Outcome of the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine for functional constipation:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Functional constipation(FC)is a common and chronic gastrointestinal disease and its treatment remains challenging.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)on efficacy rate,global symptoms,bowel movements and the Bristol Stool Scale score in patients with FC by summarizing current available randomized controlled trials(RCTs).METHODS RCTs with CHM to treat FC were identified by a systematic search of six databases from inception to October 20,2020.Two independent reviewers assessed the quality of the included articles and extracted data.Meta-analyses were performed to odds ratio(OR),mean differences(MD)and 95%confidence interval(CI)using random-effects models.Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were used to explore and interpret the sources of heterogeneity.The funnel plot,Begg’s test and Egger’s test were used to detect publication bias.RESULTS Ninety-seven studies involving 8693 patients were included in this work.CHM was significantly associated with a higher efficacy rate(OR:3.62,95%CI:3.19-4.11,P<0.00001)less severe global symptoms(OR:4.03,95%CI:3.49-4.65,P<0.00001)compared with control treatment,with the low heterogeneity between studies(I2=0%,P=0.76).CHM was also associated with more frequent bowel movements(MD 0.83,95%CI:0.67-0.98,P<0.00001),a lower score on the Bristol Stool Scale(OR:1.63,95%CI:1.15-2.32,P<0.006),and a not significant recurrence rate(OR:0.47,95%CI:0.22-0.99,P=0.05).No serious adverse effects of CHM were reported.CONCLUSION In this meta-analysis,we found that CHM may have potential benefits in increasing the number of bowel movements,improving stool characteristics and alleviating global symptoms in FC patients.However,a firm conclusion could not be reached because of the poor quality of the included trials.Further trials with higher quality are required.

U. S. -Iraq War and China's National Security

Discussions about the U. S-Iraq war would last for years, but the war will surely produce long-term influences on international strategic structure and China’s security environment. The feature and influence of the war are determined by the America’ purposes in launching the war, which, in the common.

Some Methods That Merit Attention

Undoubtedly, the international environment that China faces remains changeable, thus arousing some problems with which people are not familiar or great changes have taken place in the background and condition. In this sense, it is absolutely an uneasy job to make a deep analysis of today’s international environment. In particular.

Effect of lit-moxa stimulation of Guanyuan(CV 4) acupoint on levels of lactic acid and super-oxide dismutase in skeletal muscle of rats

OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of lit-moxa stimulating acupoint Guanyuan(CV 4) on lactic acid and super-oxide dismutase(SOD) in skeletal muscle after exercise exhaustion.METHODS:Twenty-eight adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group,exhausted control group,exercise group and moxibustion group using exercise training and mild heating with lit-moxa stick as treatment methods.The exhausted control group,moxibustion group and exercise group received an exhaustive swimming after 20 days of intervention.Swimming exhausted times were recorded.Lactic acid and SOD concentration in soleus muscle were detected and compared between every two groups.RESULTS:The swimming exhausted times of the moxibustion group and the exercise group were significantly increased compare to the exhausted control group(P < 0.05).The lactic acid of the exhausted control group was significantly increased comparing with the normal control group(P <0.05),and the lactic acid of the moxibustion group and the exercise group were significantly lower than that of the exhausted control group(P < 0.05).The SOD level of the exhausted control group was significantly decreased comparing with the normal control group(P < 0.05),and the SOD level of the moxibustion group and the exercise group were significantly higher than that of the exhausted control group(both,P < 0.05).There was no statistical difference between the moxibustion group and the exercise group.CONCLUSION:With lit moxa stick,heat stimulating acupoint of Guanyuan(CV 4) decreased the levels of lactic acid and SOD in rat's skeletal muscle.