Efficacy and safety of oral Chinese herbal medicine combined with nucleoside antiviral drugs against recurrent genital herpes:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:To compare the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine combined with nucleoside antiviral drugs and nucleoside antiviral drugs alone in treating recurrent genital herpes.Methods:PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,Chinese Biomedical Literature Database,China National Knowledge Internet,VIP Database,and Wanfang Data were searched from inception to April 2021.Randomized controlled trials on the efficacy and safety of oral Chinese herbal medicine combined with nucleoside antiviral drugs for recurrent genital herpes were collected.All included trials were independently assessed by two reviewers with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool,and a meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4.Results:Compared with the use of nucleoside antiviral drugs alone,combination therapy with oral Chinese herbal medicine plus nucleoside antiviral drugs effectively reduced the herpes recurrence rate after the end of treatment(3 months:P=0.0002;6 months:P<0.00001;1 year:P<0.00001)and the number of recurrences each year(P<0.00001),improved the recurrent Genital Herpes Quality of Life Questionnaire score(P<0.00001),and regulated the levels of interferon-γ,interleukin-2,tumor necrosis factor-α,and T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood,and the difference was statistically significant.Different subgroups reported mixed results with respect to the efficacy in the short term.The incidence of adverse reactions and the time of symptom disappearance between the two groups were not significantly different.Conclusion:Chinese herbal medicine combined with nucleoside antiviral drugs can effectively reduce the recurrence rate of recurrent genital herpes,improve the patient’s quality of life and enhance the body’s immunity.Considering the possible risk of publication bias,more high-quality randomized controlled trials are still needed to verify the conclusions of this article.

<i>In-Vitro</i>Inhibitory Effect of Methanol Extracts of Chinese Herbal Drugs on Supercoiling Activity of Bacterial DNA Gyrase

A large number of Chinese herbal drugs (CHDs) exhibit antibacterial activities both in vivo and in vitro, but until now little is known regarding their inhibitory mechanisms. Bacterial DNA gyrase is a proven target for antibacterial agents. Aim of this study was to investigate the in-vitro inhibitory effect of methanol extracts of CHDs against supercoiling activity of bacterial DNA gyrase. Fifteen CHDs were selected and extracted with methanol, respectively. Inhibitory effect of the extracts on DNA gyrase was tested using gel-based DNA supercoiling assay. Among fifteen CHDs tested, methanol extracts of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (S2), Taraxaci Herba (S7), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata cum Melle (S8) demonstrated an obvious inhibitory effect against supercoiling activity of DNA gyrase, and the others were either less active or could not be determined with the present method. Moreover, it was likely that S7 and S8 inhibit gyrase in a concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, DNA supercoiling assay is a promising method to study the inhibitory activity of CHDs on bacterial DNA gyrase. Some CHDs do have gyrase-inhibitory activity as proposed. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the inhibition mechanism of these CHDs on supercoiling activity of gyrase.

The potential of Chinese herbal medicines in treating anxiety disorders

In recent years,there has not been much progress in developing anxiolytic drugs.Amongst the barriers are the lack of clarity on the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders,low product conversion rates for developing drugs targeting the receptors,and species variability.Some scientists have focused on natural medicines,especially herbal medicines in traditional Chinese medicine.New drugs with excellent anxiolytic activity are hoped to be found in herbal medicines with anxiolytic effects.This mini-review summarised three Chinese herbal medicines with anxiolytic effects and anxiolytic herbal formulas used in the traditional Chinese medicine clinic.Several key issues that block the development of new anxiolytic drugs are also discussed.We hope to provide some ideas for researching and developing new anxiolytic drugs and studying anxiolytic components in traditional Chinese medicine.

PROGRESS IN THE TREATMENT OF NERVE-ROOT-TYPE CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS WITH CHINESE HERBAL DRUGS

With the highest morbidity rate, cervicalspondylosis of the nerve root type is mostcommon among various other types. It is fromthis type of cervical spondylosis that peoplebegan to know the disease. In recent years,conservative treatment for this type of cervicalspondylosis has been adopted by modernmedicine for most patients, while surgicaltreatment has also been used for a smallnumber of patients who were

Treatment of Neurofibromatosis with Chinese Herbal Drugs

Neurofibromatosis is a dominantly inheriteddefect of the ectoderm,characterized by cafe au laitspots since the childhood and multiple tumorsderived from elements of peripheral and cranialnerves.Hernia-like tumors of various sizes can oftenbe felt under the skin and serve as a valuablecharacteristic in making diagnosis.However,theycan also affect brain,vegetative nerve system or othertissues and lead to bony abnormalities,mentaldisturbances and sometimes,endocrine abnormalities,

Chinese Herbal Enema for Treatment of Tumors at the Middle and Late Stage

Since 1994, the Oncologic Department of the Henan Provincial TCM Hospital has used Chinese herbal enema for treatment of tumors at the middle and late stage with satisfactory therapeutic effects. The following are some examples.

QUALITY CONTROL FOR CHINESE HERBAL DRUGS USING DNA PROBE TECHNOLOGY

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＴｈｅｔｙｐｅａｎｄｓｐｅｃｔｒｕｍｏｆｄｉｓｅａｓｅｓａｒｅｃｈａｎｇｉｎｇｓｉｇｎｉｆｉｃａｎｔｌｙａｓｔｈｅｓｏｃｉｅｔｙａｇｉｎｇｔｏｄａｙ .Ｔｈｅａｕｔｏｉｍｍｕｎｅｄｉｓｅａｓｅｓｓｕｃｈａｓｓｅｎｉｌｅｄｅｍｅｎｔｉａ ,ＡＩＤＳ ,ａｓｗｅｌｌａｓｃａｒｄｉｏ ｃｅｒｅｂｒａｌｖａｓｃｕｌａｒｄｉｓ ｅａｓｅｓｓｕｃｈａｓｈｙｐｅｒｔｅｎｓｉｏｎ ,ａｒｒｈｙｔｈｍｉａ ,ｍｙｏｃａｒｄｉａｃｉｎｆｒａｃｔｉｏｎｅａｒｅｂｅｃｏｍｉｎｇａｎｉｎｔｒａｃｔａｂｌｅａｎｄｇｌｏｂｕｌａｒｐｒｏｂｌｅｍ .Ｒｅｃｅｎｔｌｙ ,ｐｅｏｐｌｅａｒｅｖｅｒｙｍｕｃｈｃｏｎｃｅｒｎｅｄｗｉｔｈｓｉｄｅｅｆｆｅｃｔｓｏｆｓｙｎｔｈｅｔｉｃｐｈａｒ ｍａｃｅｕｔｉｃａｌｓａｎｄａｒｅａｎｘｉｏｕｓｔｏｒｅｔｕｒｎｔｏｔｈｅｕｓｅｏｆｎａｔｕｒａｌｍｅｄｉｃｉｎｅ .Ｂａｃｋｔｏｎａｔｕｒｅ ,ｔｈｅｎｅｅｄｆｏｒＣｈｉｎｅｓｅｈｅｒｂａｌｄｒｕｇｓｉｓｉｎｃｒｅａｓｉｎｇｇｒａｄｕａｌｌｙｆｏｒｐｒｅｖｅｎｔｉｏｎａｎｄｔｈｅｒａｐｙｏｆｄｉｓｅａｓｅｓｉｎｔｈｅｗｏｒｌｄ .Ａｒｅｃ...

Study on Problems and Countermeasures in the Management of Spot Check of Chinese Herbal Pieces

Objective To provide suggestions for optimizing the sampling management of Chinese herbal pieces and improving the quality Chinese herbal pieces.Methods Logical reasoning method was used to analyze the problems in the drug spot check of Chinese herbal pieces based on the data of drug quality published by the National Medical Products Administration from 2013 to 2021,combined with the current provisions and implementation of drug spot check management in China.Results and Conclusion At present,there are some problems in the drug spot check of Chinese herbal pieces,such as fewer varieties of Chinese herbal pieces in the national drug spot check,the unreasonable sampling links,the insufficient territorial management in some areas,and error-prone sample extraction.It is suggested that the actual quantity and overall quality of Chinese herbal pieces should be fully considered in the formulation of sampling plan.Besides,the variety coverage of drug spot check of traditional Chinese medicine should be strengthened.In the planning,the sampling links shall be made as a whole,and the credit rating and distribution of drug production,operation and use units within the jurisdiction shall be fully combined.While strengthening the sampling management at the production end in areas with concentrated industries,regional special drug spot check should be carried out or the administrative forces at the provincial,municipal and county levels should be fully mobilized to avoid local protection.In the assigned tasks,the name of Chinese herbal pieces should be accurately expressed to avoid the sampling errors of Chinese herbal pieces with the same original medicinal materials and different processing methods.

PROGRESS OF RESEARCH IN THE PREPARATION OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL AND HERBAL DRUGS WITH ANTICANCER ACTIVITY

Research into anticancer substances madefrom Chinese herbal drugs and their clinicalapplication is gaining international attention bythe medical profession of the more than 20analogues of camptothecine isolated from Camp-totheca tree in China, most exhibited anticanceractivity. Among them, 10-hydroxycamptothe-cine has a wide anticancer spectrum and is lesstoxic. In suspension, it exhibits some therapeu-tic effects on primary hepatic cancer, gastriccarcinoma, cancer of the urinary bladder andleukemia.

Evaluation on the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medication Xifeng Dingchan Pill in treating Parkinson's disease: study protocol of a multicenter, open-label, randomized active-controlled trial

BACKGROUND： Parkinson＇s disease （PD） is a complicated disease, commonly diagnosed among the elderly, which leads to degeneration of the central nervous system. It presently lacks an effective therapy for its complex pathogenesis. Adverse effects from Western drug-based medical intervention prevent long-term adherence to these therapies in many patients. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has long been used to improve the treatment of PD by alleviating the toxic and adverse effects of Western drug-based intervention. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xifeng Dingchan Pill （XFDCP）, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, taken in conjunction with Western medicine in the treatment of PD patients at different stages in the progression of the disease. METHODS AND DESIGN： This is a multicenter, randomized controlled trial. In total, 320 patients with early- （n = 160） and middle-stage PD （n = 160） will be enrolled and divided evenly into control and trial groups. Of the 160 patients with early-stage PD, the trial group （n = 80） will be given XFDCP, and the control group （n = 80） will be given Madopar. Of the 160 patients with middle-stage PD, the trial group （n = 80） will be given XFDCP combined with Madopar and Piribedil, and the control group （n = 80） will be given Madopar and Piribedil. The Unified Parkinson＇s Disease Rating Scale scores, TCM symptoms scores, quality of life, change of Madopar＇s dosage and the toxic and adverse effects of Madopar will be observed during a 3-month treatment period and through a further 6-month follow-up period. DISCUSSION： It is hypothesized that XFDCP, combined with Madopar and Piribedil, will have beneficial effects on patients with PD. The results of this study will provide evidence for developing a comprehensive therapy regimen, which can delay the progress of the disease and improve the quality of life for PD patients in different stages. TRIAL REGISTRATION： This trial has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry with the identifer ChiCTR-TRC-12002150.

Effects of Chinese herbal medicine Yiqi Huaju Formula on hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome:a randomized,placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND： Patients with hypertension coupled with metabolic syndrome （MetS） are among the high risk population in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. To reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, it is essential to appropriately control b^ood pressure together with other cardiovascular risk factors. OBJECTIVE： The current study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effects on blood pressure, blood pressure variability and other cardiovascular risk factors by giving Yiqi Huaju Formula, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in addition to routine treatment to hypertensive patients coupled with MetS. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS： A total of 43 patients with hypertension coupled with MetS were recruited into this study. The enrolled patients were randomly divided into the Chinese herbal formula group （anti-hypertensive drugs plus Yiqi Huaju Formula, CHF） and the control group （anti-hypertensive drugs plus placebo）. The CHF group enrolled 22 patients while the control group received 21 cases. Treatments were given for 12 weeks in both groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Parameters examined include 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance （HOMA-IR）, fasting glycosylated hemoglobin （HbAlc）, fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose （PPG）, fasting plasma insulin, serum lipid, etc. RESULTS： Compared with the control group, the CHF group had significant improvement （P〈0.01） in anthropometric parameters, FPG, HOMA-IR, blood pressure amplitude, blood pressure variability and blood pressure load. CONCLUSION： This study showed that integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment can achieve better results in controlling blood pressure as well as other cardiovascular risk factors. The mechanism of controlling of blood pressure may be associated with the improvement of insulin sensitivity due to the Yiqi Huaju intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION IDENTIFIER： ChiCTR-TRC-11001633.

Antidiarrheal properties of different extracts of Chinese herbal medicine formula Bao-Xie-Ning

OBJECTIVE： Bao-Xie-Ning （BXN）, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） formula composed of Fructus Evodiae, Flos Caryophylli and Cortex Cinnamomi, and used for the treatment of infant diarrheal illness, was subject to systematic assessment for its putative multiple pharmacodynamic effects and pharmacological antidiarrheal mechanisms. METHODS： High-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electrospray ionization- mass spectrometric/mass spectrometry was developed and validated for identification and quantification of the main constituents in different extracts of BXN. Male Kunming mice weighing 20 to 25 g were used for detecting the antidiarrheal activity of the extracts. Ethanolic extract （EE）, volatile oil extract （VOE）, and aqueous extract （AE） of BXN were respectively subjected to pharmacodynamic and pharmacological comparison in assessing antidiarrheal effects with senna-induced diarrhea, castor oil-induced diarrhea, acetic acid-induced writhing assay, and isolated duodenum test. RESULTS： The highest yields of three detected components of BXN, rutaecarpine, eugenol and cinnamaldehyde were observed in EE. EE showed the most remarkable antidiarrheal activity in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners in both senna- and castor oil-induced diarrhea models, and presented dose-dependent analgesic activity in acetic acid-induced algesthesia model. In addition, EE extract of BXN also exhibited strong antimobility action on the intestine and strongest depression on spontaneous contraction of isolated duodenum. CONCLUSION： Ethanol extraction is an efficient method to extract the active constituents of BXN. BXN extract demonstrated multiple pharmacological activities affecting the main mechanisms of diarrhea, which validated BXN＇s usage in the comprehensive clinical treatment of diarrhea.

Clinical Study on Treatment of Hyperuricaemia by Retention Enema of Chinese Herbal Medicine Combined with Allopurinol

Objective:To study the effect of retention enema of Chinese herbal medicine combined with allopurinol in treating hyperuricaemia(HUE).Methods:Seventy-eight patients with HUE were assigned to two groups,the 40 patients in the treated group were treated with retention enema of Chinese herbal medicine combined with oral intake of allopurinol,and the 38 patients in the control group were treated with allopurinol alone. The therapeutic course for all was 6 weeks.The clinical efficacy,changes of symptoms,blood le...

New Progress in Modern Research on Chinese Herbal Medicines Published in Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs in 2010:Annual Highlights and Comments

As a series of and continuous publication,the papers published on Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs in 2010 were selectively and briefly highlighted to reflect the new progress on modern research of Chinese herbal medicines.Within 617 articles,chemical constituents(127),pharmaceutics and technology(149),pharmacological studies and clinical observation,and medicinal materials are still major categories.Some comments have also been personally provided.

Fetal bovine serum versus Chinese herbal formula Naoluoxintong serum supplementation for proliferation and differentiation of rat embryonic neural stem cells

BACKGROUND： How to induce endogenous neural stem cells （NSCs） to differentiate into needed neural cell types is a hot spot of current researches. OBJECTIVE： To compare differences between fetal bovine serum and Chinese herbal formula Naoluoxintong serum supplementation for inducing proliferation and differentiation in rat embryonic NSCs. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： An in vitro, serum pharmacology, comparative, observation study was performed from March to September in 2008 at the Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, College of Life Science in University of Science and Technology of China, the Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Acupuncture Foundation and Technology in Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Anhui Province Key Laboratory of R ＆ D of Chinese Medicine, and at the Level 3 Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. MATERIALS： The Chinese herbal formula Naoluoxintong was produced by Radix Astragali, Radix Notoginseng, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Scolopendra at Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Mouse anti-rat nestin, gliat fibrillary acidic protein, and galactocerebroside monoclonal antibodies, as well as rabbit anti-neuron-specific enolase polyclonal antibody were produced by Chemicon, Billerica, MA, USA. METHODS： Wistar rats aged 3 months were intragastrically infused with Naoluoxintong. Wistar rat embryonic NSCs （passage 8） were induced to proliferate and differentiate using 10% fetal bovine serum, 10% Naoluoxintong serum, and 10% rat serum. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Phenotypic changes in cultured cells were detected using phase contrast microscopy, and cell proliferation and differentiation were observed using immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS： Proliferation and differentiation of embryonic NSCs was induced by three different types of blood serum. Although the differentiation time course with Nao/uoxintongserum was later than with the other two methods, the differentiated cells were morphologically similar to mature neurons to a greater extent. CONCLUSION： Nao/uoxintong serum supplementation induced differentiation of NSCs into neuronal-like cells and stimulated neuronal maturation.

The use of Chinese herbal drugs in Islamic medicine

This paper investigates some of the ways that Chinese medicine has been transferred to the Western world and to Islamic territories. During the Golden Age of Islam （8th to 13th century CE）, the herbal drug trade promoted significant commercial and scientific exchange between China and the Muslim world. Chinese herbal drugs have been described by medieval Muslim medical scholars such as Tabari （870 CE）, Rhazes （925 CE）, Haly Abbas （982 CE）, Avicenna （1037 CE） and Jurjani （1137 CE）. The term al-sin （the Arabic word for China） is used 46 times in Avicenna＇s Canon of Medicine in reference to herbal drugs imported from China. Cinnamon （dar sini; ＂Chinese herb＂）, wild ginger （asaron）, rhubarb （rivand-e sini）, nutmeg （basbasa）, incense tree wood （ood）, cubeb （kababe） and sandalwood （sandal） were the most frequently mentioned Chinese herbs in Islamic medical books. There are also multiple similarities between the clinical uses of these herbs in both medical systems. It appears that Chinese herbal drugs were a major component of the exchange of goods and knowledge between China and the Islamic and later to the Western world amid this era.

Recent advances in network pharmacology applications in Chinese herbal medicine

网络药理学是基于系统生物学理论和生物系统网络分析来设计药物的一门新兴学科。它综合探索药物对疾病网络的干预和影响,揭示多分子药物协同治疗疾病的奥秘。这些概念反映了多组分、多靶点和系统调控的思想,与中医辨证论治的研究思路有许多相似之处,强调对病因病机的全面认识。网络药理学可以用来预测和鉴别中药的靶标和有效成分,阐明其作用机制,系统地解释处方的用药规律,探索真实世界处方的规律,发现新的适应症和新的活性化合物,研究药物重新定位等。本文系统总结了网络药理学在中药研究中的应用,展示了网络药理学在中药研究中的重要价值。

Development of Chinese herbal medicine for sensorineural hearing loss

According to the World Health Organization’s world report on hearing,nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide will suffer from hearing loss by 2050,which may contribute to a severe impact on individual life quality and national economies.Sensorineural hearing loss(SNHL)occurs commonly as a result of noise exposure,aging,and ototoxic drugs,and is pathologically characterized by the impairment of mechanosensory hair cells of the inner ear,which is mainly triggered by reactive oxygen species accumulation,inflammation,and mitochondrial dysfunction.Though recent advances have been made in understanding the ability of cochlear repair and regeneration,there are still no effective therapeutic drugs for SNHL.Chinese herbal medicine which is widely distributed and easily accessible in China has demonstrated a unique curative effect against SNHL with higher safety and lower cost compared with Western medicine.Herein we present trends in research for Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of SNHL,and elucidate their molecular mechanisms of action,to pave the way for further research and development of novel effective drugs in this field.

Regulating effect of Chinese herbal medicine on the peritoneal lymphatic stomata in enhancing ascites absorption of experimental hepatofibrotic mice

AIM: To observe the regulatory effect of Chinese herbalmedicine on peritoneal lymphatic stomata and itssignificance in treating ascites in liver fibrosis model mice.METHODS: Two Chinese herbal composite prescriptionswere used separately to treat the carbon tetrachloride-induced mouse model of liver fibrosis. The histo-pathologicchanges of the liver sections (HE and VG stainings) wereobserved. The peritoneal lymphatic stomata was detected byscanning electron microscopy and computer imageprocessing. The changes of urinary volume and sodium ionconcentration were measured.RESULTS: In the model group, lots of fibrous tissue formedin liver and extended into the hepatic Iobulss to separatethem incompletely. In the treated and prevention groups,the histo-pathologic changes of liver was rather milder, onlyshowed much less fibrous tissue proliferation in the hepaticIobules. The peritoneal lymphatic stomata enlarged withincreased density in the experimental groups (diameter:PA, 3.07±0.69μm; PB, 2.82±0.37μm; TA, 3.25±0.82μmand TB, 2.82±0.56μm; density: PA, 7.11± 1.90 stomata@1000μm-2; PB, 8.76± 1.45 stomata@ 1000μm-2; TA, 6.55± 1.44 stomata@ 1000μm-2 and TB, 8.76 ± 1. 79 stomata@ 1000μm-2), as compared with the model group (diameter: 2.00 ±0.52μm; density: 4.45 ± 1. 05 stomata@ 1000 μm-2 ). Aftertreatment, the urinary volume and sodium ion excretionincreased in the experimental groupe ( PA, 231.28 ± 41. 09mmol@L-1; PB, 171.69± 27.48 mmol@L-1 and TA, 231.44±34.12 retool@ L-1 ), which were significantly different with thosein the model group (129.33 ± 36.75 rnmol@ L-1 ).CONCLUSION: Chinese herbal medicine has marked effectsin alleviating liver fibrosis, regulating peritoneal lymphaticstomata, improving the drainage of ascites from peritonealcavity and causing increase of urinary volume and sodiumion excretion to reduce the water and sodium retention, andthus have favorable therapeutic effect in treating ascites.