An evaluation survey of traditional Chinese medicine learning among international students majoring in conventional medicine: a study from a university in China.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has gained increasing acceptance and popularity by the global community. The current study aimed to investigate self-reported evaluations of learning TCM and opinions about TCM courses among undergraduate international students majoring in conventional medicine at a university in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Zhejiang University School of Medicine. A self-reported questionnaire was administered to international undergraduates who were enrolled in the TCM course during the 2018 and 2019 academic years (n = 157). The course employed a student-centered, multiform learning model. Demographic data and self-reported evaluations of TCM learning background and TCM learning course were obtained to conduct the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 133 students responded to the questionnaire. Among the respondents, 21.0% had some TCM-related knowledge, and 51.1% were interested in learning TCM before the course. Ninety-six students (85.7%) were from Asia. Students from Thailand showed significantly more interest in learning TCM than did students from other Asian countries (p = 0.025). After the course, 77.2% of students agreed that the course had brought about many benefits, 86.4% were satisfied with the course content, and 77.3% were satisfied with the teaching method. Students expressed their willingness to further learn acupuncture and to obtain more skilled practice through more visualized learning methods. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the international students we surveyed agreed that the TCM course improved their interest in and understanding of TCM. It is thus suggested that TCM education should be directed toward students' learning barriers and needs.

The evaluation of online course of Traditional Chinese Medicine for MBBS international students during the COVID-19 epidemic period.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 epidemic period, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) course for international students of Medical Bachelor, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program in Zhejiang University has shifted from traditional classroom to online environment. This study aimed to investigate MBBS international students' perception on online TCM course, and to assess the online learning efficacy. METHODS: A total of 84 MBBS international students attending course of "Basic Traditional Chinese Medicine" during 2020 academic years at Zhejiang University were enrolled in this study. A quantitative questionnaire was respectively completed before and after the TCM course using a pretest-post-test design. By means of two online learning platforms, Learning in ZJU and DingTalk, TCM course was broadcast in both live and archived format to students. RESULTS: A total of 48 participants completed both baseline and follow-up questionnaires. The majority of participants preferred face-to-face classroom learning (26, 54.17% of total) when compared with online learning. Students felt that the course had brought in much benefits (mean 3.88, SD 0.87), and they were satisfied with the course content (mean 3.83, SD 0.95). Students' TCM related knowledge and their behaviors of discussion and consulting were significantly improved by online TCM course (all P < 0.001). Students' awareness of the necessity of TCM education and their feeling of difficulty in learning TCM were significantly strengthened (P = 0.042, 0.025, respectively). CONCLUSION: Online learning is a good alternative for TCM course of MBBS international students when classroom learning is suspended, whereas it cannot replace the need for onsite and face-to-face learning.

The effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization with embryo transfer: An interdisciplinary systematic review.

The present systematic review is designed to summarize the evidence concerning the effect of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes in vitro fertilization with embryo transfer (IVF-ET). We searched MEDLINE, the Wanfang Database, the China Academic Journal Electronic Full-text Database in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and the Index to Chinese Periodical Literature. Randomized controlled trials with intervention groups using acupuncture and control groups consisting of no acupuncture or sham (placebo) acupuncture in IVF-ET treatment were selected. Study characteristics were examined from these studies and an intention-to-treat approach was used to extract outcome data from each study. In total, 31 articles including 4450 women passed our selection criteria. The legitimacy, characteristics, and IVF outcomes of the included trials were summarized. Additional Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory-based, standardized, large-size, randomized, and multicenter trials are necessary prior to any conclusions being drawn on whether TCM can improve IVF outcomes.

Tanshinone IIA induces apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in vivo through attenuation of PI3K/AKT/JNK signaling pathways.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecological tumors and is the second most common cause of gynecological cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) possesses anticancer activities through inducing the apoptosis of tumor cells. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the ability of Tan-IIA to induce apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, and to examine the potential mechanism underlying its activity. Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry were used to analyze the therapeutic effects of Tan-IIA on ovarian cancer. It was demonstrated that Tan-IIA significantly inhibited the growth and aggressiveness of human ovarian cancer cells. Tan-IIA significantly increased the apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells through cleavage activation of caspases-3, caspase-8 and caspases-9. In addition, Tan-IIA treatment decreased the expression of mitochondrial-protective B-cell lymphoma 2-like protein 2 (Bcl-w) and myeloid cell leukemia-1 long (Mcl-1L) in ovarian cancer cells. Tan-IIA also reduced the expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), AKT and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in human ovarian cancer cells. A specific PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) enhanced the Tan-IIA-inhibited expression of AKT and JNK. The overexpression of PI3K negated the Tan-IIA-inhibited expression of AKT and JNK, and eliminated the Tan-IIA-induced apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells. Additionally, the in vivo assay showed that Tan-IIA treatment inhibited the growth of ovarian cancer through increasing the apoptosis of tumor cells. In conclusion, these findings suggested that the induction of apoptosis by Tan-IIA involves the PI3K/AKT/JNK signaling pathways in ovarian cancer.

Schisandra chinensis Baill, a Chinese medicinal herb, alleviates high-fat-diet-inducing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in rats.

BACKGROUND: he present study aims to explore whether Schisandra chinensis Baill, a Chinese, medicinal herb can alleviates high-fat-diet-inducing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study, 24, male Wister rats with body weight between 180-220g, were included. The rats were randomly divided into four groups: model group, normal control group, rosiglitazone group, and Schisandra chinensis Baill group. The treatment lasted for 56, days. The high-fat diet used in the present study includes 25% lard, 2%, cholesterol 0.5%, sodium cholate, and 25%, Tween-80. The hepatic levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA); the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), were detected. RESULTS: We found that the hepatic levels of SOD were significantly lower, and the serum levels of TC, LDLC as well as, the hepatic levels of MDA in model group were significantly higher than those of normal control group; rosiglitazone group and Schisandra chinensis Baill group (P<0.05), indicates that non-alcoholic steatohepatitis rats were successfully induced by high-fat diet. Schisandra chinensis Baill group presented a significant lower serum levels of LDLC, than rosiglitazone group (P<0.05); and the hepatic levels of SOD in Schisandra chinensis Baill group were significantly lower than rosiglitazone group (P<0.05). However, no significant difference existed between Schisandra chinensis Baill group, and rosiglitazone group on the hepatic levels of MDA and the serum levels of TC (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: It is then concluded that Schisandra chinensis Baill can significantly alleviate the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis of the rats induced by high-fat diet, and it may be used as a complementary therapy for rosiglitazone.

[Effect of acupoint injection by Astragalus injection on local SIgA and pathomorphology changes in rats with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupoint injection by astragalus injection on local SIgA and pathomorphologial changes in rats with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (CPID). METHOD: 50 female Wistar rats were randomly devided into 6 groups, in which CPID model was made except the normal group and sham operation group. The astragalus injection group and the 0.9% NaCl injection group were treated by acupoint injection in Guanyuan (RN4) and Zusanli (ST36). The group was fed Qianjinpian solution into stomach. The histopathologic changes of rats' uterus of each group were observed and SIgA in vagina flushing was detected. RESULT: The model group showed inflammatory changes, and astragalus injection group and Qianjinpian group showed little histopathologic changes. The levels of SIgA in astragalus injection group were significantly higher than those in other groups, but that in the model group was the lowest. CONCLUSION: The deficiency of local SIgA lead to repeatedly attack of CPID. The treatment of acupoint injection by astragalus injection can improve the excretion of SIgA, reinforce the local immunity, and prevent the repeatedly attack.