Efficacy and Safety of Modified Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Tang in Treating Mild to Moderate Essential Hypertension Complicated with Depression and Liver-Yang Hyperactivity Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of modified Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Tang in treating mild to moderate essential hypertension complicated with depression and liver-Yang hyperactivity syndrome.Method:Totally 121 mild to moderate hypertensive patients complicated with depression in line with the inclusive criteria were randomized into treatment group and control group. All of the enrolled patients in treatment group and control group were treated with conventional therapy. In treatment group, patients were given modified Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Tang, one dose per day. The treatment course lasted for 4 weeks. Blood pressure, patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score, score of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, C-reactive protein (CRP), endothelial-dependent vasodilation, and adverse effect were observed in this study.Result:Both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lowered when compared to control group (P<0.05). PHQ-9 score was significantly improved in treatment group (P<0.05). The score of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome was significantly improved in treatment group compared to control group (P<0.05). CRP was significantly improved in treatment group compared with control group (P<0.05). Endothelial-dependent vasodilation was significantly improved in treatment group compared with control group (P<0.05). No severe adverse effect was observed in this research.Conclusion:Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Tang has a creation clinical efficacy in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension with depression. In addition to the effect in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, modified Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Tang was also effective in improving depression, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome and endothelial-dependent vasodilation, and reducing the level of CRP with little adverse effect.

Study of drug intervention in diversity changes of TCRVbeta gene in AIDS patients with incomplete immune reconstitution / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To discuss the drug intervention in diversity changes of TCRVbeta gene in AIDS patients with incomplete immune reconstitution.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>PBMCs were isolated from 37 cases of AIDS patients failure to immune reconstitution before and after treatment with immune 2 and 15 cases of HIV negative healthy donors. The human gene TCRVbeta CDR3 diversity quantitative detection reagent box were used, and mapped the distribution of gene scanning and calculated different CDR3 fragme of each Vbeta family size.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the normal group, there appeared some single or oligoclonal amplification of Vbeta CDR3 region in the patients, which were improved or recovered after treatment. Among them, D value of four families (9, 11, 21, 22 ) decreased after treatment in both groups. The decrease in family 21 and 22 was significant (P < 0.05) in treatment group compared with the control group. And family 18 was decreased in treatment group and increased significantly in control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Study of the mechanism showed oligoclonal of TCRVbeta family can get recovery in some degrees after treated by Immune 2 plus HAART, suggesting that the medicine may promote T-cell receptor gene rearrangement, helping immune cells to effectively identify the virus to reduce T-cell apoptosis.</p>

Diversity changes of TCRVbeta gene in AIDS patients with incomplete immune reconstitution and influence of drug / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To discuss the drug intervention in diversity changes of TCRVbeta gene in AIDS patients with incomplete immune reconstitution.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>PBMCs were isolated from 37 cases of AIDS patients failure to immune reconstitution before and after treatment with Immune 2 and 15 cases of HIV negative healthy donors. The human gene TCRVbeta CDR3 diversity quantitative detection reagent box were used, and mapped the distribution of gene scanning and calculated different CDR3 fragme of each Vbeta family size.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>(1) Gaussian distribution of TCRVbeta families in patients with incomplete immune reconstitution after one year of HAART, had been broken with the occurrence of the offset TCR lineage. After six months of treatment of traditional Chinese medicine combined HAART, the TCR lineage has been partially restored. (2) Evaluated by the D (distance) value calculated by a quantitative analysis software which the kit provides, there were no significant difference in D value change between the two groups, but with traditional Chinese medicine can reduce the data variability. (3) CD4+ T cell counts had a significant correlation (r = -0.772, P = 0.000) with TCRVbeta genetic diversity.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Study of the mechanism showed oligoclonal of TCRVbeta family can get recovery in some degrees after treated by Immune 2 plus HAART, suggesting that the medicine may promote T-cell receptor gene rearrangement, helping immune cells to effectively identify the virus to reduce T-cell apoptosis.</p>

Applications of acupuncture in relieving AIDS-related symptoms / 中国中药杂志

AIDS is a serious threat to human health and has become a global public health problem. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can effectively reduce AIDS mortality rate, but has limitations in improving the patient's symptoms and improve quality of life. The literatures about the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on HIV/AIDS were reviewed. The symptoms of HIV/AIDS and the procedures of treatments were analyzed. The acupuncture intervention on HIV/AIDS was investigated. It showed that the acupuncture intervention may markedly improve the condition of HIV/AIDS. From a clinical point of view, we discussed the acupuncture treatment of AIDS-related symptoms, effectiveness and safety evaluation. It may contribute to build a comprehensive treatment system in which acupuncture is dominated for HIV/AIDS.

Effect of Immune No. 2 on the immune reconstitution in patients with HIV/AIDS after highly active antiretroviral treatment: a randomized double blind placebo controlled clinical trial / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the Immune No. 2 (2) on the immune reconstitution in patients with human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed. 233 patients failing immune reconstitution after HAART were randomly divided into treatment group (116 cases) and control group (117 cases), respectively using Immune No. 2 plus HAART and placebo combined with HAART for 6 months. CD4, CD45RA, CD45RO cell numbers, as well as the symptoms, signs and integral improvement rates were observed in order to evaluate the immune reconstitution efficiency.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>after the intervention for 1 month, the effective rate of the treatment group (18.97%, 22/116) was significantly higher than that of the control group (9.40%, 11/117) (P=0.02); 3 months after treatment, the effective rate of the treatment group (27.59%, 32/116) was no difference from that of the control group (22.22%, 26/117) (P=0.31); 6 months after treatment, the effective rate of the treatment group (34.48%, 40/116) was significantly superior to the control group (21.37%, 25/117) (P=0.02). CD4, CD45RA, CD45RO count of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The total score of symptoms and signs in the treatment group was significantly lowered compared with the control group (P=0.02), and the improvement of fatigue, muscle and joint pain, pruritus and shortness of breath in the treatment group was better than the control group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Immune No. 2 can effectively improve the numbers of CD4 cells and its subgroups, as well as the main clinical symptoms and signs of patients after HAART, thereby promoting the immune reconstitution.</p>

Fighting against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with Chinese medicine: a perspective from China / 中国结合医学杂志

Continuing expansion of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic has been recognized as an exceptional challenge to global health. Taking highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART), a confirmed effective treatment, has its limitations. While a much cheaper and potential treatment-the Chinese medicine (CM) has not been paid enough attention from the worldwide. We explained the CM viewpoints about pathology and etiology to answer some questions about whether and how CM can treat AIDS. Some herbal formulae and their targeted patterns and common symptoms were also introduced. Chinese government has realized the important role of CM as an independent therapy for early management, bolstering immune-system functions depressed by HIV, and has funded large randomized double-blind controlled clinical trials to more accurately assess the benefits, and valued the fundamental research to establish a quantitative standardization of pattern diagnosis. Researchers of CM are looking for cooperation with all the world's top experts in the areas of AIDS and immunity to strive for victories in the fight against AIDS.

Effect of Yiqi Yangyin Decoction on the quality of life of patients with unstable angina pectoris / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Yiqi Yangyin Decoction (, YQYYD) on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 108 patients with UAP of qi-yin deficiency syndrome confirmed by coronary angiography were enrolled and assigned to the treated group (treated with YQYYD and conventional therapy of Western medicine) and the control group (treated with conventional therapy of Western medicine), by the use of the PROC PLAN of the SAS 6.12 software, in a prospective, randomized, controlled design. The clinical total effective rate, symptom score, QOL scale [Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ)] and incidence of important clinical events were defined as the observation indices to evaluate the interventional effect of YQYYD on the QOL of patients with UAP of the qi-yin deficiency syndrome.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>During the study, three cases dropped out in the treated group, one case dropped out in the control group, and 104 cases, including 51 cases in the treatment group and 53 cases in the control group, finished the trial. After four weeks of treatment, the total clinical effective rates in the treated group and the control group were 80.4% and 75.5% respectively, and there was no obvious difference between them (P>0.05). However, the symptom score of the treated group (9.31 + or - 2.02) was significantly lesser than that of the control group (11.62 + or - 3.04, P<0.05), and the total score of the QOL scale of the treated group (68.76 + or - 5.74) was significantly higher than that of the control group (61.06 + or - 3.31, P<0.01). Among those in the treated group physical limitation, angina stability, angina frequency, and treatment satisfaction were significantly ameliorated when compared with the control group after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). The incidence of important clinical events in the treated group (3.9%) was lower than that in the control group (5.7%) during the 8-month follow-up period, but the difference was insignificant (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>YQYYD could improve the clinical symptoms of patients with UAP of qi-yin deficiency syndrome and greatly improve their QOL.</p>

Immune reconstitution related factors in patients with HIV/AIDS / 中国中西医结合杂志

Immune reconstitution could be found in part of HIV/AIDS patients after receiving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Its influencing factors are very complex. Many factors, such as the demographic factor, stage of HIV disease, pattern of therapy, sort of co-infections, baseline of CD; T-cell count, abnormal immune activation, related immune phenotype, and virologic factors, all could influence the immune reconstitution. In view of Chinese medline (CM) may play a positive role in this process, the clinical evidences for above-mentioned factors were summed up briefly in this paper for providing reference to the future studies on immune reconstitution with intervention of CM.

Studies on the alkaloids from herb of Corydalis adunca / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the alkaloid constituents of Corydalis adunca.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The constituents were isolated on silica gel column and their structures were elucidated by IR, NMR, MS data.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Four alkaloid compounds were isolated from alcohol extract of the herb of C. adunca, and identified as tetrahydropalmatine, 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-6-methoxy-1-(4'-methoxyphenyl) methyl-7-isoquinolinol, coptisine and palmatine.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Four compounds were isolated from C. adunca for the first time.</p>

Studies on the alkaloids from the herb of Corydalis adunca / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the alkaloid constituents of Corydalis adunca.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The constituents were isolated on silica gel column and their structures were elucidated by IR, NMR, MS data.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Eight alkaloid compounds were isolated from alcohol extracts of the herb of C. adunca, and identified as dihydrosanguinarine (I), tetrahydrocolumbamine (II), 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-7-methoxy-1-[(4-methoxy)phenyl]methyl-8-quinolinol (III), protopine (IV) and 6-acetonyl-5,6-dihydrosanguinarine (V).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Five compounds were isolated from C. adunca for the first time.</p>

Chemical components of essential oils from the herb of Ligularia virgaurea / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To provide the foundation for reasonable utilization by analyzing the essential oils of Ligularia virgaurea.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The essential oils were extracted by using steam distillation and separated with GC capillary columns. The components were quantitatively determined with normalization method, and were identified with GC-MS.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>41 components were identified, which took up 72.73% of the essential oils.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The main components of essential oils were 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-3-cyclohexen-1-ol(14.369%), crotonic acid, 2,2-dimethyl-butanoic acid, 1-methyl-3-(1-methylethyl)-benzene, (1s-endo)-1,7,7-trimethyl-bicyclo[2,2,1]heptan-2-ol, trans-1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-ol, alpha-cadinol and alpha,alpha,4-trimethyl-3-cyclohexene-1-methanol.</p>