Clinical Application of Shengxiantang： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Shengxiantang， one of the classical traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） prescriptions， was developed by ZHANG Xi-chun， a well-known doctor in the Republic of China， to treat the syndrome of pectoral Qi sinking. Due to the unique herbal composition， this prescription has yielded remarkable outcomes， and it is still widely used for dealing with diseases of various systems. This paper reviewed the clinical research concerning Shengxiantang in order to provide reference for its clinical application. Following the retrieval of related articles published in the past ten years from China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform， Chongqing Weipu Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals （VIP）， and Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System （SinoMed） with the Chinese key words of “Shengxiantang （升陷汤）”， “sinking of pectoral Qi （大气下陷）”， “replenishing Qi and raising the sinking （益气升陷）”， and“pectoral Qi theory （大气理论）”， this paper collated the clinical application experience of Shengxiantang. To be specific， the corresponding etiology and pathogenesis， interpretations of Shengxiantang， as well as its indications， application experience and precautions were summarized to provide a basis for its further research and application. Based on the collected more than 50 representative articles， it was found that Shengxiantang has been extensively utilized for treating complex and critical diseases of various systems， especially the circulatory and respiratory diseases and organ prolapse. The research on the clinical application of Shengxiantang has deepened， exhibiting a promising development trend， which will provide new ideas for its clinical application.

Effects of Kudzu Root plus Cinnamon Granules on prostatic hyperplasia in mice / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To explore the effects of Kudzu Root plus Cinnamon Granules (KR+C) on prostatic hyperplasia (PH) in mice.@*METHODS@#Sixty 4-week-old Kunming male mice were randomly divided into six groups: blank control, PH model, high-, medium- and low-dose KR+C, and finasteride control. All the mice except those in the blank control group were subcutaneously injected with testosterone propionate (5 mg / ［kg·d］) at 7 days after surgical castration. The animals of different groups were treated intragastrically with different doses of KR+C, finasteride, and normal saline respectively for 3 weeks and then sacrificed for weighing of the prostate, calculation of the prostatic index, observation of the morphological changes in the prostate after HE staining, determination of the expressions of FGF2, Ki67 and TGF-β1 by immunohistochemistry, detection of 5α-reductase activity by ELISA, and measurement of the apoptosis index of the prostatic cells by TUNEL.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the model controls, the mice of the other groups showed significantly reduced prostatic volume (P 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#KR+C can reduce the prostatic volume of PH mice by decreasing the activity of 5α- reductase, inhibiting the expressions of FGF2, Ki67 and TGF-β1, and promoting the apoptosis of prostatic cells.

Cryosurgical ablation for aged patients with severe benign prostate hyperplasia: a report of 21 cases / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical effect of cryosurgical ablation for aged patients with severe benign prostate hyperplasia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-one 72-91-year-old patients with severe benign prostate hyperplasia accompanied with cardiopulmonary dysfunction were treated by the ENDOCARE cryo-care surgery system with cryo-probes guided by type B ultrasound. Observations were made of the post-operation prostate biopsy and ultrasonogram as well as the changes of the urinary flow rate (UFR) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Degeneration and necrosis of the prostate tissues were found after the operation, with the signs of being completely melted. The mean UFRs before and after the operation were (3.8 +/- 2.1) ml/s and (17.0 +/- 5.8) ml/s, respectively (P < 0.01). Compared with the pre-operation level of PSA ([3.7 +/- 2.1] microg/L), the 1-week post-operation level was significantly higher ([22.6 +/- 13.1] microg/L) (P < 0.01), while the 4-week post-operation level significantly lower ([1.7 +/- 1.4] microg/L) (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cryosurgical ablation, with satisfactory short-term curative effect, is a desirable option for the treatment of aged patients with severe benign prostate hyperplasia.</p>