[Effect of Zhizhuwan on gastrointestinal peptide concentrations in plasma of diabetic gastroenteropathy with constipation patients].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the therapeutic efficacy and elucidate the probable pharmacological mechanism of Zhizhuwan (ZZ), a known formula for GI/Dysmotility and constipation in Traditional Chinese medicine, in managing constipating diabetes mellitus (DM). METHOD: Subjects, composed of both males and females, ranged from 55 to 76 years of age, and had constipating DM. Subjects with severe colon, rectum, heart, renal, or hepatic disease, obesity and those on medications known to alter gastrointestinal motility were excluded. 28 healthy subjects were also recruited. The study group (n = 28) received 90 g per day of ZZ and the control group (n = 28) received 30 mg per day of cisapride for a 1 month period. Conservative therapy was similar in both groups and administered by a person blinded to randomization code. Patients were assessed pre-treatment and post-treatment by a blinded interviewer. A constipation visual analogue scale (CVAS) was constructed to evaluate the patients' constipation status. To analyze neuropeptides motilin (MTL), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), substance P (SP) levels in plasma, a radioimmunoassay technique was adopted. Data were analyzed for treatment effects using the "t" test. RESULT: Base line characteristics were similar in both treatment groups. There were significant effects on symptom relief, increases in serum SP level, and decreases in VIP level in both groups (P < 0.05). ZZ was significantly more effective than cisapride in ameliorating patients' subjective symptoms of defecating and stool frequency, and increasing serum SP level (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: ZZ is beneficial in constipating DM via increasing SP levels and decreasing VIP levels of serum.

Inhibitory effect of fuzheng yiliuyin in combination with chemotherapeutics on human gastric carcinoma cell strain.

AIM: To study the inhibitory effects of fuzheng yiliuyin (Decoction for Suppressing Tumors by Strengthening the Body Resistance) in combination with chemotherapeutics on human gastric carcinoma cell strain. METHODS: Fuzheng yiliuyin (ZY) combined with various kinds of chemotherapeutics was put into two kinds of cultivated human gastric carcinoma cell strains, then its inhibitory effects on human gastric carcinoma cell strains were determined by the MTT method. Flow cytometer was used to assay the apoptosis rate, and the ultrastructure of gastric carcinoma cells was observed under transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: Obvious apoptosis was seen in gastric carcinoma cells after treatment with ZY for 72 h. ZY and chemical drugs had synergistic inhibition effects on the cultivated gastric carcinoma cells, but the effects were different on various cell strains. The inhibitory effects of ZY could be strengthened by cytotoxic action and apoptosis. ZY combined with fluorouracil, etoposide and cisplatin (EFP) chemotherapeutics had better inhibitory effects on SGC-7901, while ZY combined with EFP or with DDP chemotherapeutics had better inhibitory effects than other drugs on MGC-803. CONCLUSION: ZY induces apoptosis and inhibits the growth of gastric carcinoma cells. ZY has the synergistic function of chemotherapeutics.

[Effects of lactone I from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz on cytokines and proteolysis-inducing factors in cachectic cancer patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of lactone I from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (LAMK I) on the cytokines and proteolysis-inducing factors (PIF) in cachectic cancer patients. METHOD: Sixty-four cachectic cancer patients were randomized into two groups, namely LAMK I group and FOE (fish oil-enriched nutritional supplementation) treatment group. The appetite, body weight changes, mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC), and KPS scores were recorded 3 and 7 weeks after the treatment. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the changes in the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and Western blotting employed to examine the changes of PIF after the treatment. RESULTS: The patients' appetite and MAMC in LAMKI group was better than those of patients in FOE group, and the serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha levels and urine PIF level were significantly lower than those of FOE group. Body weight and serum IL-6 level were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Lactone I from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz can be beneficial for treating cancer cachexia.

Effect of Fuzheng Yiliu decoction combined with chemotherapy on patients with intermediate and late stage gastrointestinal cancer.

AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effects of Fuzheng Yiliu (strengthening the body resistance to inhibit tumor) decoction combined with chemotherapy on the patients with intermediate and late stage gastrointestinal cancer. METHODS: Sixty patients were randomly divided into treatment group (chemotherapy combined with Fuzheng Yiliu decoction) and control group (chemotherapy alone). Four indexes, including the tumor recent remission rate (RR), the change of main symptoms, the toxic and side effects caused by chemotherapy and the change of performance status, were observed in the patients. Peripheral blood contents of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ cells, CD4+/CD8+ and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were tested before and after treatment and the values were compared with those of healthy peoples. RESULTS: The improving rate of main symptoms (69.6%) and performance status (56.7%) were significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group (34.8%, 26.7%, P<0.05). The occurrence rates of grade II toxic and side-effects on both bone marrow (13.3%) and digestive tract (30%) were lower in the treatment group compared to the control group (36.7%, 63.3%, P<0.05). Before treatment, the proportion of CD3+, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ decreased and the proportion of CD8+ and sIL-2R raised markedly both in the control group and treatment group as compared to the healthy people. After treatment, that increased of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ increased (62.25+/-10.01% vs 68.31+/-9.72%, 36.83+/-10.44% vs 42.6+/-9.62%, 1.24+/-0.65 vs 1.66+/-0.85, P<0.05) and the values of CD8+ and sIL-2R decreased obviously (33.06+/-7.69% vs 29.24+/-6.25%, 588.23+/-216.86 U/mL vs 475.87+/-211.36 U/mL, P<0.05) in the treatment group, whereas these values were opposite in the control group (64.22+/-6.91% vs 60.63+/-5.75%, 35.62+/-7.49% vs 31.53+/-5.53%, 32.95+/-8.28% vs 37.14+/-7.48%, 1.17+/-0.43 vs 0.94+/-0.43, 573.63+/-214.32 U/mL vs 692.17+/-221.33 U/mL, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Fuzheng Yiliu decoction can enhance therapeutic effects of chemotherapy on malignant gastrointestinal tumor, and also reduce the toxic and side effects on bone marrow and digestive tract, thereby improving the quality of life and cellular immunity in patients with malignant gastrointestinal tumor.