Molecular mechanism and research progress of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer(PCa)is one of the most common malignant tumors in the male genitourinary system,ranking second in incidence worldwide.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),as an important component of complementary and alternative medicine,shows unique advantages in cancer treatment.Chinese herbal medicine is usually composed of multiple ingredients and involves multiple signaling pathways,which showed function of inducing apoptosis of cancer cells,arresting the cell cycle,inhibiting invasion and metastasis,reducing drug resistance,and regulating immune function.Physical therapy is also an important treatment of TCM.Currently,Physical therapy such as acupuncture or Tai Chi and Qigong are gaining increased recognition in the management of PCa,particularly in addressing issues like urinary incontinence and bone metastasis-related pain.This article reviews the TCM treatment and therapy of PCa,in order to provide new research avenues and treatment options for the treatment of PCa with TCM and improve the quality of life of patients.

Comprehensive Rehabilitation Therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Combined with Modern Rehabilitation Training Improves the Spasticity and Motor Function of Hemiplegia after Stroke

Objective:To analyze the impact of comprehensive rehabilitation therapy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)(based on modern rehabilitation training)on the spasticity and motor function in stroke patients with hemiplegia.Methods:Seventy-nine stroke and hemiplegia patients admitted to the hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were selected and randomly divided into a control group(39 cases)using modern rehabilitation training,and an observation group combined with comprehensive TCM rehabilitation therapy(40 cases),over 1 month.The clinical index data of the two groups were compared.Results:There were differences in the clinical index data between the two groups.The total effective rate after 2 treatment in the observation group(92.50%)was higher than that of the control group(74.36%)(χ^(2)=4.727,P<0.05).All central sensitization inventory(CSI)and stroke quality of life(PRO)scores in both groups were lower after treatment,with the observation group having lower scores as compared to the control group(P<0.05).The scores of FMA(upper limbs,lower limbs),Barthel index scores,and Functional Ambulation Categories(FAC)scores of both groups increased after treatment,with the observation group having higher scores as compared to the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Comprehensive TCM rehabilitation therapy had a significant therapeutic effect on patients with hemiplegia after stroke.It improved the patient’s spasticity,limb movement,and walking function.Their daily living abilities and quality of life were also enhanced.

Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine External Treatment for Cancer Pain

Cancer pain,as a common complication in patients with malignant tumors,is regarded as the fifth vital sign.The involvement of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in the treatment of malignant tumors has become a distinctive feature of oncology treatment in China.It is also an important component of cancer pain management.TCM analgesic treatments include various methods,such as internal medicine and external therapies.External analgesic therapies,in particular,are significant methods in TCM pain management and offer both local treatment and systemic regulation.These methods are simple,easy to perform,and non-invasive.They can enhance pain relief effects while reducing the difficulty of oral medication intake and avoiding adverse gastrointestinal reactions,providing new perspectives and approaches for cancer pain treatment with broad development prospects.This article provides a review of the external TCM therapies for cancer pain to share with peers in the field.

Current Research Status of Traditional Chinese Medicine External Treatment for Diarrhea Type Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS-D)with diarrhea is a common gastrointestinal functional disease in clinical practice,which seriously affects the quality of life of patients.Cur‐rently,Western medicine has poor therapeutic effects,while traditional Chinese medi‐cine has unique advantages in relieving IBS-D symptoms and preventing recurrence.In recent years,especially with external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine,it has become a new treatment direction in clinical practice and has achieved good therapeutic effects.This article will provide a review of recent research on the treatment of IBS-D using traditional Chinese medicine external treatment methods.

An investigation of the influence of intestinal flora in external traditional Chinese medicine therapy

External therapy,which has been used for millennia to treat disease,has now become the newest member of complementary and alternative therapies.A growing number of clinical studies and animal experiments have shown that external therapy exerts a positive effect on the intestinal flora.In this paper,we review the research related to external therapy on various systemic diseases and focus on changes in the intestinal flora.We found that studies on external therapy are dominated by acupuncture and tuina,primarily aimed at the treatment of digestive and neurological diseases.However,the deeper mechanism of regulation of the intestinal flora by external therapy has not yet been experimentally confirmed.

Therapeutic Effect of Oral Administration and External Therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Cervical Tuberculous Lymphadenopathy

Objective:To analyze the clinical effect and value of oral administration and external therapy of traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of cervical tuberculous lymphadenopathy.Methods:A total of 56 patients with cervical tuberculous lymphadenopathy admitted to our hospital from January 1 to January 2018 were recruited.By using double-blind method,the patients were divided into control group(n=28)and experimental group(n=28).Control group comprised of patients with conventional anti-tuberculosis treatment,while the experimental group comprised of patients treated with oral administration and external therapy of traditional Chinese medicine.Total effective rate,incidence of complication and level of T lymphocyte subsets were compared between the two groups of cervical tuberculous lymphadenopathy patients.Results:Post-treatment data of total effective rate,complication rate,CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,CD4+/CD8+of the experimental group were compared with the control group.P<0.05;statistical analysis showed statistical significance.Post-treatment data of CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,CD4+/CD8+of both control and experimental groups were compared with pre-treatment data.P<0.05;statistical analysis showed statistical significance.Conclusion:Oral administration and external therapy of traditional Chinese medicine possesses significant effect in treatment of cervical tuberculous lymphadenopathy.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine plus triple therapy in treating Helicobacter pylori-induced chronic atrophic gastritis: a meta-analysis and cumulative meta-analysis

Objectives:To evaluate the benefits of traditional Chinese herbal medicine(TCHM)plus triple therapy(TT)in the management of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)-induced chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG).Methods:A comprehensive access and electronic database search were carried out from inception to June 2020.Prospective randomized trials(TCHM plus TT vs.TT)were selected to assess the eradication rate of H.pylori(ER of H.pylori),clinical symptom relief rate(SRR),treatment-related adverse reactions(TRAR)and 95%confidence intervals(CI)in the meta-analysis and cumulative meta-analysis(CMA).Meta-regression analysis was used to analyze heterogeneity between studies and publication bias.Results:33 studies contained 3,226 participants were included.Compared with the TT group,TCHM plus TT group showed a significantly higher ER of H.pylori(OR=4.14,95%CI:3.21-5.35;P=0.000)and SRR(OR=4.50,95%CI:3.59-5.64).Meanwhile,the TRAR of TCHM plus TT remedy was significantly lower than TT monopoly(RR=0.43,95%CI:0.29-0.64;P=0.000).The results of the CMA,sorted by publication year,duration of treatment,and sample size,confirmed that combined treatment remedy was superior to TT monopoly in respect of ER of H.pylori and SRR.Conclusions:The present study obtained reliable and convincing evidence suggesting that TCHM plus TT remedy was efficacious and safe in treating H.pylori-induced CAG.

Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of endocrine therapyrelated osteoporosis among patients with breast cancer:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety of combining traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),specifically Chinese herbal medicine(CHM),with Western medicine(WM),compared to WM alone to treat breast cancer endocrine therapy-related osteoporosis(BCET-OP)by meta-analysis.Methods:Thirty-eight randomized controlled trials involving 2170 participants were analyzed.Eight databases were searched for articles published between inception and December 2023.Quality assessment was performed using the Risk of Bias 2 tool.Results:Significant increases were observed in the TCM-WM group in lumbar vertebrae bone mineral density(BMD)(P<.001,mean difference(MD)=0.07,95%confidence interval(CI):0.06 to 0.08),lumbar vertebrae T-score(P=.0005,MD=0.21,95%CI:0.09 to 0.33)and collum femoris BMD(P=.01,MD=0.10,95%CI:0.02 to 0.19).No significant difference was observed between the groups in the collum femoris T-score and estradiol levels.Bone gla-protein levels were significantly increased in the TCM-WM group(P=.0002,MD=0.52,95%CI:0.25 to 0.79).Beta-CrossLaps decreased significantly in the TCM-WM group(P=.0008,MD=−0.10,95%CI:−0.16 to−0.04).No significant difference was observed between the TCM-WM and WM groups in alkaline phosphatase,in procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide,and in the Kupperman index.The visual analog score(VAS)was decreased in the TCM-WM group compared to the WM group(P<.001,MD=−1.40,95%CI:−1.94 to−0.87).No significant difference in adverse events was observed between the two groups.Conclusion:Combining CHM with WM in patients with BCET-OP significantly improved BMD,T-score,and certain bone turnover markers and reduced the VAS score,indicating potential benefits for bone health and related pain.Adverse event analysis revealed no differences between the groups,supporting the feasibility of the combination therapy.However,further research,particularly in diverse populations,is required.

Mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of psoriasis with depression:A review

Psoriasis is a kind of immune-mediated, chronic, inflammatory skin disease, which is often associated with different degrees of psychological disorders. Specifically, there is a significant correlation between psoriasis and depression, and they show the relationships of reciprocal causation and mutual promotion. Psoriasis with depression is more harmful than simple psoriasis, and its prognosis is worse, which brings a huge burden to the family and society and is worthy of clinical attention. Based on the pathogenic factors of western medicine and pathogenesis of traditional Chinese medicine in psoriasis with depression, the paper summarized and elaborated the research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of psoriasis with depression, in order to provide new ideas for clinical treatment.

Enhancing ulcerative colitis treatment with traditional Chinese medicine

Inflammatory bowel disease,particularly ulcerative colitis(UC),poses significant treatment challenges due to its chronic nature and potential for severe complications.This editorial reviews a recent network meta-analysis that evaluated the efficacy of and highlighted the superior outcomes achieved by combining each of five traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formulations with mesalazine for the adjuvant treatment of UC.Clinical outcomes included enhanced mucosal healing,improved quality of life,and reduced recurrence rates.Additionally,the combination therapy resulted in a lower incidence of adverse reactions compared with mesalazine monotherapy.Despite these promising results,limitations such as variability in study quality and TCM dosage highlight the need for further highquality,large-sample,multicenter randomized controlled trials.This editorial underscores the potential of TCM in enhancing UC management and calls for more rigorous research to substantiate these findings and refine clinical guidelines.

Integrated flotation therapy for emotional regulation during the viral recovery period: Applying “form and spirit co-nourishing” in Chinese medicine

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of flotation therapy combined with psychological resilience training in improving emotional regulation and sleep quality in patients recovering from viral infections and to assess the application of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)theory of“form and spirit co-nourishing”in modern healthcare interventions.Methods:A total of 20 patients recovering from viral infections with anxiety and sleep disturbances were randomly assigned to the experimental group(n=10)and the control group(n=10).The experimental group received a combination of resilience training,targeting five key areas:physiological regulation,cognitive restructuring,emotional management,self-efficacy,and social support,alongside flotation therapy,with 45-min weekly sessions.The control group received conventional medical treatment.Anxiety levels were measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale,while sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,both before and after the intervention.Results:Compared with intervention before,the resilience level of the experimental group significantly increased after the intervention(P<0.001),while no notable changes were detected in the control group(P>0.05);the experimental group demonstrated significantly lower anxiety level and sleep disorder level and higher resilience level compared to the control group after the intervention(all P<0.001).Conclusion:The combined use of flotation therapy and resilience training,grounded in the TCM principle of“form and spirit co-nourishing,”significantly improves emotional regulation and sleep quality in patients recovering from viral infections.This integrative approach supports both physical and psychological healing,aligning with the TCM holistic treatment model,and offers a promising avenue for modern mental health interventions.

Research Progress on Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes with Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on Intestinal Flora

In recent years,the World Health Organization has proposed the concept that only intes‐tinal health can lead to longevity.It can be seen that gut microbiota plays an important role in maintaining human health,and gut microbiota has become a hot topic in medical research.With the change of Chinese residents'lifestyle,the incidence rate of diabetes is increasing rapidly.Research shows that the incidence of diabetes is closely related to intestinal flora imbalance.Traditional Chinese medicine can reduce blood sugar and improve clinical symptoms by regulating intestinal flora.Based on the theory of tradi‐tional Chinese medicine,this paper discusses the etiology and pathogenesis of intestinal flora imbalance,and provides a theoretical basis for traditional Chinese medicine to regu‐late intestinal flora to prevent and treat diabetes.Intestinal flora is a complex ecosystem,which plays an important role in maintaining human health.The imbalance of intestinal flora may lead to the occurrence of diabetes.The dynamic balance of gut microbiota is closely related to the kidneys,spleen,liver,and lungs.Traditional Chinese medicine monomer and compound can prevent and cure diabetes by regulating intestinal flora.

Traditional Chinese Medicine as a Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis:From Empirical Practice to Evidence-Based Therapy

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA)is a common autoimmune condition with an elusive etiology.Conventional and biological disease-modifying drugs sometimes fail or produce only partial responses.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has long been used in China as a treatment for RA and is achieving everincreasing acceptance worldwide.TCM treatments are traditionally guided by the theory of treatment based on TCM syndrome differentiation;however,they remain a matter of empirical practice relying on TCM theories and doctors’own experience,which places severe restrictions on worldwide TCM application.Nevertheless,TCM is a treasure trove for drug discovery,particularly as a treatment for complicated human conditions.The discoveries of artemisinin as a treatment for malaria and of TCM–arsenic trioxide(As2O3)combination therapy as a treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL)are excellent examples of the great value of TCM.Regarding RA treatments,many Chinese medicinal herbs and their formulas,extracts,ingredients,and even single compounds have been used in clinical applications.Several Chinese proprietary medicines(CPMs)derived from TCM formulas or herbal bioactive components,such as the controlled-release ZhengQingFengTongNing(ZQFTN)Tablets,Tripterygium Glycoside Tablets,and Total Glucosides of Peony(TGP)Capsules,have been included in the National Health Insurance Directory of China,and show comparable therapeutic efficacies to those of western chemical drugs with fewer side effects.As TCM research has advanced,particularly in the use of multidisciplinary technologies,the scientific foundations and characteristics of the use of TCM to treat RA have been revealed,and the quality of TCM treatments have been increasingly enhanced.However,TCM generally lacks sufficient clinical and laboratory data to be consistent with international standards for quality,safety,and efficacy in order to support its application worldwide.Therefore,intensive basic and clinical studies on TCM are required.In particular,investigations that use cutting-edge technologies in analytical chemistry,biology,and biomedical sciences,and the development of randomized clinical trials(RCTs)and personalized pragmatic randomized controlled trials(PPRCTs)are necessary.Researchers should also collaborate to advance TCM from empirical practice to evidence-based therapy,thus consistently promoting TCM development and globalization in a vital,beneficial,and contributable manner.

Traditional Chinese medicine ointment combined with tuina therapy in treatment of pain and swelling after total knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND The most effective treatment for knee joint pain is total knee arthroplasty(TKA),but the risk of pain and swelling in patients after surgery is high.Ice application,ankle pump exercise and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers are the primary clinical treatments after surgery.However,long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers can easily cause gastrointestinal damage.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)ointments and tuina therapy integrate TCM and manipulation,which effectively promotes the penetration of TCM into the skin lesions,improves local blood circulation and inflammatory reaction and has good long-term effects on patients.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of TCM ointment combined with tuina therapy in the treatment of pain and swelling after TKA.METHODS The randomized controlled clinical trial enrolled 80 patients who underwent TKA via the same procedure.The patients were randomly divided among the treatment group(n=40)and the control group(n=40).The control group was given an analgesia pump in addition to oral painkillers as the postoperative intervention.The treatment group received TCM ointment with tuina therapy in addition to the analgesia pump and oral painkillers in the postoperative period.The following variables were recorded 3 d before surgery and 3 d,7 d and 14 d after surgery:Visual analogue scale(VAS)score;skin temperature;circumferences at 15 cm above and below the patella;maximum active knee flexion angle;and the knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome score(KOOS).RESULTS After treatment,VAS was significantly lower in the treatment group than the control group at 7 d(t=7.536,P<0.001)and 14 d(t=8.563,P<0.001).The skin temperature of participants in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 7 d(t=2.968,P=0.004)and 14 d(t=4.423,P<0.001).The circumference values of the two positions in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group at 7 d[t=2.315,P=0.023(above);t=2.121,P=0.037(below)]and 14 d[t=2.374,P=0.020(above);t=2.095,P=0.039(below)].After 14 d of treatment,the maximum active knee flexion angle and KOOS of the two groups were significantly improved but were significantly higher in the treatment group(P<0.05 for both).CONCLUSION TCM ointment and tuina therapy have significant advantages over standard care in the treatment of pain and swelling after TKA.This additional treatment may improve knee function but additional studies are needed to confirm our observations.

Comparative study on WHO Western Pacific Region and World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies international standard terminologies on traditional medicine: Diseases in External Medicine (Part 2)

This is a continued study about how to understand and translate the names of diseases in the external medicine of TCM included in the WPRO Standard and the WFCMS Standard according to the discussion made in the book entitled International Standardization of English Translation of Traditional Chinese Medicine： Study of Theory, Summarization of Practice and Exploration of Methodst, the explanation made in A Concise Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine,

Comparative study on WHO Western Pacific Region and World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies international standard terminologies on traditional medicine: Diseases in External Medicine (Part 1)

External medicine, also frequently described as surgery, has a history as long as that of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. There were important doctors in each dynasty who devoted themselves to the study and practice of external medicine. In TCM external medicine, diseases are named either according to their location （such as neck abscess and back carbuncle）, or viscera involved （such as intestinal abscess and lung abscess）, or causes （such as tetanus and chilblain, which are literally known respectively as wind damage of wound and sore caused by cold in TCM）, or shape （such as snake head boil and goose web wind）, or the color （such as erysipelas and vitiligo which are literally known respectively as red toxin and white skin wind）, etc.

Inhibition of growth and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer targeted by Traditional Chinese Medicine Tubeimu in orthotopic mice models

Objective： Triple-negative breast cancer（TNBC） is highly invasive and metastatic, which is in urgent need of transformative therapeutics. Tubeimu（TBM）, the rhizome of Bolbostemma paniculatum（Maxim.） Franquet, is one of the Chinese medicinal herbs used for breast diseases since the ancient times. The present study evaluated the efficacy, especially the anti-metastatic effects of the dichloromethane extract of Tubeimu（ETBM） on TNBC orthotopic mouse models and cell lines.Methods： We applied real-time imaging on florescent orthotopic TNBC mice model and tested cell migration and invasion abilities with MDA-MB-231 cell line. Digital gene expression sequencing was performed and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） analysis applied to explore the pathways influenced by ETBM.Moreover, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions（q RT-PCR） and Western blot were delivered to confirm the gene expression changes.Results： ETBM exhibited noticeable control on tumor metastasis and growth of TNBC tumors with no obvious toxicity. In compliance with this, it also showed inhibition of cell migration and invasion in vitro. Its impact on the changed biological behavior in TNBC may be a result of decreased expression of integrin β1（ITGβ1）, integrin β8（ITGβ8） and Rho GTPase activating protein 5（ARHGAP5）, which disabled the focal adhesion pathway and caused change in cell morphology.Conclusions： This study reveals that ETBM has anti-metastatic effects on MDA-MB-231-GFP tumor and may lead to a new therapeutic agent for the integrative treatment of highly invasive TNBC.

The Characteristics of the Drug Composition in the Treatment of Insomnia by External Bath Prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine

[Objectives]The research aimed to carry out a retrospective analysis on the characteristics of the drug composition in the treatment of insomnia by external bath prescription of traditional Chinese medicine,to provide ideas for the research and development of new Chinese medicine for insomnia.[Methods]The external bath prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine related to insomnia were collected,and the appearance frequency of drug was analyzed,and statistical analysis of drug with high appearance frequency was conducted.[Results]In the external bath prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine related to insomnia,the top ten herbs with high appearance frequency were as follows:Chaozaoren,Drgonsbones,Margaritifera,Yejiaoteng,Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus,Lilii Bulbus,Platycladi Semen,Poria,Coptidis Rhizoma,and Scutellariae Radix.According to the classification by efficacy,these herbs mostly have the effects of calming,nourishing and heat clearing.[Conclusions]Traditional Chinese medicine is most closely related to heart,kidney,liver and other viscera.Tranquilizing and sedative drugs should be chosen,which corresponds with the understanding on pathogenesis of insomnia in traditional Chinese medical science,and embodies the characteristics of external bath prescription of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of insomnia.

Research Progress of External Treatment of Acute Gouty Arthritis with Traditional Chinese Medicine

External application of traditional Chinese medicine has a long history and definite curative effect on gout.By searching the latest literature on the treatment of acute gouty arthritis by external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine,the research progress of external treatment of acute gouty arthritis in recent years was summarized.According to the existing research results,the external treatment of Chinese medicine in the treatment of acute gout has better efficacy and higher safety,and has a broad application prospect.

The use of traditional Chinese medicine internally and externally combined with auricular acupuncture point bloodletting in the treatment of vulvar leukoplakia

Vulvar leukoplakia refers to the chronic disease of degeneration and hypopigmentation of the skin and mucous membrane of the vulva with unbearable itching in women, seriously affecting the quality of life. The main treatment of western medicine for vulvar leukoplakia is the external use of glucocorticoids or estrogen, resulting to the high recurrence rate and side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the characteristics of the overall concept and dialectical treatment with a variety of ways. Literature review in recent years found that the treatment of TCM decoction combined with external therapies, such as external fumigation, acupuncture and other treatments, or the combination of TCM decoction and external western medicine hormone ointment, can obtain good effects in vulvar leukoplakia. During the clinical practice, we found that the use of TCM internally and externally combined with auricular acupuncture point bloodletting was highly effective with unique advantages in the treatment of vulvar leukoplakia, providing the ideas guidance for clinicians.