Bassehiggins5028

Objective Integrated therapy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) has gradually been applied to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recently published studies have provided a wealth of data and information about the effectiveness of combination treatments, but high-quality evidence-based meta-analysis on this issue is not available yet. This study was conducted to compare and evaluate the efficacy and safety of the integrated therapy for RA. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to January 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the efficacy and safety of integrative TCM-WM with WM alone for RA were included. The outcome measures contained therapeutic effects (TEs), tender joint count (TJC), swollen joint count (SJC), duration of morning stiffness (DMS), grip strength (GS), disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic peptide containing citrulline (anti-CCP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),CI [-0.63, 0.87]). AEs, especially gastrointestinal disorders, abnormal liver function, leukopenia, skin allergies and rashes, headaches and dizziness, and alopecia, significantly decreased (OR = 0.37, 95% CI [0.29, 0.47]) in the integrative treatment group. Conclusions The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that integrative TCM-WM could obtain effective and safe results in the treatment of RA. Using TCM as an adjunctive therapy in RA has great prospects for further development. Copyright © 2020 Qi Xing et al.The locus coeruleus (LC) is closely linked with cardiovascular disease. However, whether it mediates the alleviating effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) remains unclear. A rat model of myocardial ischemia was established through occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Multichannel in vivo recording and other techniques were used to assess neurons in the LC, norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) levels in central and myocardial tissue, serum levels of inflammatory factors, and cardiac function. After induction of AMI, LC neuron activity increased and the central NE concentrations increased, while those of DA decreased. Moreover, the serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) increased, whereas those of interleukin-10 (IL-10) decreased. However, these effects were reversed by EA. Additionally, LC lesioning affected NE and DA levels in myocardial tissue and weakened the antimyocardial ischemic effect of EA. Collectively, our results indicated that LC is closely related to AMI and plays an important role in the antimyocardial ischemic effect of EA. This mechanism may be related to inhibition of LC neuron activity by EA, which inhibits the release of large amounts of hs-CRP and promotes that of IL-10 in the serum. Besides, after LC lesioning, EA may improve cardiac function by inhibiting the release of large amounts of NE and promoting the release of DA in myocardial tissue. Copyright © 2020 Xin Wu et al.Background Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulae can be regarded as a source of new antistroke drugs. The aim of this study was to discover herbal pairs containing Gastrodia elata (Tianma, TM) from formulae based on data mining and the Delphi expert questionnaire. The proposed approach for discovering new herbal combinations, which included data mining, a clinical investigation, and a network pharmacology analysis, was evaluated in this study. Methods A database of formulae containing TM was established. All possible herbal pairs were acquired by data mining association rules, and herbal pairs containing TM were screened according to the Support and Confidence levels. Taking stroke as the research object, the relationships between herbal pairs containing TM and stroke were explored by the Delphi expert questionnaire and statistical methods. To explore the effects of herbal pairs containing TM on stroke, a network pharmacology analysis was performed to predict core targets, biological functions, pathways Conclusion The herbal pairs of TM-CX and TM-JH obtained from data mining and the expert investigation were found to have effects of preventing and treating stroke through network pharmacology. This could be a viable approach to uncover hidden knowledge about TCM formulae and to discover herbal combinations with clinical and medicinal value based on data mining and questionnaires. Copyright © 2020 Rongrong Zhou et al.Objective To evaluate the adjuvant effects of health education of Chinese medicine (HECM) for patients with three types of common noncommunicable diseases (NCD-hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease (CHD)). Methods The protocol of this review was registered in the PROSPERO website (CRD42017058325). Six databases were searched till Sep. 30, 2019. selleck chemicals llc Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing HECM plus conventional therapy with conventional therapy were retrieved. Participants were diagnosed as one of the 3 above NCDs. HECM is regarded as lectures and classes about diet therapy, exercise therapy, emotion balance, and other knowledge according to Chinese medicine theory. The control rate of the disease was defined as a primary outcome in this review. Outcomes were synthesized using meta-analyses where reporting was sufficiently homogeneous or alternatively synthesized in a systematic review. Results In total, 12 trials with 1142 patients were included in this review. Since all the trials may have unclear or high risk of bias, only low quality evidence could be found for supporting the adjunctive effect of HECM in treating hypertension, diabetes, and CHD, to reduce the control rate (risk ratio -1.58), the blood pressure level (mean difference -9.38 mmHg), the fasting plasma glucose level (mean difference -1.26 mmol/L), and the symptoms of angina. Conclusion The adjunctive effect of HECM on increasing the control rate of hypertension, improving the symptoms of diabetes and CHD, was only supported by low-quality evidence in this review. More rigorous trials with larger sample sizes and higher quality are warranted to provide a high quality of evidence. Copyright © 2020 An-Lu Wang et al.The present study investigated the effect of Chinese medicine Sini-San (SNS) on visceral hypersensitivity in a rat model of functional dyspepsia (FD), and it explored related underlying mechanisms. The rat model of FD was developed by combining neonatal iodoacetamide (IA) treatment and adult tail-clamping. After SNS treatment, the behavior and electromyographic testing were performed to evaluate the visceromotor responses of rats to gastric distention. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the distribution of iNOS-positive cells in the spinal dorsal horn, while the real-time quantitative PCR and western blot were used for detection of the gene expression of c-fos, iNOS, and GABAb and protein levels of iNOS and GABAb in the spinal dorsal horn, respectively. The protein concentration of cGMP and PKG proteins in the spinal dorsal horn were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In this study, SNS treatment significantly reduced the behavioral score and electromyographic response to graded intragastric distension pressure. The middle-dose of SNS treatment significantly reduced the distribution of iNOS-positive cells in the spinal dorsal horn of FD model rats. The gene expression of c-fos, iNOS, and GABAb and the protein contents of iNOS, GABAb, cGMP, and PKG in the spinal dorsal horn of FD model rats were restored to a normal level by middle-dose of SNS treatment. Our results suggest that Sini-San may alleviate the visceral hypersensitivity in FD model rats via regulation of the NO/cGMP/PKG pathway in the spinal dorsal horn. Copyright © 2020 Zhenyu Wu et al.Objective To investigate the expression patterns and prognostic characteristics of inflammasome-related genes (IRGs) across cancer types and develop a robust biomarker for the prognosis of KIRC. Methods The differentially expressed IRGs and prognostic genes among 10 cancers were analyzed based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Subsequently, an IRGs risk signature was developed in KIRC. Its prognostic accuracy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The independent predictive capacity was identified by stratification survival and multivariate Cox analyses. The gene ontology (GO) analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to explore biological functions of the IRGs signature in KIRC. Results The expression patterns and prognostic association of IRGs varied from different cancers, while KIRC showed the most abundant survival-related dysregulated IRGs. The IRG signature for KIRC was able to independently predict survival, and the signature genes were mainly involved inimmune-related processes. Conclusions The pan-cancer analysis provided a comprehensive landscape of IRGs across cancer types and identified a strong association between IRGs and the prognosis of KIRC. Further IRGs signature represented a reliable prognostic predictor for KIRC and verified the prognostic value of inflammasomes in KIRC, contributing to our understanding of therapies targeting inflammasomes for human cancers. Copyright © 2020 Tianyu Zheng et al.Xiaoyukang Jiaonang (XYK) is a Chinese patent medicine approved by the National Medical Product Administration which is used to treat intracranial hematoma in China. In this study, we observed the molecular mechanism of XYK in hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), inflammation and angiogenesis of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). The CSDH model was made by using internal iliac vein blood of Wister rats, and rats were divided into sham group, CSDH group and XYK group. The rats in the XYK group were gavaged with Xiaoyukang Jiaonang (185 mg/kg) for 7 days, and rats in the CSDH group and sham group were gavaged with the same amount of physiological saline for 7 days. In the CSHD rat model, active inflammation and angiogenesis were observed around the hematoma. XYK promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of HIF-1α, and reduced the concentration of VEGF and the ratio of angiopoietin-1/angiopoietin-2. XYK reduced proinflammatory cytokines and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine. In tissue section, XYK reduced the size of the hematoma and membrane, and reduced vWF positive cells in membrane. Furthermore, the endothelial progenitor cells in blood decreased as well. Overall, XYK shows anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenesis effects which may relate to the degradation of HIF-1α. Copyright © 2020 Jialin Liu et al.Renal fibrosis is a common final pathological process in the progression of kidney disease. Oleanolic acid is a bioactive pentacyclic triterpenoid and is widely found in medicinal herbs around the world. In this study, we explored the effect of oleanolic acid on renal fibrosis and the underlying molecular mechanisms by using a rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered with oleanolic acid (6 mg/kg/d) or vehicle (olive oil) for 21 days after the UUO surgery. Upon termination, urine and blood were collected for renal function analysis, and kidneys were harvested for pathological analysis by using hematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome staining. Changes of extracellular matrix mRNA expressions and TGF-β/Smad signaling in the kidneys were also determined. As a result, oleanolic acid significantly reduced the kidney index, the level of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, and the urinary level of microalbumin, α1-microglobulin, and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase.