Identification of geographical origins of raw American ginseng and tablets based on stable isotope ratios.

BACKGROUND: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a medicine food homology plant, whose origin determines the medicinal and economical values. Therefore, a reliable method for the determination of its geographical origin must be established. An accurate, common and stable method to identify geographical origins of raw American ginseng and tablets was established by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). 53 samples from 5 origins were collected and analyzed for isotope ratios of the elements C, H, O and N. The result showed that δ(2)H, δ(18)O and δ(15)N values were different among each geographical origin. The δ(2)H, δ(18)O and δ(15)N values were also used to establish discrimination model of geographical origin. According to verification test, the discrimination model of geographical origin was accurate and stable. The δ(2)H, δ(18)O and δ15N values were also found no significant difference between raw American ginseng and its tablet, so the discrimination model of geographical origin could also be used to discriminate the geographical origin of American ginseng tablet. In conclusion, the δ(2) H, δ(18) O and δ(15) N values can be used to discriminate the geographical origin of raw American ginseng and its tablet.

[Mutual information-based correlation analysis of herbs against insomnia].

This paper aims to analyze Professor Guo Rongjuan's medication experience on insomnia therapy based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Inheritance Support Plat. First, TCM formulae prescribed by Professor Guo for insomnia therapy were collected from the TCM Inheritance Support Plat. Next, unsupervised data mining algorithms, including apriori, modified mutual-information, and entropy clustering of complex system were applied to obtain the frequencies for different herbs and identify the association rules among the herbs. Accordingly, we can gain new insights into Professor Guo's medication experience on insomnia therapy. Based on analysis of 3 084 formulae, we determined the frequencies for herbs in the formulae and identified the association rules among these herbs. At last, 41 core combinations and 7 new formulae were obtained. The identified medication experience conform with Professor Guo's views on the etiology and pathogenesis of insomnia: "pathogenic fire derived from stagnation of liver-QI (Gan Yu Hua Huo)" is the core pathogenesis of insomnia; "liver stagnation and spleen deficiency" and "chronic illness transferred to kidney" are the main features for insomnia. The TCM Inheritance Support Plat is of great practical value for mining clinical experience of famous TCM doctors.

[Effects of electroacupuncture at points of a traditional acupuncture formula that induces labor with different parameters on uterine contractility in late-stage pregnant rats].

OBJECTIVE: To select the most effective parameters of electroacupuncture (EA) at Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6), a traditional acupuncture formula that induces labor, by comparing its effects on uterine contraction in late-stage pregnant rats, so as to improve the effects of acupuncture on induction of labor and its clinical maneuverability and provide the basis for further mechanism research. METHODS: One hundred and eight female healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups including one non-pregnancy control group (normal control group) and seven pregnant groups. Pregnant rats were prepared by free mating and vaginal plugs observation method and were randomly divided into six EA groups and one no EA group (model group) according to the requirements of a 2×3 factorial design. EA parameters included 2 types of waves (continuous wave and sparse-dense wave) and 3 types of frequency (15, 30 and 50 Hz). Rats in treatment groups received EA on bilateral LI4 for 20 min and then bilateral SP6 for 5 min with certain parameters accordingly. Each acupoint and a nearby non-acupoint at the proximal end (2 to 3 mm from the acupoint) were connected with two leads of one EA line. The current intensity of EA was 0.2 to 0.3 mA. A muscle tension transducer and the BL-420 Biological Experimental System were placed on the lower uterine segment of rats for detecting contractility, frequency and lasting-time of contraction wave. RESULTS: Compared with non-pregnancy control group, the amplitude, frequency and lasting time of contraction waves of uterine contraction in all EA groups and model group were significantly increased. Compared with control group, amplitudes of contraction waves of uterine contraction of both EA1 group (15 Hz continuous wave) and EA6 group (2/50 Hz sparse-dense wave) were significantly increased (P<0.01 or P<0.05); frequency of contraction waves of uterine contraction of EA6 group was significantly increased (P<0.01 or P<0.05); lasting time of contraction waves of uterine contraction of EA1 group, EA5 group (2/30 Hz sparse-dense wave) and EA6 group were significantly increased (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Comparisons between EA6 group and the other EA groups showed that, EA6 group had significantly higher levels of amplitude and frequency of contraction waves of uterine contraction than the other EA groups (P<0.01 or P<0.05) except EA1 group, there was no significant difference between EA1 group and EA6 group (P>0.05), but the mean value of EA6 group was higher than that of EA1 group; EA6 group had significantly higher levels of lasting time of contraction waves of uterine contraction than the other EA groups (P<0.01 or P<0.05) except EA1 group and EA5 group, there was no significant difference between EA6 group and EA1 group or EA5 group (P>0.05), but the mean value of EA6 group was higher than EA1 group and EA5 group. CONCLUSION: EA with sparse-dense wave (2 Hz sparse wave and 50 Hz dense wave, alternately) at LI4 and SP6 was more effective than other EA parameters for increasing uterine contraction amplitude, frequency, and lasting-time of contraction waves in late-stage pregnant rats. This combination of electric wave and frequency for EA at LI4 and SP6, a traditional acupuncture formula for inducing labor, is recommended to be applied in clinical practice for parturition as well as for treatment of uterine atony.

Study on the drug selection law for treatment of chronic gastritis with spleen deficiency and stomach dryness by complex system entropy cluster.

OBJECTIVE: To study on Prof. GAO Zhong-ying's drug selection law for treatment of chronic gastritis with data mining technique. METHODS: The 407 medical records of chronic gastritis treated by Prof. GAO Zhong-ying were collected and the study on these drugs in the recipes was carried out with data mining method. Among them, the recipe composed of one drug was studied with frequency statistical method, correlativity between drug pairs with improved mutual information, correlativity among multi-drugs with complex system entropy cluster technique. RESULTS: In treatment of chronic gastritis by Prof. GAO Zhong-ying there were 30 drugs with a higher use frequency of over 38 times, 94 commonly-used drug pairs with correlation coefficient of over 0.05, 11 commonly-used drug core combinations. CONCLUSION: The results attained with data mining technique for studying experience of famous and old TCM physicians conform to the clinical practice and the method is of an important significance for summarization of famous and old TCM physicians' experiences.

[Multi-central randomized controlled study on electroacupuncture at Fenglong (ST 40) for regulating blood lipids].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at Fenglong (ST 40) on blood lipids. METHODS: Two hundred and four patients of hyperlipidemia were randomly divided into a Fenglong group and a Xuezhikang group, 102 cases in each group. The patients in the Fenglong group were treated with electroacupuncture at Fenglong (ST 40). After arrival of qi, the needles were connected with acupoint nerve stimulator (LH 202 H type, HANS). The primary parameters of EA: for high triglycerides (TG) type, AM 50 Hz, intensity 1 mA, needle-retained time 20 min, twice per week; for high cholesterol (CHO) type, AM 100 Hz, intensity 1 mA, needle-retained time 30 min, thrice per week; for high low-density-lipoprotein (LDL-C) type, the same parameters as the high CHO type except the tolerable and comfortable intensity; for the mixing type, corresponding methods were alternatively used. The patients in the Xuezhikang group received Xuezhikang capsule orally, 2 capsules each time and twice daily, for total 11 weeks. RESULTS: The total effective rates of the Fenglong group and the Xuezhi-kang group were 83.0% and 85.9%, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05), and there was no significant differences in the function of regulating blood lipids between the two groups (all P > 0.05). After one month follow-up survey, the total CHO, TG and LDL-C decreased and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL-C) increased, of which there was a significant difference in TG reduction (P < 0.05). There were no relapses in both groups. CONCLUSION: EA at Fenglong (ST 40) can effectively regulate blood lipids with a better after-effect, which can be applied as a safe and effective method to replace medication for regulating blood lipids.

A novel sham moxibustion device: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: (1) Develop a sham moxibustion device; (2) determine whether volunteer participants and practitioners can distinguish the sham procedure from real moxibustion during treatment for prevention of the common cold; and (3) assess the feasibility of conducting a larger clinical trial of the device. DESIGN: Double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. SETTING: A community outpatient health station in Chaoyang district, Beijing, China, from early November through late December 2003. METHODS: Sham and real moxibustion pillars were made by affixing moxa cones onto special collar bases. These pillars resemble each other in appearance, burning procedure and residue, but the base of the sham pillar isolates the moxa-produced heat and smoke and prevents them from radiating to the skin. These devices were tested in a pilot clinical trial in which patients received moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36) for prevention of the common cold. Volunteers (n = 71) aged 55-75 years were given pre-treatment questionnaires to assess their knowledge of moxibustion and their expectations and motives for participating in the trial, randomized into treatment (n = 36) and placebo-controlled (n = 35) groups, and treated once every 2 days for 1 month. Questionnaires assessing the effectiveness of the blinding were given to the volunteers at the end of the trial and to practitioners after each treatment session. RESULT: There were no significant differences between the two groups of patients in past moxibustion experience, knowledge of moxibustion, expectations and motivation. The number of volunteers in the treatment group and the placebo group who believed they received: (1) real moxibustion; (2) sham moxibustion; and (3) were uncertain as to which they received is 30, 0, 5; 29, 0, 4, respectively. The results show no significant statistical differences (P = 1.000). The number of volunteers in the treatment group and the placebo group who were believed, by the two practitioners who provided the treatments, to have received: (1) real moxibustion; (2) sham moxibustion; and (3) and an undisclosed treatment were 10, 6, 19; 9, 4, 20 and 11, 7, 17; 12, 5, 16, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the practitioners (P = 0.811 and 0.840). CONCLUSION: The sham moxibustion device was successfully validated in the present study. The results demonstrate that these specially designed real and sham moxibustion pillars can be used together to provide an effective placebo-control in moxibustion research and can successfully fulfill the double blinding protocol in moxibustion clinical trials.