Chinese integrative medicine: translation toward person-centered and balanced medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

Chinese integrative medicine (CIM) focuses on the integration of conventional medicine (biomedicine) with Chinese medicine (CM). Although the CIM field has witnessed several advancements, the definition and classification of CIM is not quite clear, given that an independent theory system has not yet been established in this field. Therefore, future research and studies should focus on the following objectives: (1) emphasizing CM features, (2) improving CIM positioning, and (3) establishing CIM standards. These concerted efforts will help CIM be at par with international standards and criteria. With the development of CIM, the world will embrace a new medical system providing person-centered treatment with a balanced medicine approach.

DUOX2 gene mutation in patients with congenital goiter with hypothyroidism / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify DUOX2 gene mutation in patients with congenital goiter with hypothyroidism.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Five patients who had transit congenital hypothyroidism with goiter were enrolled. The exons of DUOX2 gene were amplified and sequenced.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>A heterozygous missense mutation C1329T in the exon 10 of the DUOX2 gene was found in one patient, predicted to result in a Tryptophan to Arginine substitution at codon 376. However no mutation was detected in the other patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>p.Arg376Trp mutation in DUOX2 was found in newborns of congenital hypothyroidism. The alleles frequency of this mutation may contribute to the function loss of congenital hypothyroidism.</p>

Randomized controlled trial of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine treatment for posthepatitic cirrhotic ascites: a systematic review / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To research domestic general situation and quality of the clinical treatment of posthepatitic cirrhotic ascites in Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Chose CNKI, VIP, Wang fang and CBM as data source and searched the literature of the clinical treatment of posthepatitic cirrhotic ascites in Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine which published officially from January 1980 to January 2010 and which received a Jaded score of 2 or greater to do a systematic evaluation, including the description of subjects, study design and methods, therapeutic efficacy and statistical methods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>136 articles in all met inclusion criteria and 58 articles which received a Jaded score of 2 or greater did this research. The main problems of domestic posthepatitic cirrhotic ascites in Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in 30 years included: randomized controlled trial design was unreasonable, lack of blinding, lack of standardized criteria, the sample size was small and lack of specific estimation methods, lack of compliance, case off and withdraw, ignoring adverse reaction and the research of life quality.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The clinical treatment of posthepatitic cirrhotic ascites in Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine have a "personalized" and "diversity" character and the methods and standards of clinical research need to be improved.</p>

Proteomic analysis of chronic restraint stress-induced Gan (肝)-stagnancy syndrome in rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the proteomic characteristics of Gan (肝)-stagnancy syndrome (GSS) by seeking the differential protein in blood and tissues of GSS model rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>GSS model rats were established by chronic restraint stress, keeping rats in restrain chamber for 6 h every day for 21 successive days. Their blood and liver samples were collected at the end of experiment for differential protein detection with methods of isoelectrofocusing and polyacrylamide SDS-PAGE, silver staining, and scanning. The gel images were analyzed with Imagemaster 2D Elite software, and the excavated differential protein spots were identified with matrix assistant laser resolving TOF mass spectrometry, Western blot, ELISA, and RT-PCR, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A method for isolating the protein in blood serum and tissues by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was established and optimized. Six serum proteins and three liver proteins that differentially expressed were identified. The down-regulated differential proteins in serum of GSS model rats were serum albumin precursor, beta 1 globin, antibody against muscle acetylcholine receptor, Ig lambda-2 C region, and transthyretin (TTR), and those in liver tissue were aryl sulfotransferase, enoyl-CoA hydratase, and TTR. TTR down-regulation was found in both serum and liver. Preliminary biological information analysis showed that these differential proteins involved in immune, neuroendocrine, nutrition, and substance metabolism.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Proteomic analysis of differential proteins showed that TTR, aryl sulfotransferase, and enoyl-CoA hydratase expressions are downregulated in the GSS model rats, suggesting that the susceptibility of cancer could be enhanced by chronic stress.</p>

Protective effects of Hongbeiyegen against immunological liver injury in mice / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effects of Hongbeiyegen (HBYG) against immunological liver injury induced by bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunological liver injury was induced in rats by BCG and LPS injected via the tail vein. The liver index, thymus index and spleen index were calculated and the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and nitric oxide (NO) and liver homogenate contents of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) were determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HBYG significantly improved the liver index, thymus index and spleen index, and reduced the serum levels of ALT, AST and NO, and as the liver homogenate contents of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HBYG offers obvious protective effects against immunological injury liver in mice.</p>

Therapeutic effect of Hongbeiyegen on alcohol-induced rat hepatic fibrosis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic effect of Hongbeiyegen [the root of Alchornea trewioides(Benth.) Muell.-Arg.] on alcohol-induced liver fibrosis (AF) in rats and explore its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In rats with AF, the serum levels of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) were detected along with examination of the changes in serum hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), procolagen type III (PC III), collagen type IV (C IV), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT) and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (AST) levels.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, Hongbeiyegen could significantly reduce the levels of TGFbeta1, TIMP-1, HA, LN, PC III, CIV, ALT and AST in rats with AF.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Hongbeiyegen can relieve and ameliorate liver fibrosis possibly by inhibiting the expression of TGFbeta1 and TIMP-1.</p>

Experimental study on effect of baoganning on activity of nuclear transcription factor-kappaB in hepatic stellate cells / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Baoganning (BGN) on activity of nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and its relevant mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Normal Wistar rats were medicated with BGN decoction by gavage for 7 days to prepare BGN drug-serum. The effect of BGN drug-serum on HSC-T6 growth was measured by MTT assay; phosphorylation level of NF-kappaB inhibiting factor IkappaB at different time after BGN stimulation was detected by Western blotting analysis; and the binding level of NF-kappaB with DNA was measured 30 min after drug-serum stimulation with gel shift assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>BGN could significantly inhibit the HSC-T6 growth and quickly supress the phosphorylation of IkappaB, with the effect reached its peak at 30 min and restored to baseline level 6 h after stimulation, and reduce the binding capacity of NF-kappaB with DNA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>BGN can inhibit phosphorylation of IkappaB, restrain the activity of NF-kappaB and change the binding level of NF-kappaB with DNA.</p>