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@#Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a common chronic complication of diabetes mellitus, which cause irreversible damage of microvessels in the retina. DR is a leading blindness eye disease among diabetes mellitus. The pathogenesis of DR is mainly related to oxidative stress, inflammation and neovascularization. DR patients are treated with laser photocoagulation, vitrectomy and medicine in clinical trials. The traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese herb monomers have unique efficacy in the treatment of DR, especially in retinal protection, which provides valuable supplement. The paper summarized application practice and mechanism of representative Chinese herbal formulas and Chinese herb monomers in the treatment of DR, which would provide references for the clinical treatment and new drug development of DR.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects and safety on infertility of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in the patients with ovulation induction with letrozole in the treatment with the formula for regulating menstruation and removing phlegm and electroacupuncture (EA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 120 patients of PCOS infertility were randomized into 3 groups, 40 cases in each one. In the group A, diane-35 was prescribed for oral administration (one tablet a day since the 5th day of menstruation, continuously for 21 days). After 1 course of treatment (3 months), letrozole was used (one tablet a day since the 5th day of menstruation, continuously for 5 days) for ovulation induction for another 1 course (3 months). In the group B, on the basis of the treatment as the group A, since the 5th day of menstruation, the Chinese herbal formula was combined to regulate menstruation and remove phlegm, one dose a day and discontinued during menstruation. In the group C, on the basis of the treatment as the group B, EA was added since the 5th day of menstruation. The main acupoints were Guanyuan (CV 4), Zusanli (ST 36) and Fenglong (ST 40), etc. EA was applied once every 2 days and discontinued during menstruation. In all of the 3 groups, the treatment for 3 months was as 1 course and the 2 courses were required continuously. Before and after treatment, the menstruation improvements, body weight, body mass index (BMI), serum sex hormones [luteal production hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), LH/FSH, total testosterone (T) and estradiol (E)] were observed in the patients of each group. The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was adopted to determine the content of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin B (IHNB). The therapeutic effects, safety, ovulation rate and pregnancy rate were compared among the 3 groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The differences were significant statistically in the total effective rate, ovulation rate and pregnancy rate in comparison of the 3 groups (all<0.05). The results in the group C were the best and those in the group B were the better in the comparison of the 3 groups. (2) After treatment, the menstrual cycle was remarkably shortened in the 3 groups (all<0.05). The result in the group C was better than that in the group A (<0.05). After treatment, the body weight in the group B and group C was all reduced (both<0.05). The reducing degree in the group C was better than that in the group A (<0.05). The differences in BMI were not significant statistically before and after treatment in each group as well as in comparison among the groups (all>0.05). (3) After treatment, the levels of LH and LH/FSH were all reduced remarkably in the 3 groups (all<0.05). The differences were not significant statistically in comparison among the three groups (all>0.05). After treatment, in the group B and group C, the levels of T and AMH were all reduced remarkably (all<0.05), in which, T value in the group C was lower than that in the group A and group B, that in the group B was lower than the group A (all<0.05). AMH value in the group C was lower than that in the group A (<0.05). The differences were not significant statistically in FSH, Eand IHNB before and after treatment in each group as well as in comparison among the 3 groups (all>0.05). (4) The luteinized unreuptured follicle syndrome (LUFS) did not happen in the group C. There were 3 cases of LUFS (7.5%) in the group B and 5 cases (12.5%) in the group A.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For PCOS infertility patients receiving ovulation induction with letrozole, the combined treatment with the Chinese herbal formula for regulating menstruation and removing phlegm and EA remarkably improves the menstrual cycle, reduces body weight and the levels of LH, LH/FSH, T and AMH, improves ovulation and pregnancy rates. This therapy does not induce adverse reactions and the therapeutic effects are better than the simple application of letrozole or the combined therapy of letrozole and Chinese herbal medicine.</p>
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Clinical value evaluation is the key issue to solve the problems such as high repetition rate, fuzzy clinical positioning, broad indications and unclear clinical values in Chinese herbal formula(Chinese patent medicine). By analyzing the challenges and opportunities of Chinese herbal formula in clinical value evaluation, this paper introduced a strategy of multi-omic network analysis. Through comparative analysis of three stroke treatment formulas, we suggested their different characteristic advantages for variant symptoms or phenotypes of stroke, which may provide reference for rational clinical choice. Such multi-omic network analysis strategy may open a unique angle of view for clinical evaluation and comparison of Chinese herbal formula.
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Chinese medicine (CM) has contributed to human health care for several thousand years and is still popular in Asian countries. But the mechanisms underlying CM remain obscure, and need to be clarifified by modern biological subjects and methods. Recently, CM researches on epigenetics have gained obvious improvement following rapidly developed molecular technologies. In this review, we revealed mutual characteristics of epigenetics and CM, such as holism, yin-yang dynamic nature, reversibility and balance, and visceral manifestation. Moreover, epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone post-transcriptional modifications, micro RNA interference, etc. may help explore the molecular basis of CM syndrome classifification, and mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), CHM compounds and Chinese herbal formulae activities. Meanwhile, CM and epigenetics might promote each other and jointly develop following the continuous progress of epigenetics in CM researches.
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Systematic pharmacological evaluation of material basis for the efficacy of Chinese herbal formula is one of the key issues in Chinese materia medica(CMM),which is in urgent need of solution.However,its scientific connotation is still controversial in academic circles.The material basis for the efficacy of Chinese herbal formula is the total non-endogenous bioactive compound(derived either directly or indirectly from this formula) exerting the therapeutic effects,which is generated by the interaction of the formula with human body and reaches certain concentration in the target organs or tissues.Systematic evaluation of material basis for the efficacy of Chinese herbal formula is the cornerstone of modernization and internationalization of CMM,while the quality control of CMM is its prerequisite.
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To study the potential basis of Chinese herbal formula is very important for elucidating their compatible mechanism and promoting the modernization of Chinese materia medica. The pathway and method in studies on the potential basis of Chinese herbal formula, such as altering prescriptions, serum pharmacology, serum pharmacochemistry, fingerprints, pharmacokinetics, and metabonomics, etc. are summed up in this paper. The above-mentioned pathway and method will provide the significant basis in studying the effective components and fractions in Chinese herbal formula.
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Objective:To define the effects of SHEN YI,a Chinese herbal formula on ratio of Th1/Th2 cells within immune organs of MRL/lpr mice Methods:MRL/lpr mice were administered daily with the Chinese herbal formula from the age of 12 weeks and both the treatment and control groups were killed at the age of 28 weeks The percentage of CD4 +CD30 -(Th1),CD4 +CD30 +(Th2)cells within thymus and spleen were determined in vitro by FACScan with or without PHA P stimulation The CD4 + T cells selected from splenocytes were stimulated with PHA P, then, RT PCR was performed to detect IL 4/IFN ? mRNA expressed by the selected cells In addition, the ratio of the two cytokines expressed by the CD4 + T cells from the control and treatment groups was calculated respectively Results:CD4 +CD30 + T cells nearly can't be detected within Thymus Without PHA P stimulation, there was no difference in percentage of CD4 +CD30 + T cells between the control and treatment groups After stimulation with PHA P, FACScan showed an increment in the percentage of CD4 +CD30 + T cells both in the control and treatment groups, however, the extent of expansion of CD4 +CD30 + T cells percentage in treatment group was lower than it in the control one RT PCR showed a reduction in the ratio of IL 4/IFN ? mRNA in the treatment group compared to it in the control one Conclusion:The Chinese herbal formula can inhibit Th cells to differentiate into Th2 cells in the spleen under the stimulation of PHA P