Establishment and Evaluation of a Rat Model of Spinal Cord Injury with the Pathopattern of Qi-Deficiency and Blood-Stasis in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Objective To establish a rat model of Spinal Cord Injury(SCI)with the pathopattern of Qi-deficiency and Blood-stasis(QDBS)in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM),and then assess its feasibility.Methods Swimming exhaustion method and Rubrospinal Tract(RST)transection were combined to establish arat model of SCI with pathopattern of QDBS in TCM.Macroscopic representation,including the body weight,food intake and tongue scores,was recorded.Behavioristics was scored with spontaneous vertical exploration test.Hemorrheology was analyzed using hemorheological analyzer and morphology of spinal cord was observed.The feasibility of the model was confirmed on the basis of the reversion caused by administration of Bu Yang Huan Wu Decoction(BYHWD).Results The findings in the QDBS group were consistent with the symptoms of QDBS syndrome,including reduced body weight,food intake,and forelimb utilization rate and increased tongue scores.However,the corresponding findings in the BYHWD group were superior to those in the QDBS group after35d(P<0.05).In comparison with the control group,the QDBS group showed higher whole blood viscosity and hematocrit values(P<0.05)and a lower red blood cell(RBC)deformability index(P<0.05),while the corresponding findings in the BYHWD group were close to those in the control group.An eminence or induration appeared in the injured spinal cord,which was suspected to be vacuoles or a scar.Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the R/T ratio in the BYHWD group was higher than that in the QDBS group(P<0.05).Conclusion Swimming exhaustion method combined with RST transection operation can successfully establish a rat model of SCI with pathopattern of QDBS.

Transforming growth factor β1 is a differentially expressed candidate protein of congestive heart failure with Qi-deficiency-blood-stasis syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of tongue coating fluid protein in regulation of congestive heart failure(CHF) in Qi-deficiency-blood-stasis syndrome.METHODS: We studied patients with CHF(3 patients with Qi-deficiency-blood-stasis syndrome and 3 without Qi-deficiency-blood-stasis syndrome) to investigate differentially expressed proteins. We also included a control group. A biotin label-based antibody array was used for testing tongue coating fluid samples from patients. Net-work analysis of these differentially expressed proteins was conducted using the STRING database,which can predict the relations between differentially expressed proteins and CHF with Qi-deficiency-blood-stasis syndrome.RESULTS: A total of seven differentially expressed proteins were identified, and among these, transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1) gets a particular attention for us has drawn specific attention.Network analysis showed a homologous relationship of TGF-β1 with bone morphogenetic protein15, which is associated with myocardial fibrosis.CONCLUSION: Occurrence and development of CHF may result from certain DE-proteins and associated signaling pathways. TGF-β1 protein may be a candidate marker for assessing the risk of CHF in Qideficiency-blood-stasis syndrome.

The Diagnostic Criteria of Blood-Stasis Syndrome:Considerations for Standardization of Pattern Identification

Pattern identification （PI）, also called Bian Zheng （辨证）, syndrome differentiation, pattem diagnosis, or pattem classification, is the basic principle and the key concept of Chinese medicine （CM）. The core of PI is CM syndrome, on which CM theory, therapeutic method, prescribing formula and the use of Chinese herbal medicine are basically based. PI, in fact, is another classification method anticipated to improve the clinical efficacy. How to make an exact PI seems to be very important for taking full advantage of PI in clinical practice. Therefore, the establishment of diagnostic criterion of pattern has been the prerequisite for the standardization of PI. In recent years, a lot of diagnostic criteria of different CM patterns have been formulated. Taking the diagnostic criteria for blood-stasis syndrome as a model, the methodologies and considerations in establishing a pattern diagnostic criterion were discussed in this paper, which might be of great reference value in future PI standardization research.