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Purpose: Sildenafil citrate is widely used drug for the treatment of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Ginseng is a natural aphrodisiac reported to benefit this condition. The objective of the present study was to develop orodispersible tablets (ODTs) containing combination of Sildenafil citrate and Ginseng extract to improve the bioavailability, reduce the dosing frequency and thereby maintaining the therapeutic efficacy of the drug. Methods: The ODTs were prepared using superdisintegrants such as Croscarmellose sodium (CCS), povidone, and sodium starch glycolate (SSG) at varying concentrations (2%, 4% and 6%) by direct compression. The bitter taste of Sildenafil citrate was masked by Doshion resin. The optimized formulation based on least disintegration time (DT) was chosen to reformulate using sublimating agents such as camphor, menthol or thymol at varying concentrations (1%, 2%, 3%) to further reduce the DT. The compatibility of drug with excipients was investigated and the prepared formulations were evaluated for pre and post-compression parameters. Results: The post-compression parameters such as weight variation, hardness, friability, DT and in-vitro drug release was found within specified limit. The formulation with camphor (2%) had DT of 12 sec and drug release >90% within 5 min hence was considered as optimized formulation. The accelerated stability study and kinetics modelling was performed for optimized formulation. Conclusion: The formulated Sildenafil citrate and Ginseng ODT’s were found to be promising formulation with quicker DT and drug release which will eventually have higher bioavailability and better efficacy along with averting the issues of swallowing and improving patient compliance.
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Buccal tablets
Diclofenac sodium
Drug release
Mucoadhesion
Mucoadhesive tablets
Release kinetics
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ObjectiveTo carry out the clinical comprehensive evaluation of Biantong capsules and Biantong tablets in the treatment of constipation guided by the clinical value of drugs， and to provide a scientific basis for the rational pricing， rational use， and cataloging of Biantong capsules/tablets. MethodThe available evidence and survey data were used for the clinical comprehensive evaluation of Biantong capsules/tablets and three control drugs in the treatment of constipation in terms of the six dimensions including effectiveness， safety， economics， innovation， suitability， and accessibility. ResultIn terms of effectiveness， Biantong capsules/tablets can improve the response rate， with clear pharmacological mechanism. In terms of safety， the absence of toxic reaction， the mild adverse reactions， and the favorable prognosis indicate high safety. In terms of economics， the average daily cost of Biantong capsules/tablets is the lowest among the tested drugs， which indicates a cost-effectiveness advantage. In terms of innovation， Biantong capsules/tablets have been authorized patents in China and listed as members in the third category of new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine/ninth new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine. In terms of suitability， Biantong capsules/tablets are convenient to store and take and have good suitability in terms of drug technical characteristics and drug usage. In terms of accessibility， Biantong capsules/tablets have a wide coverage in hospitals， sufficient capacity， low patient burden， extensive drug catalogue coverage， and no major environmental risk for long-term application. The comprehensive values of the tested drugs follow a descending order of control drug B （84.27 score）， Biantong capsules/tablets （82.47 score）， control drug A （70.47 score）， and control drug C （59.46 score）. The recommendations of the expert panel are Class A （18/18）， which can be directly converted into decision-making. ConclusionBiantong capsules/tablets demonstrate a high clinical comprehensive value in the treatment of constipation， providing a reference for the rational pricing， rational use， and cataloging of drugs.
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Objective:To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of compound α-ketoacid tablets in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease (DKD).Methods:CNKI, Wanfang database, EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane Library database were searched for eligible records published from the establishment of individual database to November 13 th, 2022. The quality of the included studies were assessed, data were extracted, and meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan5.3. Results:A total of 26 randomized controlled trials were included, with a total of 2 790 DKD patients (1 465 in the experimental group and 1 325 in the control group). Multiple parameters were significantly improved in the experimental group compared with the control group, including 24-hour urinary protein, blood creatinine, urea nitrogen, nutritional index, oxidative stress level, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, homocysteine, HGF, VEGF, TGF-β1, and systolic blood pressure.Conclusions:Limited low-quality evidence showed that compound α-ketoacid tablets combined with low-protein diet may be related to the improved 24-hour urinary protein, renal function, and glucose metabolism in patients with DKD. Due to the lack of randomized controlled trials designed for respective stages of DKD, the inclusion criteria of our study were relatively general, possibly leading to the lack of pertinence of the results. Some indicators showed apparent heterogeneity among different groups, and more high-quality multi-center studies with large sample sizes are still needed to verify our findings.
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Objective:To investigate the effects of Zhibitai capsule combined with pitavastatin calcium tablets on blood lipids, blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin in patients with coronary heart disease complicated by diabetes mellitus. Methods:A total of 100 patients with coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus who received treatment in The Third Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University from January 2017 to June 2020 were included in this study. They were divided into a control group ( n = 50) and an observation group ( n = 50) according to different treatment methods. Both groups were given conventional treatment such as pitavastatin calcium tablets. The control group was given pitavastatin calcium tablets based on conventional treatment. The observation group was given Zhibitai capsule combined with pitavastatin calcium tablets based on conventional treatment. After 6 months of treatment, serum levels of triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, and glycated hemoglobin were compared between the two groups. Results:After treatment, serum levels of triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin in the observation group were (4.26 ± 0.67) mmol/L, (1.85 ± 0.38) mmol/L, (3.16 ± 0.27) mmol/L, (8.29 ± 1.07) mmol/L, and (8.20 ± 0.77)%, respectively, and they were (4.50 ± 0.39) mmol/L, (1.99 ± 0.19) mmol/L, (3.28 ± 0.27) mmol/L, (8.80 ± 0.66) mmol/L, (8.54 ± 0.74)%, respectively in the control group. After treatment, these indices in each group were decreased compared with those before treatment (control group: t = 19.56, 14.60, 10.66, 8.60, 10.18; observation group: t = 15.04, 14.68, 11.36, 12.36, 12.89, all P < 0.05). After treatment, these indices in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t = -2.12, -2.23, 2.26, -2.84, -2.44, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the observation and control groups was (1.16 ± 0.18) mmol/L and (1.09 ± 0.13) mmol/L, respectively. After treatment, the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in each group was increased compared with that before treatment (control group: t = -11.10, observation group: t = -11.07, P < 0.05). After treatment, the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( t = 2.11, P < 0.05). Conclusion:Zhibitai capsule combined with pitavastatin calcium tablets can greatly improve the level of blood lipids and blood glucose in patients with coronary heart disease complicated by diabetes mellitus.
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OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of Danning tablet， taurosodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid in preventing the recurrence of choledocholithiasis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography （ERCP）. METHODS The clinical data of 153 patients who underwent ERCP choledocholithotomy from January 2017 to January 2020 in Nantong First People’s Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different drug treatment received after surgery， patients were divided into three groups， namely， Danning tablet group （group A， 49 cases）， tauroursodeoxycholic acid group （group B， 44 cases） and ursodeoxycholic acid group （group C， 60 cases）. The above groups of drugs are all single-use， starting from 2 weeks after surgery for a course of 180 days. The effects of bile component indicators [total bilirubin （Tbil）， direct bilirubin （Dbil）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， glutamyltransferase （GGT）]， lipid metabolism indicators [total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， low-density lipoprotein （LDL）， high-density lipoprotein （HDL）]， the occurrence of clinical symptoms （abdominal pain， bloating， nausea， and poor appetite） at 6 months after ERCP， and the recurrence of choledocholithiasis at 6， 12， 18 and 24 months after surgery were compared among 3 groups. RESULTS Compared with before surgery， the serum levels of Tbil， Dbil， ALP， GGT， TC， TG and LDL were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）， while serum HDL levels were significantly increased （P＜0.05） in the three groups at 6 months after surgery. The proportion of patients who experienced abdominal pain， bloating， nausea， and poor appetite at 6 months after surgery was significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. The Tbil levels of groups A and B were significantly lower than those of group C （P＜0.05）， while the Dbil and ALP levels of group A were significantly lower than those of groups B and C （P＜0.05）； however， there was no statistically significant difference in GGT levels among the 3 groups （P＞0.05）. Compared with groups A and C， the levels of four lipid metabolism indicators in group B were significantly improved （P＜0.05）； the proportion of patients with abdominal pain， bloating， and poor appetite in group A was significantly lower than groups B and C （P＜0.05）， but there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients with nausea among the 3 groups （P＞0.05）. At 6，12 and 18 months after surgery， there was no statistically significant difference in the rate of choledocholithiasis recurrence among the 3 groups （P＞0.05）； at 24 months after surgery， the rate of choledocholithiasis recurrence in group A （2.04%） was significantly lower than group B （15.91%） and group C （15.00%） （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Compared with tauroursodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid， the application of Danning tablet after ERCP is more beneficial to reduce the secretion of bile acid， prevent the recurrence of gallstones， and improve clinical symptoms， but tauroursodeoxycholic acid can significantly accelerate the lipid metabolism of patients compared with the other two drugs.
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Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ilaprazole Enteric-Coated Tablets in the treatment of RE. Methods The databases of CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, PubMed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library were searched to collect all the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Ilaprazole in the treatment of RE published before April 2021. After data extraction and quality evaluation, the RCTs meeting the inclusion criteria were performed, and the meta-analysis was conducted by RevMan 5.4. Results Nine RCTs were included, with a total of 1115 patients of RE. The results of the meta-analysis showed that Ilaprazole Enteric-Coated Tablets were comparable to Esomeprazole Enteric-Coated Tablets in both endoscopic efficiency (90.08% vs. 90.00%, P > 0.05) and symptom relief rates (91.79% vs. 91.23%, P > 0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions (7.99% vs. 8.66%, P > 0.05). Conclusion Ilaprazole Enteric-Coated Tablets with lower doses were comparable to Esomeprazole Enteric-Coated Tablets which showed good efficacy and safety in the treatment of reflux esophagitis.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy of Tenghuang Jiangu tablets （THJGT） combined with oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs （NSAIDs） in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee and its applicable stage based on real-world data， and provide a basis for the rational clinical use of THJGT. MethodA total of 218 cases treated with THJGT combined with oral NSAIDs included in the "THJGT for knee osteoarthritis case registry" from September 2019 to January 2021 were selected as the observation group， and 126 cases treated with oral NSAIDs alone as the control group （CG）. The data of gender， age， body mass index， Kellgren-Lawrence grading scale （K-L scale） score， visual analogue score （VAS score）， Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index （WOMAC） score， swelling grade， joint fear of cold score， back pain and weakness score， and occurrence of adverse events/reactions of the patients in both groups were used for the evaluation of efficacy with full analysis set. The propensity score matching method was used to exclude the influence of confounding factors between groups， and the sub-data sets were established， with which the repeated measures analysis of variance （ANOVA） was carried out to evaluate the efficacy. Visit points were at registration， 4 weeks and 8 weeks after registration. The data were statistically analyzed in Excel 2019 and SPSS 23.0. ResultThe proportion of females in the observation group was 66.06% （144/218）， which was higher than that （58.73%， 74/126） in the control group （χ2=1.846）. The average age in the observation group was （61.12±7.01） years， which was higher than that ［（59.38±5.99） years］ in the control group （W=19 918.50， P<0.05）. The remission rate in the observation group was 98.17% （214/218）. In the observation group， the proportions of the patients at K-L grades Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 64.22% （144/218） and 25.23% （55/218）， respectively. The effect analysis of the whole data set for enrollment and treatment for 8 weeks showed that the VAS score of the experimental group decreased by （3.27±1.24） points on average， which was better than that of the control group [（2.75±1.20）， W=34 179.00， P<0.05]. The average WOMAC score decreased （23.43±11.46） points， which was better than that of the control group [（16.71±8.86）， W=32 387.00， P<0.05]. The average swelling grade decreased （0.63±0.64）， which was better than the control group [（0.33±0.59）， W=33 847.50， P<0.05]. The average score of joint chills decreased （1.90±1.84）， points， which was better than that of control group [（1.40±1.28）， W=35 165.00， P<0.05]. The average lumbar acid fatigue score decreased by （2.02±1.64） points, which was better than that of the control group [（1.10±1.28）， W=32 986.50， P<0.05]. Efficacy analysis of subdata sets for enrollment， 4 weeks of medication and 8 weeks of medication showed that VAS scores of both groups showed a downward trend after treatment， and the improvement of experimental group was more significant than that of control group at 4 weeks， with statistical significance （P<0.05）. After treatment， the total WOMAC score of both groups showed a downward trend， and the improvement of experimental groups was more significant at 4 weeks and 8 weeks （P<0.05）. After treatment， swelling， cold fear grade and lumbar acid fatigue score of both groups showed a decreasing trend,， and the improvement of experimental group was more significant at 8 weeks （P<0.05）. The therapeutic effect analysis of patients in the attack stage and remission stage of the experimental group showed that the total WOMAC score of the two groups showed a downward trend after treatment， and the trend was basically the same， and there was no statistical difference between the two groups at enrollment， 4 weeks after treatment， and 8 weeks after treatment （t=1.675， t=2.068， t=2.364）. The total WOMAC score of the patients in remission stage in the experimental group with K-L grading between grade 0 and grade Ⅲ had statistical significance at 4 weeks after treatment compared with the time of entry （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Group of adverse event rate was 4.13% （9/218）， lower than the control group 10.32% （13/126） （χ2= 5.109， P<0.05）. ConclusionThe population receiving THJGT combined with oral NSAIDs is mostly female， old， in remission， and with K-L grades Ⅱ and Ⅲ. THJGT can enhance the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of oral NSAIDs and keep the drug effect in improving joint function and alleviating fear of cold， swelling， and back pain and weakness. The drug combination can be applied to patients in both attack and remission， and the clinical application should take patient's disease stage and degree of osteoarthritis into account. Furthermore， the combination has the potential to reduce the incidence of adverse events caused by NSAIDs.
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ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effect of Guizhi Gegentang on cervical vertigo and its impact on hemodynamics and vascular endothelial function. MethodA total of 144 patients with cervical vertigo treated from April 2019 to June 2022 were included in the study and randomly divided into a control group and an observation group， with 72 patients in each group. During the study， three patients dropped out from the observation group and two patients from the control group. The control group received conventional treatment （oral betahistine mesylate tablets）， while the observation group received conventional treatment combined with Guizhi Gegentang. The clinical efficacy， changes in the frequency and duration of dizziness attacks per month before and after treatment， changes in symptoms and functional evaluation scores of cervical vertigo assessed by the European Scale for Cervical Vertigo （ESCV）， changes in the average blood flow velocity of the left vertebral artery， right vertebral artery， and basilar artery， changes in indicators such as endothelin-1 （ET-1）， neuropeptide Y （NPY）， calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP）， changes in the Neck Disability Index （NDI） score， changes in the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General （FACT-G） score， and adverse reactions were observed and compared between the two groups. ResultThe total effective rate in the observation group was 95.65% （66/69）， significantly higher than 84.29% （59/70） in the control group （χ2=4.957， P<0.05）. Before treatment， there were no significant differences in the frequency and duration of dizziness attacks per month， ESCV scores， average blood flow velocity of the left vertebral artery， right vertebral artery， and basilar artery， levels of ET-1， NPY， CGRP， NDI score， and FACT-G score between the two groups. After treatment， compared with the baseline within each group， there were improvements in the frequency and duration of dizziness attacks per month， ESCV scores， average blood flow velocity of the left vertebral artery， right vertebral artery， and basilar artery， levels of ET-1， NPY， CGRP， NDI score， and FACT-G score in both groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， the observation group showed better improvements in the frequency and duration of dizziness attacks per month， ESCV score， average blood flow velocity of the left vertebral artery， right vertebral artery， and basilar artery， levels of ET-1， NPY， CGRP， NDI score， and FACT-G score （P<0.05， P<0.01）. During the study period， one case of nausea occurred in the control group， and one case of dizziness occurred in the observation group. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups. ConclusionGuizhi Gegentang can improve the therapeutic effect of cervical vertigo， effectively improve patients' hemodynamics and vascular endothelial function， and enhance their quality of life with few adverse reactions. It is worth applying in clinical practice.
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OBJECTIVE To establish the ion mobility mass spectrometry method for simultaneous determination of epiberberine， berberine， coptisine， palmatine， calycosin-7-glucoside， 3，5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid， 4，5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid and chlorogenic acid in Jinqi jiangtang tablets. METHODS Ion mobility mass spectrometry method was used. The determination was performed on Waters ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 （2.1 mm×50 mm， 1.8 μm） with mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid solution-acetonitrile （gradient elution） at the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The column temperature was 40 ℃， and the injection volume was 5 μL. The contents of 8 components in Jinqi jiangtang tablets were determined by scanning detection under positive and negative ion modes with an electric spray ion source， and setting ion mobility mass parameters according to the peak response of each component. RESULTS The results showed that the linear relationship of the eight components was good within their respective ranges （r≥0.999）； RSDs of precision， repeatability and stability （24 h） tests were not more than 4.0%； average recoveries were 94.6%-101.2% ， RSDs were 2.6%-3.9% （n＝9）. The contents of the above eight components in three batches of Jinqi jiangtang tablets were 3.060-3.545， 24.50-26.74， 2.795-4.149， 1.437-2.501， 0.204-0.242， 0.950-1.281， 2.272-2.828， 7.314- 7.960 mg/g， respectively. CONCLUSIONS The established method has high sensitivity and good reproducibility， and can provide reference for the quality control of the preparation.
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OBJECTIVE To establish the method for content determination of related substances in Oxcarbazepine tablets. METHODS Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography （UPLC） method was adopted and the separation was performed on ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.01 mol/L ammonium acetate solution （pH6.0） （gradient elution） at the flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 230 nm and column temperature was set at 35 ℃. The sample size was 10 μL. RESULTS The linear ranges of oxcarbazepine and impurity A， B， C， D， E， I， K， L and N were 0.192-1.440， 1.019-7.639， 0.208-1.559， 0.230-1.727， 0.389-2.915， 0.182-1.364， 0.393-2.945， 0.199-1.493， 0.199-1.490 and 0.200- 1.503 μg/mL， respectively （all r＞0.999）. The detection limits were 0.046， 0.037， 0.049， 0.027， 0.077， 0.040， 0.114， 0.054， 0.055 and 0.039 μg/mL. The quantitation limits were 0.152， 0.122， 0.162， 0.090， 0.258， 0.132， 0.380， 0.181， 0.185 and 0.130 μg/mL. RSDs of precision， repeatability， stability （24 h） and durability tests were all lower than 5.0%. The average recoveries were 92.8%-105.6% （RSD≤3.0%， n＝9）. Only impurity K and unknown impurity were detected in the original preparation sample， with a total content of 0.078% to 0.083%； impurities A， B， D， I and unknown impurity were detected in the generic preparations produced by domestic enterprise Ⅰ， with a total content of 0.147% to 0.163%； impurities A， B， I and unknown impurity were detected in the generic preparations produced by domestic enterprise Ⅱ， with a total content of 0.085% to 0.161%. CONCLUSIONS The established method is rapid， sensitive， accurate， stable and durable. It can be used for the content determination of 9 known impurities in Oxcarbazepine tablets.
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ObjectiveTo explore the medication characteristics and clinical efficacy of the Tenghuang Jiangu tablets in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis （KOA） in the remission stage in the real world，providing references for rational clinical use of this prescription. MethodBased on the "registration system of KOA treated with Tenghuang Jiangu tablets"，2 439 KOA cases in the remission stage were analyzed by SPSS 25.0，IBM SPSS Modeler18.0，and Apriori algorithm. To be specific，the age，body mass index （BMI），and course of treatment were described in the form of x̄±s. The information on gender，K-L grade，daily dose，and frequency of drug use was described by frequency analysis. The number of cases，course of treatment，daily dose，and drug use frequency of the single-use group and the combined-use group were described by frequency analysis，and the combination of drugs was described by frequency analysis and Apriori algorithm. Mann-Whitney U test was employed to compare the scores of Visual Analogue Scale （VAS），Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index （WOMAC），pain，stiffness，and joint function between the single-use group and the combined-use group. ResultThe results of clinical treatment showed that 2 439 patients with KOA in the remission stage were treated with Tenghuang Jiangu tablets，with 1 432 （58.71%） in the single-use group and 1 007 （41.29%） in the combined-use group. The average daily dose of Tenghuang Jiangu tablets was （3.90±1.44） g，and the majority of the patients were at grade Ⅱ （54.47%）. The daily average daily dose of Tenghuang Jiangu tablets in the single-use group was （3.64±1.35） g，which was lower than that in the combined-use group ［（4.26±1.48） g，P<0.05］. In the combined use，the top three western medicines were glucosamine （270 times，14.68%），sodium hyaluronate （126 times，6.85%），and imrecoxib （116 times，6.31%），and the top three Chinese medicines were Huoxuezhitong capsules/tablets/ointments （31 times，1.69%），Biqi capsules （25 times，1.36%），and Maizhiling （23 times，1.25%）. As for the overall clinical efficacy，the VAS score was （5.13±0.93） score before treatment and （2.22±1.18） score after treatment （P<0.05），with an overall average decrease of （2.91±1.14） score， and the average decrease in the single-use group was （2.76±1.43） score， which was lower than that in the combined-use group ［（3.12±1.36） score，（P<0.01）］. The WOMAC score was （31.05±11.84） score before treatment and （13.55±9.91） score after treatment （P<0.05）. The overall average decrease was （17.50±11.79） score， and the average decrease in the single-use group and combined-use group was （16.39±11.14） score and （19.08±12.50） score，respectively （P<0.01）. The patients with KOA>grade Ⅱ accounted for 91.34%（1 308/1 432） and 93.55%（942/1 007） in the single-use group and combined-use group，respectively （χ2=80.026，P<0.05）. A total of 43.37%（621/1 432） of the patients in the single-use group had other complications，lower than that in the combined-use group ［54.92%（553/1 432），（χ2=20.087，P<0.01）］. ConclusionMore than half of the patients with KOA in the remission stage are treated with Tenghuang Jiangu tablets alone，and the combination therapy is mainly applied in patients with severe conditions or other complications. In relieving knee joint pain and improving joint stiffness and joint function，both the Tenghuang Jiangu tablets alone and the combination therapy are effective.
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ObjectiveTo evaluate the lipid-lowering activity of Quansanqi tablets（QSQ）， an innovative new drug of Panax notoginseng. MethodMice and golden hamsters were used to establish a hyperlipidemia model by injecting egg yolk milk and feeding high-fat diets. The levels of total cholesterol （TC），triglyceride （TG），low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） were detected， and liver function indicators ［alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate amino-transferase （AST）， and alkaline phosphatase （ALP）］ of golden hamsters were detected. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the degree of liver injury. In the experiments， a normal group， a model group， an atorvastatin calcium group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose QSQ groups （0.32， 0.64， 1.28 g·kg-1 for mice， and 0.16， 0.32， 0.64 g·kg-1 for golden hamsters） were set up. ResultCompared with the normal group， the acute hyperlipidemia model mice showed increased TC， TG， and LDL-C levels （P<0.01）， and the hyperlipidemia model mice showed increased TC and LDL-C levels （P<0.01）. Additionally， the hyperlipidemia model golden hamsters showed increased serum TC， TG， LDL-C， ALT， AST， and ALP levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. HE staining indicated the presence of fat accumulation in the liver， accompanied by inflammatory reactions. Compared with the model group， QSQ of various doses could reduce TC， TG， and LDL-C levels in acute hyperlipidemia model mice （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the high-dose QSQ could reduce TC and LDL-C levels （P<0.01） and increase HDL-C level （P<0.05） in hyperlipidemia model mice， as well as reduce TC， TG， and LDL-C levels in hyperlipidemia model golden hamsters （P<0.05， P<0.01）， especially in the first two weeks. In addition， atorvastatin calcium could further increase ALT， AST， and ALP levels （P<0.05， P<0.01） and aggravate liver function damage， while low-dose QSQ could reduce ALT， AST， and ALP （P<0.05）， and medium- and high-dose QSQ did not cause further liver function damage. ConclusionQSQ have a significant lipid-lowering effect on different hyperlipidemia model animals and can improve liver function and liver injury.
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ObjectiveTo explore the "efficacy-toxicity" association mechanisms of Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets （TWPT） by establishing and analyzing an interaction network associated with the clinical efficacy of TWPT in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis （RA） and TWPT-induced liver injury. MethodOn the basis of the TWPT efficacy-related gene expression profile and TWPT-induced liver injury-related protein expression profile which were both obtained from our clinical cohorts， the "efficacy-toxicity" association network of TWPT was constructed， and the key network targets were identified by calculating the topological values of the nodes， including the degree， closeness and betweenness. After that， the biological functions and pathways of the key network targets were investigated by enrichment analysis. ResultA total of 119 differentially expressed genes （58 up-regulated and 61 down-regulated） between RA patients with TWPT well and weak response were identified as TWPT efficacy-related genes by clinical transcriptomics， and 49 differentially expressed proteins （36 up-regulated and 13 down-regulated） were demonstrated to be TWPT-induced liver injury-related proteins by clinical proteomics. In addition， the clinical symptom enrichment analysis indicated that the TWPT efficacy-related genes were significantly associated with various clinical symptoms of arthralgia in traditional Chinese medicine and clinical phenotypes of modern medicine， and most of the TWPT-induced liver injury-related proteins were involved in digestive system abnormalities. Therefore， the aforementioned multi-omics data represented the main clinical symptoms of TWPT treating RA and inducing liver injury. Mechanically， the "efficacy-toxicity" association network revealed that both TWPT efficacy-related genes and TWPT-induced liver injury-related core proteins were involved in the "immune-inflammatory" imbalance， especially playing an important role in neutrophil degranulation， complement cascade reaction， and immune-inflammatory response mediated by protein post-translational modification. Notably， the above genes and proteins were also enriched in various signaling pathways related to cell proliferation and cell cycle regulation， such as RAS and mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway， and in several liver functional processes， such as glycogen metabolism and redox reaction. ConclusionThis study systematically explained the "efficacy-toxicity" association characteristics and molecular mechanisms of TWPT by applying a research strategy integrating clinical phenomics， transcriptomics and proteomics， laying a good data foundation for exploring the "efficacy enhancing and toxicity-reducing" mechanisms of TWPT.
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ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets （TWPT） combined with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs （csDMARDs） including methotrexate （MTX） and/or leflunomide （LEF） on autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis （RA） patients. MethodPubMed， EMBASE， Web of Science， Cochrane Library， China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， VIP， Wanfang Data， and China Biomedical Literature Service System （SinoMed） were searched for randomized controlled trials （RCTs） of TWPT combined with MTX and/or LEF in the treatment of RA patients from database inception to December 1， 2021. Primary outcome indicators included rheumatoid factor （RF） and anti-citrullinated protein antibody （ACPA）， and secondary outcome indicators included immunoglobulin （IgA， IgG， and IgM） and adverse drug events （ADE）. ResultThirty-one RCTs， involving 2 643 adult patients， were included， including 20 RCTs of TWPT combined with MTX， 10 of TWPT combined with LEF， and one of TWPT combined with MTX and TWPT. The follow-up time ranged from two weeks to 13 months. Compared with csDMARDs alone， TWPT combined with other drugs significantly improved serum RF of RA patients ［SMD=-2.45， 95% CI ［-2.97， -1.93］， P<0.000 01］， anti-CCP ［SMD=-1.41， 95% CI （-2.35， -0.48）， P=0.003］， IgM ［SMD=-1.90， 95% CI （-3.03， -0.76）， P=0.001］， and IgA ［SMD=-1.18， 95% CI （-2.23， -0.12）， P=0.03］. There were no significant effects on IgG ［SMD=-1.02， 95% CI （-2.04， 0.01）， P=0.05］ and ADE ［RR=0.87， 95% CI （0.66， 1.15）， P=0.32］. ConclusionThe results of this study show that compared with csDMARDs alone， TWPT combined with csDMARDs can effectively improve the levels of autoantibodies in RA patients without increasing the incidence of ADE. However， due to the limited quality and quantity of the included RCTs， the relevant conclusions are only used as a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of RA， and more high-quality studies are still needed to further confirm their efficacy.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of cytochrome P4502D6 （CYP2D6） and cytochrome P4503A4 （CYP3A4）， key enzymes of drug metabolism in liver， on acute liver injury in water extract of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma （WEOGRR）. MethodHealthy male Kunming mice were divided into normal group， model group， WEOGRR low-， medium- and high-dose groups （5， 10， 15 g·kg-1·d-1） and positive drug group （diammonium glycyrrhizinate， 75 mg·kg-1·d-1）， with 10 in each group. One week after preventive administration， acute liver injury model was induced by single intragastric administration of 270 mg·kg-1 Tripterygium Glycosides tablets， and samples were collected after 18 h. The pathological changes of liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Serum liver function indexes including alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， γ-glutamyl transpeptadase （γ-GT）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， and total bilirubin （TBIL） as well as the levels of oxidative stress indexes including malondialdehyde （MDA） and superoxide dismutase （SOD） in hepatocytes were determined by biochemical method. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were performed to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of CYP2D6 and CYP3A4， respectively. ResultCompared with normal group， model group had significant hepatocyte swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration （P<0.01）， increased AST， ALT， γ-GT， ALP and TBIL （P<0.05）， elevated MDA and decreased SOD （P<0.01） as well as down-regulated mRNA and protein expression levels of CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the normal group had intact liver structure without obvious abnormality， and the WEOGRR groups and positive drug group presented alleviated hepatocyte swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration （P<0.01）， reduced AST， ALT， γ-GT， ALP and TBIL （P<0.01）， lowered MDA and increased SOD （P<0.01） as well as up-regulated expression levels of CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe protective effect of WEOGRR on acute liver injury induced by Tripterygium glycosides tablets may be related to reducing the contents of AST， ALT， γ-GT， ALP and TBIL in serum， inhibiting MDA and increasing the activity of SOD in liver cells， and enhancing the activities of CYP2D6 and CYP3A4， thus accelerating the metabolism of toxic substances.
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ObjectiveTo explore the underlying mechanism of Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets （TWPT） in the prevention and treatment of kidney injury in diabetic nephropathy （DN） through the nuclear factor of activated T-cells 2（NFAT2）/cyclooxygenase-2（COX-2） pathway. MethodForty-two male SD rats of SPF grade were selected and randomly divided into a normal group （n=8） and an experimental group （n=34） after one week of adaptive feeding. The rats in the normal group were fed conventionally. The DN model was established in rats of the experimental group by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） following one week of feeding on a high-fat and high-glucose diet. After the death and failure cases during modeling were eliminated， the remaining 24 model rats were randomly divided into model group， valsartan （8.33 mg·kg-1·d-1） group， and TWPT （5 mg·kg-1·d-1） group. Rats in normal group and model group were given equal amounts of normal saline by gavage. After six weeks， body weight was measured and urine samples were collected. Blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta， and then the rats were sacrificed for sampling. Biochemical indicators， such as serum blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， serum creatinine （SCr）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， blood lipid， blood glucose， and 24-hour urine total protein （24 h UTP）， were determined. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathology of the kidney. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect NFAT2 and COX-2 expression levels in the serum. Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR）were adopted to detect NFAT2， COX-2 protein and mRNA expression in kidney tissues， respectively. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed elevated 24 h UTP， BUN， SCr， CHO， TG， and FBG， increased serum NFAT2 and COX-2 production and expression （P<0.01）， and elevated protein and mRNA expression of NFAT2 and COX-2 in kidney tissues （P<0.01）. In addition， the pathology of the kidney showed enlarged glomeruli， mild proliferation of mesangial cells， and widened mesangial stroma. Compared with the model group， the TWPT group showed decreased 24 h UTP， BUN， SCr， CHO， TG， and FBG （P<0.05，P<0.01）， basically normal glomerular morphology， decreased expression of serum NFAT2 and COX-2 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein and mRNA expression of NFAT2 and COX-2 in kidney tissues （P<0.01）. ConclusionTWPT can alleviate 24 h UTP in DN model rats， protect renal function， and improve renal pathology， and its mechanism of action may be related to the down-regulation of NFAT2/COX-2 expression in the serum and kidney tissues.
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ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids combined with Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets （TWPT） on ovarian germline stem cells of female physiological mice through neurogenic locus notch homolog （Notch） signaling pathway. MethodSixty female Kunming mice （5 weeks old） were randomly divided into normal group， Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets low-， high-dose groups （13.65 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 27.3 mg·kg-1·d-1， 1 and 2 times clinical equivalent dose）， Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids low- and high-dose groups （150 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 300 mg·kg-1·d-1）， and combination group （13.65 mg·kg-1·d-1 TWPT and 150 mg·kg-1·d-1 Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids）， with 10 in each group. After 3 weeks of continuous administration， the uterus/brain and ovarian/brain indexes were calculated， and the pathological changes of ovarian tissue were observed under light microscope. The content of estradiol in serum was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunofluorescence assay was performed to observe the expressions of germline stem cell markers in ovarian epithelium， including mouse vasa homologue （Mvh）， octamer-binding transcription factor 4 （Oct4）， tyrosine-protein kinase receptor （c-kit）， Nanog， Notch signaling pathway molecules， neurogenic locus notch homolog protein 1 （Notch1）， hes family BHLH transcription factor 1（Hes1）， and jagged canonical Notch ligand 1 （JAG1）. ResultCompared with the normal group， low and high doses of TWPT had no significant effect on the uterus/brain and ovary/brain indexes and the uterus and ovary morphologies of mice， while only the number of atretic follicles was increased （P<0.01）. The expressions of ovarian germline stem cell markers and Notch signaling pathway molecules had a decreasing trend in TWPT low-dose group， while the expressions of Mvh， c-kit， and Nanog were down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01） and the expressions of Notch1 and Hes1 were also reduced （P<0.01） in TWPT high-dose group. However， the above indexes were increased in Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids low-dose group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the low does of TWPT group， the combination group had a decrease in the increased number of atretic follicles （P<0.01）， an improvement in the down-regulated expressions of Mvh and Nanog （P<0.01）， and an increase in the expressions of Notch1 and Hes1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionOvarian germline stem cells are the source target of the reproductive toxicity of TWPT. Cuscutae Semen total flavonoids participate in the regulation of the germline stem cell pathways to alleviate the reproductive toxicity caused by TWPT， and its mechanism of action may be related to the Notch signaling pathway.
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Objective:To explore the effects of Bifidobacterium triple viable capsules combined with Berberine tablets on blood lipid and intestinal flora in patients with hyperlipidemia.Methods:A total of 420 hyperlipidemia patients admitted to the Second Medical Center of PLA General Hospital & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected and divided into the observation group and the control group according to the random number table method, with 210 cases in each group. Both groups were routinely given lipid-lowering drugs, the control group was also given Bifidobacterium triple viable capsules orally, and the observation group was combined with Berberine tablets orally on the basis of the control group. The levels of serum inflammatory factor, blood lipid, apolipoprotein and the number of intestinal flora before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. The incidence of adverse reactions was compared between the two groups during the treatment.Results:After treatment, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group: (26.78 ± 5.63) ng/L vs. (30.06 ± 5.79) ng/L, (12.88 ± 4.76) ng/L vs. (15.45 ± 5.32) ng/L, (8.22 ± 2.80) mg/L vs. (10.26 ± 3.71) mg/L, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of blood lipid in the observation group were improve better than those in the control group, the levels of apolipoprotein AⅠ in the observation group was higher than that in the control group: (2.00 ± 0.45) g/L vs. (1.72 ± 0.39) g/L; and the levels of apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein E in the observation group were lower than those in the control group: (1.08 ± 0.18) g/L vs. (1.20 ± 0.22) g/L, (4.80 ± 0.68) g/L vs. (5.12 ± 0.62) g/L, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). After treatment, the numbers of Bifidobacterium and Lactic acid bacteria in the observation group were higher than those in the control group: (8.80 ± 0.80) lg CFU/g vs. (8.30 ± 0.75) lg cfu/g, (8.85 ± 0.64) lg cfu/g vs. (8.45 ± 0.68) lg cfu/g; and the numbers of Colon bacillus and Enterococcus faecalis in the observation group were lower than those in the control group: (8.20 ± 0.55) lg cfu/g vs. (8.52 ± 0.50) lg cfu/g, (6.42 ± 0.60) lg cfu/g vs.(6.84 ± 0.65) lg cfu/g, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Bifidobacterium triple viable capsules combined with Berberine tablets in treatment of patients with hyperlipidemia can effectively reduce the level of blood lipid and regulate intestinal flora, with good safety.
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Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy rate, vascular endothelial relaxation factor NO and safety of five different Chinese patent medicines combined with western medicine in the treatment of coronary microvascular disease (CMVD).Methods:Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Shexiang Baoxin Pills, Tongxinluo Capsules, Compound Danshen Dripping Pills, Yindan Xinnaotong Soft Capsules, and Xinkeshu Tablets combined with conventional western medicine therapy in the treatment of CMVD were retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Academic Journal Database (Wanfang Data), Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database (Chongqing VIP), China Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), PubMed, Cochrance Library and Embase databases from the establishment of the database to June 2022. The literature was imported and screened by EndNote software, and the risk quality of literature bias was evaluated by Revman 5.4 software. StataSE16 (64-bit) software was used for reticular meta analysis to compare the differences in clinical efficacy and drug safety of five proprietary Chinese medicines combined with western medicine.Results:A total of 24 RCT studies were included, 24 of which were double-arm studies, and five kinds of proprietary Chinese medicine combined with western medicine were compared. The results of reticular meta analysis: in terms of improving the clinical effective rate, the order of the five proprietary Chinese medicine combination groups was as follows: Yindan Xinnaotong Soft Capsules group > Shexiang Baoxin Pills group > Tongxinluo Capsules group > Xinkeshu Tablets group > Compound Danshen Dripping Pills group. In terms of regulating vasodilation factor NO, the order of the four proprietary Chinese medicine combination groups is as follows: Yindan Xinnaotong Soft Capsules group > Compound Danshen Dripping Pills group > Tongxinluo Capsules group > Shexiang Baoxin Pills group. In terms of safety, there were 3 reports of adverse reactions in the research literature of the five proprietary Chinese medicines.Conclusions:The clinical efficacy rate of five kinds of proprietary Chinese medicine combined with western medicine routine regimen is better than that of western medicine routine regimen alone, and the combination group of four kinds of proprietary Chinese medicine is superior to western medicine in regulating vasodilation factor NO, and Yindan Xinnaotong Soft Capsules group is superior in clinical efficacy rate and regulation of vasodilation factor NO. However, the quality and samples of this study are different, and the comparison of the curative effect of the combined group of proprietary Chinese medicine still needs a large sample and high-quality RCT study to demonstrate.