And as control group, the 100 patients in Group C were treated by chemotherapy only. The efficacy of Cidan was analyzed by monitoring associated symptoms and liver function tests and measuring the levels of the NK cell, CD3, CD4, CRJ and CD8, alpha fetoprotein（AFP）. The evaluation of Cidan＇s effects on enhancing the patients＇ life quality was through clinical and pathological observations. RESULTS： The result showed that the steady rate following the standard for evaluation of Kamofsky was over 87.0% in group B, 72.0% in Group A and 57.0% in Group C, respectively. The life quality of the patients treated with Cidan capsules and chemotherapy was improved more obviously than that in Group A and C. The NK cell,CD3, CD4,CRJ and CD8 in Group C were obviously decreased, while those in Group A and Group B were without apparent vacillation. AFP descended markedly in Group A and B, but did not in Group C. CONCLUSION： Cidan capsules combined with chemotherapy had superior curative effects on primary HCC.

A Multi-center,Randomized, Single-blind,Controlled Clinical Study on the Efficacy of Composite Sophora Colon-Soluble Capsules in Treating Ulcerative Colitis

Objective： To evaluate the safety and efficacy of composite sophora colon-soluble capsule （CSCC） in treating ulcerative colitis （UC） of the damp-heat accumulation syndrome pattern （DHAS） and to prepare a basis for a phase Ⅲ clinical trial.Methods： A multi-center,randomized,single-blind,and positive drug parallel-controlled design was adopted.There were 126 patients of UC-DHAS stratified and assigned equally to three groups.Patients in two CSCC treated groups,Groups T1 and T2,were treated orally with high （six capsules,thrice a day） and low （four capsules,thrice a day） doses CSCC,and patients in the control group were treated orally with Mesalazine Enteric-coated Tablets （four tablets,thrice a day）,respectively,all for eight weeks.The clinical efficacy and safety of treatments were evaluated through clinical symptom observations and colonoscopic examinations.Results： （1） Full analysis set （FAS） and per-protocol set （PPS） analyses showed the comprehensive curative effect in Groups T1,T2,and the control group,obtaining the values of 85.7%,92.9%,and 71.4% （P=0.330）,and 89.5%,92.7%,and 73.2% （P=0.552）,respectively,demonstrating no statistical significance among the three groups.（2） FAS and PPS analysis showed the efficacy on membranous lesions in Groups T1,T2,and the control group,obtaining the values of 83.3%,92.9%,and 73.8% （P=0.063）,and 86.8%,92.7%,and 75.6% （P=0.070）,respectively,showing statistical insignificance among the three groups.（3） FAS analysis showed an efficacy tendency on improving tenesmus （P=0.056）.No changes were found in improving the other symptoms,and statistical significance was not shown among the three groups （P〉0.05）.PPS analysis showed the efficacy on single item symptom in Groups T1,T2,and the control group was not statistically significant among the three groups （P=0.082）.Conclusions： The comprehensive effect of CSCC in treating UC is basically equivalent to that of Mesalazine enteric-coated tablet;however,the tendency was shown to improve symptoms.Its efficacy could not be raised by increasing the dosage used.Therefore,the recommended dosage of CSCC is four capsules,three times a day.

Effect of Jisuikang(脊髓康) on Kinetic Dysfunction in Patients after Spinal Injury

Objective： To explore the effect of Jisuikang （脊髓康, JSK） on kinetic dysfunction in patients after spinal injury. Methods： Eighty-four patients with spinal injury were assigned equally, according to a randomizing digital table to the treated group and the control group. Conventional treatment was given to both groups, and JSK was additionally given to the treated group. Changes of various kinetic function concerning parameters including kinetic score, grades of spinal injury, effectiveness of the treatment and available recovery rate in patients allocated in the treated group and the control group were observed and compared in the way issued by Association of Spinal Injury of America （ASIA）. Results： Better effects were shown in the treated group than those in the control group in improving kinetic score （92.00 ± 9.95 scores vs 83.76 ± 24.12 scores）, ASIA overall improvement rate （69.05% vs 45.24%） and grades of effectiveness （P〈0.05）. However, the difference of available recovery rate between the two groups was insignificant （P〉0.05）. Cenclusien： JSK could prevent secondary alteration of spinal injury, promote the recovery and regeneration of nerve tissues, but could not restore the function of a necrotic spine.

Clinical Observation on 271 Cases of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Yifei Kangliu Yin （益肺抗瘤饮)

To observe the effects of Yifei Kangliu Yin(YFKLY) in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods:Two hundred and seventy-one patients with NSCLC were randomly divided into three groups, Group A treated only by YFKLY, Group B treated by the combination of YFKLY and chemotherapy, and Group C treated only by chemotherapy as the control group for control. Results: (1) Of the 127 cases in Group A, 1 case got complete remission (CR), 13 got partial remission (PR), 89 had no change (NC), and 24 had progression of disease (PD), thus CR+PR+NC accounting for 81.10%; of the 80 patients in Group B, 17 got PR , 53 got NC, 10 got PD, PR+NC accounting for 87.50%; of the 64 cases of chemotherapy group, 7 cases got PR, 39 cases got NC, 18 cases got PD, PR+NC accounting for 71.88% (P<0.01). (2) The metastasis rate was 23.52% in Group A, 20.00% in Group B and 35.71% in Group C respectively after treatment. (3) The 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year survival rate were 73.09%, 32.01%, 13.18% and 13.18% in Group A, 71.85%, 46.35%, 29.19% and 23.35% in Group B and 37.61%, 13.67%, 9.7% and 0% in Group C. The symptoms were improved, and Karnofsky score was elevated in Group A and B. Conclusion: YFKLY could increase survival rate and quality of life, decrease metastasis rate, and enhance the immune function in NSCLC patients.

Effect of Gutai Decoction (固胎汤) on the Abortion Rate of in vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer

Objective： To study the effect of Chinese herbal medicine Gutai Decoction （固胎汤, GTD） on the abortion rate of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer （IVF-ET）. Methods： Observed were two hundred and forty-seven women having received IVF-ET and with β-human chorionic gonadotropin （β-HCG） 〉 25 IU/L on the 14th day after transferring. All were treated conventionally with progesterone 20-80 mg per day after transferring and if necessary the treatment was supplemented with Progynova 2 - 4 mg per day, with the medication withdrawn gradually from the 9th week of pregnancy till stopped completely. Among them 131 cases received GTD medication additionally, for 109 cases of whom the medication started from the 2nd day of transferring （taken as Group A） and for the other 22 cases from the 14th day after transferring （taken as Group B）, the other 116 cases with no additional GTD treatment given were taken as the control group, with the medication lasting to the 12th week. The abortion rate in them was observed. Results： The abortion rate in Group A, Group B and the control group was 12.84%, 13.64% and 23.28%, respectively, the difference between the GTD treated groups and the control group was significant （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： Chinese medicine GTD could reduce abortion rate in women receiving IVF-ET.

Clinical and Experimental Study of Persical Decoction forPurgation with Addition in the Treatment of Non-lnsulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

This study conducted clinical observation of the treatment of noninsulin dependent dia-betes mellitus (type ) with Semen Persical decoction for purgation with addition (SPDPA) in compari-son with a control group treated with glyburide. The results of the clinical observations show the total effective rate of SPDPA on 106 cases was 79%. which was equivalent to levels in the control group, butSPDPA was more effective in relieving symptoms. The animal experimental study showed SPDPA couldreduce tasting blood sugar in diabetic patients and rats. Its mechanism may be due to improved secretionof insulin, inhibited excretion by the endocrine cell, increased endocrine pellet inhibition ot insular cellsand improved composition of hepatic glycogen. In traditional Chinese medical theory, the mechanism oftherapeutic action of SPDPA in diabetes mellftus is based on synergistic regulation benefiting the vital en-ergy and nourishing Yin, the activation of blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis and the loosening ofthe bowel to relieve constipation.