Traditional Chinese medicine Jia Wei Gui Pi Tang improves behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and favourable positive emotions in patients.

BACKGROUND: Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are challenging to manage, leading to caregiver burden and often to subsequent transfer of patients to a nursing home or psychiatric hospital for treatment. Eliciting favourable positive emotions should be an important goal in the treatment of negative emotions associated with BPSD. To date, no data have indicated that antipsychotic medications can improve positive emotions. BPSD are known to be associated with anxiety in patients with dementia. The traditional Chinese medicine Jia Wei Gui Pi Tang is officially indicated and approved for anxiety treatment in Japan. METHODS: Here, we performed a multicentre, randomised, observer-blind control study of the effect of Jia Wei Gui Pi Tang on BPSD in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Patients with AD or AD with cerebral vascular disease were randomly divided into the Jia Wei Gui Pi Tang treatment group and the control group that received no traditional Chinese medicine. BPSD were scored using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Nursing Home Version (NPI-NH) and by favourable positive emotions using the Delightful Emotional Index (DEI). RESULTS: A total of 63 participants (18 male and 45 female; mean age: 83.3 ± 6.0 years) were included in the study. Changes in NPI-NH scores differed significantly between the two groups (one-way analysis of variance, P < 0.001). Within the treatment group, there was a significant improvement in the NPI-NH score from 29.8 ± 17.3 at baseline to 13.2 ± 9.4 at the endpoint (paired t-test, P < 0.001), whereas there was no statistically significant change in the control group. Changes in DEI scores differed significantly between the two groups. Within the treatment group, there was a significant improvement in the DEI score from 24.3 ± 23.0 at baseline to 32.5 ± 21.2 at the endpoint (paired t-test, P = 0.001), whereas there was no statistically significant change in the control group. CONCLUSION: The traditional Chinese medicine Jia Wei Gui Pi Tang significantly improved both BPSD and positive emotions.

Clinical study on modified Guipi Decoction combined with omeprazole in the treatment of acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding with failure of the spleen to control blood vessels syndrome / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of modified Guipi Decoction combined with omeprazole in the treatment of acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB) with failure of the spleen to control blood vessels syndrome.Methods:Prospective cohort study. A total of 120 patients from January 2018 to December 2021 Taihe County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine with ANVUGIB of failure of the spleen to control blood vessels syndrome were selected, and the patients were divided into observation group and control group according to the random number table method, with 60 cases in each group. The control group was treated with a large dosage of proton pump inhibitor (omeprazole injection was injected intravenously first, and then omeprazole enteric coated tablets were taken); the observation group took Guipi Decoction on the basis of the control group, and both groups were treated for 7 days. TCM syndrome score, Hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) levels were measured by colorimetry before and after the treatment. BUN was detected by urease glutamate dehydrogenase method. Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and fibrinogen (FIB) levels were detected by immunoturbidimetry. The adverse reactions during treatment were recorded and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results:Two patients in the observation group and two patients in the control group dropped out of the study. After treatment, the scores of main symptoms, secondary symptoms and total scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group ( t values were respectively 10.73, 4.45, 7.98, P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of HCT [(41.25 ± 5.03)% vs. (38.19 ± 5.26)%, t=2.95], Hb [(81.09 ± 5.23) g/L vs. (78.39 ± 5.37) g/L, t=2.74] in the observation group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.01), and BUN [(4.38±0.96) mmol/L vs. (5.39 ± 1.13) mmol/L, t=5.19] was lower than that in the control group ( P<0.01); PT [(12.48 ± 0.67) s vs. (13.22 ± 0.73) s, t=5.69], APTT [(24.66 ± 2.29) s vs. (27.78 ± 2.04) s, t=7.75] were lower than those in the control group ( P<0.01), and FIB [(3.68 ± 0.62) g/L vs. (3.41 ± 0.74) g/L, t=2.13] level was higher than that in the control group ( P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 93.1% (54/58), and that of the control group was 79.3% (46/58), with statistical significance ( χ2=4.64, P=0.031). During the treatment, the incidence of adverse reactions in the control group was 3.4% (2/58), while that in the observation group was 1.7% (1/58), without statistical significance ( χ2=0.34, P=0.559). Conclusion:High-dosage omeprazole treatment with the addition of internal administration of Guipi Decoction can significantly improve coagulation function, correct the signs and symptoms associated with insufficient blood volume in the body circulation, improve hemostatic efficiency, and reduce the risk of bleeding in patients with ANVUGIB, without increasing the risk of patient safety with the drug.

[Effects of Gui pi tang on myocardial ischemia in rats].

Objective: To investigate the effects of Guipitang (GPT) on myocardial ischemic (MI) injury of rats. Methods: Forty male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups as control, model, GPT low-dose and high-dose groups (7.52, 15.04 g/kg), and positive-drug trimetazidine group (2 mg/kg). Rat myocardial ischemia model was induced by feeding high fat forage and intraperitoneal injection of isoprenaline (ISO). After 15 days intragastric administration, rats were injected with ISO once a day for 3 days again. Subsequently, Electrocardiograph (ECG) was examined, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and glucose (GLU) were detected using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The histopathological alterations of heart were assessed using HE and Masson staining. The protein expressions of Collagen I and Collagen III in heart were evaluated by Western blot. Results: Compared with control group, the electrocardiogram S-T segment of model rats moved down, the serum levels of TC, AST, CK, LDH and GLU in model group were increased significantly (P＜0.05), the expressions of collagen I and collagen III in heart were increased (P＜0.05), and the hearts were damaged severely. However, no significant changes of TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and ALT were observed (P＞0.05). Compared with the model group, the high and low dose groups of GPT and trimetazidine could inhibit the descent of S-T segment, reduced serum TC, AST, CK, LDH and GLU levels (P＜0.05), and decreased collagen III expression in heart (P＜0.05), and alleviated myocardial pathological damage as well. The high dose group of GPT could decrease the protein expression of collagen I. Conclusion: GPT could improve heart function and alleviate the injury of myocardial ischemia, especially the high lose.

Treatment for an Adult Patient With Psoriasis with Traditional Korean Medicine, Especially Sa-Am Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine.

In this clinical study, the author tried to prove that meridians, each having its own characteristics, exist in humans through which skin diseases can be treated. Three meridians, the hand tai-yin meridian, the hand tai-yang meridian, and the shao-yang meridian, were used to control lung dryness and heat and liver fire. By using the LU9 and SP3 acupoints to tonify the hand tai-yin meridian and the SI3 acupoint to tonify the hand tai-yang meridian, we could sedate lung dryness and heat, and by using the TW2 acupoint to sedate the hand shao-yang meridian, we could sedate liver fire. As psoriasis is known not to respond well to many clinical treatments, this report presents the case of an adult woman with psoriasis who was effectively treated using traditional Korean medicine (TKM). The patient was diagnosed with psoriasis based on lung dryness and heat and liver fire. Acupuncture and herbal medicine based on the theory of Sa-Am acupuncture were given to the patient. With this treatment, her symptoms completely disappeared in ∼14 months. This study gives a preliminary indication that TKM, especially Sa-Am acupuncture, can be effective for treating psoriasis. Thus, further study is warranted.