Study on percutaneous absorption of xiaozheng zhitong cataplasm / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the transdermal behavior of Xiaozheng Zhitong cataplasm in rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>With tetrahydropalmatine as the index, the Franz diffusion cell method was adopted for the experiment. Sample content was determined with HPLC.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The transdermal permeability and the transmission rate of tetrahydropalmatine accumulated for 24 h were 20.20% and 0.744 1 microg x cm(-2) x h(-1), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The transdermal behaviors of Xiaozheng Zhitong cataplasm were ideal in conformity with the zero order kinetic model.</p>

Clinical randomized controlled study on acupuncture for treatment of peripheral neuropathy induced by chemotherapeutic drugs / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To seek the effective treatment for peripheral neuropathy induced by chemotherapeutic drugs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-four cases of peripheral neuropathy induced by Paclitaxel or Oxaliplatin were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a medication group, 32 cases in each group. The acupuncture group was treated with therapeutic principle of dredging meridians and collaterals, tonifying qi and eliminating blood stasis, supplementing liver and kidney, nourishing blood and tendon. Hegu (LI 4), Taichong (LR 3), Zusanli (ST 36), Qihai (CV 6) and Quchi (LI 11) etc. were selected. The medication group was treated with intramuscular injection of Cobamamide. The neurotoxicity of two groups was compared with questionnaire of peripheral neuropathy induced by chemotherapeutic drugs before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate for sensory nerve disorder of acupuncture group was 66.7% (20/30), which was superior to that of 40.0% (12/30) in medication group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture is more effective than Cobamamide for treatment of peripheral neuropathy induced by chemotherapeutic drugs, especially for moderate and severe sensory nerve disorder induced by paclitaxel.</p>

Alleviation of cancerous pain by external compress with Xiaozheng Zhitong Paste / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical effectiveness of a topical application of Xiaozheng Zhitong: Paste (, XZP) in alleviating the cancerous pain of patients with middle/late stage cancer</p><p><b>METHODS</b>By: adopting a random number table, 124 patients enrolled were randomized into the treatment group (64 patients) and the control group (60 patients). In addition to the basic therapy [including the three-ladder (3L) analgesia] used in both groups, topical application of XZP was given to patients in the treatment group for pain alleviation. The analgesic efficacy was recorded in terms of pain intensity, analgesia initiating time and sustaining time, and the optimal analgesic effect revealing time. Meanwhile, the quality of life (QOL) and adverse reactions that occurred in patients were recorded as well.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate in the treatment group was: 84.38% (54/64), and in the control group it was 88.33% (53/60), showing no significant difference between them (P>0.05), but the analgesia initiating time and the optimal analgesia effect revealing time in the treatment group were significantly shorter (both P<0.01). Moreover, XZP was better in improving patients' QOL, showing more significant improvements in the treatment group than those in the control group in aspects of mental condition, walking capacity, working capacity, social acceptability, sleep and joy of living (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Lower incidence of adverse reactions, such as nausea, vomiting, mouth dryness, dizziness, etc., especially constipation, was noted in the treatment group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Applying an external compress: of XZP showed a synergistic action with 3L analgesia for shortening the initiating time and the optimal effect revealing time, and could evidently enhance patients' QOL with fewer adverse reactions.</p>