Synergistic immunomodulatory effects of Cistanche deserticola, Schisandra chinensis and Cornus officinalis on elderly patients with recurrent pneumonia: A retrospective clinical controlled trial.

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Soft-Shelled Turtle Shell and Salt Moxibustion in treating kidney yang deficiency-type Laolin in middle-aged and elderly women and assessing treatment impact on quality of life. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 72 middle-aged and elderly female patients with kidney yang deficiency-type Laolin treated at Suzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between June 2023 and April 2024 (research group). Patients with the same condition who received only basic treatment and care served as the control group. The research group received Soft-Shelled Turtle Shell and Salt Moxibustion in addition to the control treatment. Outcomes including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, clinical efficacy, immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin G (IgG), routine urine white blood cell count, urine bacterial counts, quality of life scores, and complication rates were compared between the two groups. The research group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in TCM syndrome scores, clinical efficacy, and urine bacterial counts compared to the control group (all P<0.05). Post-treatment IgM and IgG levels were also significantly higher in the research group (both P<0.05). Additionally, the research group exhibited a more pronounced reduction in urine white blood cell counts and achieved significantly higher quality of life scores (both P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the research group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Patient satisfaction with care was notably higher in the research group (P<0.05). Soft-Shelled Turtle Shell and Salt Moxibustion is highly effective in treating middle-aged and elderly female patients with kidney yang deficiency-type Laolin. It significantly improves TCM syndrome scores, immunoglobulin levels, urine bacterial counts, and routine urine white blood cell counts while enhancing patients' quality of life. The therapy is safe, with minimal and self-limiting adverse reactions, primarily mild skin irritation.

Objective To evaluate the application value of acupoint catgut embedding therapy combined with Liuzijue breathing exercise in the treatment of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its impact on immune function and quality of life. Methods A total of 100 patients with stable COPD admitted to our hospital from February 2020 to February 2021 were included and assigned to the experimental group (n = 50) and the control group (n = 50) according to the order of admission. Both groups of patients received conventional treatment. The control group was given daily inhalation of budesonide and formoterol fumarate powder for inhalation (320 ug/bottle), and the experimental group received additional acupoint catgut embedding therapy combined with Liuzijue breathing exercise. The clinical efficacy, pulmonary function indexes, activities of daily living (ADL) scores, quality of life (QOL) scores, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, the number of acute exacerbations, medical expenses, the incidence of adverse reactions, and immune indicators were compared between the two groups of patients. Results The experimental group yielded a significantly higher effective rate of treatment than the control group (P < 0.05). After the treatment, the experimental group obtained a superior outcome in terms of lung function indexes, immune function indexes, ADL and QOL scores, and the TCM syndrome scores when compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The number of acute exacerbations in the experimental group was remarkably lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). No serious adverse reactions were observed in the two groups of patients, and no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions was found (P > 0.05). Conclusion Acupoint catgut embedding therapy combined with Liuzijue breathing exercise, with high safety, can improve the treatment effect and the quality of life of patients with stable COPD, which merits clinical promotion.

This study investigates the clinical value of warm acupuncture combined with Jiaji acupoint Tongbian scraping therapy in patients with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) of the lumbar and dorsal muscles with wind-cold-dampness obstruction syndrome. A total of 112 patients with wind-cold-dampness obstruction-type MPS admitted to our hospital from January 2024 to October 2024 were enrolled. According to different treatment methods, they were assigned into the control group (n = 35, Jiaji acupoint Tongbian scraping therapy), observation group (n = 35, warm acupuncture), and combination group (n = 42, warm acupuncture combined with Jiaji acupoint Tongbian scraping therapy). The following indicators were compared before and after treatment: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, Modified Barthel Index (MBI) scores, serum inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β), clinical efficacy, and incidence of adverse reactions. After treatment, serum inflammatory cytokine levels, TCM syndrome scores, VAS, and ODI scores were significantly lower in the combination group than in the control and observation groups, while the MBI score was significantly higher (F = 22.340, 11.200, 17.130, 40.120, 4.850, 20.960, 14.680; P < .05). The overall effective rate in the combination group (95.24%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (74.29%) and the observation group (77.14%) (χ2 = 7.205, P < .05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the combination group (16.67%) showed no significant difference compared with the control group (11.43%) and the observation group (14.29%) (χ2 = 0.428, P > .05). Warm acupuncture combined with Jiaji acupoint Tongbian scraping therapy can effectively improve clinical symptoms and functional impairment, reduce pain and inflammatory levels, and enhance activities of daily living, without significantly increasing adverse reactions. This combined approach demonstrates high clinical efficacy.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of Huanglian Wendan Decoction alone or combined with western medicine in treating insomnia caused by phlegm-heat internal disturbance

This study focuses on the impact of comprehensive treatment on pregnancy outcomes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this research, 60 PCOS patients admitted to our hospital between January 2022 and April 2023 were selected and randomly divided into two groups. The control group (n=30) received conventional Western medical treatment, while the observation group (n=30) received integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment. The two groups were compared in terms of sex hormone levels, endometrial receptivity indices, pregnancy outcomes, incidence of adverse reactions, overall treatment efficacy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome scores. The study found that before treatment, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of sex hormone levels, endometrial receptivity indices, and TCM syndrome scores (P&gt;0.05). After treatment, the observation group showed significantly better results than the control group in these indices (P&lt;0.05). The pregnancy outcomes in the observation group were superior to those in the control group (P&lt;0.05), the incidence of adverse reactions was lower in the observation group (P&lt;0.05), and the overall clinical efficacy was higher in the observation group (P&gt;0.05). In conclusion, comprehensive treatment combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine can improve pregnancy outcomes in PCOS patients and is worthy of promotion.

Analysis on the therapeutic effect of Cangfu Daotan Decoction combined with drospirenone and ethinylestradiol tablets (II) on patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with bloodletting therapy and Qingwen Xiere decoction in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients. A total of 100 mild to moderate COVID-19 patients collected from December 2022 to February 2023 were randomly divided into control and observation groups, with 50 patients in each group. Patients in the control group received oral Qingwen Xiere decoction for 6 days. The observation group received acupuncture combined with bloodletting therapy in addition to oral Qingwen Xiere decoction, with the acupuncture (at Kongzui ［LU6］, Hegu ［LI4］, Quchi ［LI11］, Feishu ［BL13］, Zhongwan ［CV12］, Qihai ［CV6］, Yinlingquan ［SP9］) administered 30 min each day for 6 days, and bloodletting (at Shaoshang ［LU11］, Shangyang ［LI1］, Dazhui ［GV14］) administered every other day for 3 times. Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores and pulmonary CT scores were recorded before and after treatment. Serum contents of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured using ELISA. Anxiety and depression degree were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). Safety of the treatments was evaluated in both groups. Compared with before treatment, after treatment, the control group showed improvement in fever, dry cough, sore throat, and total traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores (P<0.01), but no significant improvement in muscle pain or fatigue；the observation group showed significant improvement in total traditional Chinese medicine syndrome and individual symptoms scores (P<0.01)；both groups demonstrated reductions in pulmonary CT scores, HAMA score, HAMD score and serum contents of CRP and IL-6 (P<0.01)；serum TNF-α content significantly decreased in the observation group (P<0.01). All outcome measures were superior in the observation group to the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). No adverse reactions were reported in either group. Acupuncture combined with bloodletting therapy and oral Qingwen Xiere decoction effectively improves clinical symptoms, alleviates pulmonary inflammatory injury, reduces inflammatory cytokine contents, and mitigates anxiety and depression in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients, and without adverse effects.

To investigate the clinical efficacy of thumbtack needling combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops in the treatment of moderate-to-severe dry eye. A total of 72 patients with moderate-to-severe dry eye were randomly divided into a thumbtack needling group and a conventional treatment group, with 36 patients in each group. The conventional treatment group received sodium hyaluronate eye drops, while the thumbtack needling group received additional thumbtack needling based on the same conventional therapy. The selected points for thumbtack needling included bilateral Jingming (BL1), Chengqi (ST1), and Qiuhou (EX-HN7). Treatment was performed twice a week for four consecutive weeks. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, first non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUTf), average non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUTav), Schirmer Ⅰ test (SⅠT), corneal fluorescein sodium staining (FL) score, ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score before and after treatment, and adverse event incidence were compared between the two groups. Clinical efficacy was also evaluated. Compared before treatment, the TCM syndrome scores (individual and total), FL scores, and OSDI scores were significantly lower in both groups after treatment (P<0.05), with the thumbtack needling group showing greater reductions than the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, NIBUTf, NIBUTav, and SⅠT were significantly increased in both groups after treatment (P<0.05), with the thumbtack needling group showing greater improvements than the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions was 5.6% (2/36) in the thumbtack needling group, which was lower than 11.1% (4/36) in the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 97.2% (35/36) in the thumbtack needling group, which was significantly higher than 83.3% (30/36) in the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). Thumbtack needling combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops could effectively improve tear film stability, tear secretion volume, and corneal epithelial damage in patients with moderate-to-severe dry eye. This combined therapy demonstrates favorable clinical efficacy and a lower incidence of adverse reactions.

Objective: To analyze the therapeutic effect of Guishen Yugong Decoction + sequential hormone (estrogen and progesterone) replacement therapy and its effect on serum sex hormones in patients with premature ovarian failure. Methods: From July 2020 to July 2022, 100 patients with premature ovarian failure were included in the study. Random number table method was used to divide the patients into groups: the control group received sequential hormone replacement therapy, whereas the treatment group received Guishen Yugong Decoction + sequential hormone replacement therapy. The curative effect, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, serum sex hormone levels, and incidence of adverse reactions of both groups of patients were compared. Results: The total effective rate in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group, P &lt; 0.05; the TCM syndrome scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group, P &lt; 0.05; the serum sex hormone indices in the treatment group were better than those in the control group (P &lt; 0.05); the treatment group had lower incidence of adverse reactions, as compared to the control group (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Guishen Yugong Decoction + sequential hormone replacement therapy can regulate serum sex hormone levels and relieve symptoms of premature ovarian failure. This treatment is not only effective, but also safe for clinical use.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder. The decline of memory and cognition in AD is underlied by the progressive deposition of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuronal degeneration. The principal component in senile plaques is the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ). Aβ has been shown to lead to oxidative stress and apoptosis of neurons. Many of studies have demonstrated that antioxidants may have the potential to protect Aβ-induced cytotoxicity. The theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) postulated that kidney functions is a key factor in AD development and progression. We screened the dried edible plant materials which have remarkable antioxidation activities and based on the theory of TCM, we chose TCMs which can improve liver and kidney functions to screen for the anti-Alzheimer effect. Scientific preparations of TCMs were extracted with water or methanol at room temperature. The dried edible plant materials were extracted with boiling water or methanol at room temperature. The neuroprotective effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) has been demonstrated by several in vitro and in vivo studies. In vitro, EGb 761 showed dose-dependent effect to protect cultured PC-12 cells against death induced by Aβ. In vivo, daily oral administration of EGb 761 improved cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, we utilized EGb 761 as the positive control in this study. In this study, we used the “inhibition of aggregated Aβ-induced PC-12 cells death” as the screening model for anti-Alzheimer’s disease activity, and EGb 761 was used as the positive control. PC-12 cells were incubated with samples and 15 μM Aβ25-35 for 48h. The inhibition of Aβ-induced cytotoxicity were observed with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and were represented by cell viability and the percentage of inhibition (inhibition ratio). Among the water extracts, superior inhibition effects were exhibited by Panax ginseng（Pg-W）, Dioscorea opposit（Do-W）, Schisandra chinensis, Polygonum multiflorum（Pm-W）, Lycium barbarum（Lb-W）, Poncirus trifolata（Pt-W）, Psoralea coryhoflia（Pc-W）, green tea（GT-W）, oolong tea（OT-W）, pu-erh tea（PT-W）, GABA tea（GT-W）, Sesamum indicum（Si-W）, nelumbinis folium（Nf-W）, Perilla frutescens（Pf-W）, nelumbinis embryo（Ne-W） and Dimoracarpus longan（Dl-W） at concentration range of 50 ~200 μg/mL. Superior inhibition effects of the ethanol extracts of TCMs were shown by Cornus officinalis（Co-E）, Dioscorea opposite（Do-E）, Acorus tatarinowii（At-E）, Cistanche deserticola（Cd-E）, Lycium barbarum（Lb-E）, Astragalus membranaceus（Am-E）, Angelica sinensis（As-E）, Psoralea coryhoflia（Pc-E） and Polygala Tenuifolia（Pt-E） at concentration range of 50~200 μg/mL. Methanol extract of Sesamum indicum（Si-M）gave the greatest inhibition effects among all the edible plant materials. It also indicated that Si-W, Ne-W and Pt-W were the three most effective extracts, and all of them did not exhibit any cytotoxicity. Microscopic examination of the morphology of PC-12 cells, showed that 200 μg/mL Si-W and Ne-W could induce neurite outgrowth in PC-12 cells even when Aβ25-35 was present. In the cell cycle analysis by flow cytometer, Si-W, Ne-W and Pt-W were demonostrated to significantly inhibit Aβ25-35-induced apoptosis. Si-W, Ne-W and Pt-W were fractionated into ethyl acetate fraction, n-butanol fraction and aqueous fraction. The aqueous fractions of these three extracts were found to have better inhibition effects against Aβ-induced cytotoxicity than the other two fractions. In the cell cycle analysis, the aqueous fractions of Si-W, Ne-W and Pt-W could all significantly inhibit Aβ25-35-induced apoptosis when the concentration was 200 μg/mL. We presumed that Sesamum indicum, nelumbinis embryo and Poncirus trifolata have anti-Alzheimer’s disease capacity could probably be related to compounds having higher polarity.

Objective To study the clinical efficacy of compound herba Houttuyniae granules used in mycoplasma pneumonia in the elderly and analyze the change of IL-6,serum myocardial enzymes and vascular endothelial growth factor before and after the treatment. Methods According to treatment methods,80 elderly patients with mycoplasma pneumonia,were divided into the control group and treatment group,40 cases in each group, the control group were given Ribavirin granules, the treatment group was given on the basis of the control group and compound herba Houttuyniae granules. The therapeutic effects and the incidence of adverse drug reactions were observed, and the change of IL-6, serum myocardial enzymes and vascular endothelial growth factor of the two groups before and after the treatment were compared. Results After 7-days'treatment, the efficiency of the treatment group(97.5%)was significantly higher than that of the control group(72.5%)(χ2 =9.804,P 0.05).After treatment,the IL-6,serum myocardial enzymes and vascular endothelial growth factor of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion The treatment of compound herba Houttuyniae granules used in elderly mycoplasma pneumonia is efficient and the incidence of adverse reactions was low. It can improve the clinically relevant outcome measures and is worthy of clinical application. Key words: Mycoplasma pneumonia; Compound Herba Houttuyniae Granules; IL-6; Serum myocardial enzymes; Vascular endothelial growth factor

To observe the clinical effect of Shenhong Tongluo Recipe on carotid atherosclerosis. Method: 72 patients were randomly divided into a control group (36 cases) and an experimental group (36 cases). The control group received atorvastatin calcium, while the experimental group received the Shenhong Tongluo formula. The treatment program consisted of 24 weeks. Observe the thickness of the intima media and plaque area of the carotid artery; Hs CRP, MLR (mononuclear C/lymphoid C), NLR (neutrophil C/lymphoid C); Clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine and TCM syndrome score; Measurement of blood lipid levels (TG, TC, HDL, LDL); Homocysteine and uric acid; Changes in safety indicators. The total effective rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P&lt;0.05). After treatment, the carotid intima-media thickness and plaque area in the experimental group; Hs CRP, MLR (mononuclear C/lymphoid C), NLR (neutrophil C/lymphoid C); Clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine and TCM syndrome score; Blood lipid levels (TG, TC, LDL); Homocysteine and uric acid levels decreased (P&lt;0.05), and the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score was lower than that of the control group (P&lt;0.05). No significant adverse reactions were observed in the experimental group’s control group. Conclusion Shenhong Tongluo Recipe can safely and effectively regulate the level of inflammation in the circulation of patients with carotid atherosclerosis, improve lipid metabolism disorder, reduce inflammatory reaction, alleviate and stabilize plaque and resist atherosclerosis.

This single-center randomized controlled trial evaluated whether Chaipu Decoction used as an adjunct to Seretide improves clinical and immunological outcomes in patients with bronchial asthma. A total of 300 adults treated between January 2023 and January 2025 were randomly assigned to receive either Chaipu Decoction plus Seretide or Seretide alone for 12 weeks. Clinical efficacy, adverse reactions, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, pulmonary function indices (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC and PEF), serum TNF-α, peripheral blood CD4+/CD8 + ratio, and Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores were assessed. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Approval No. SDTCM-EA2023-002), and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Patients receiving the combined treatment achieved a higher total effective rate than those receiving Seretide alone (86.7% vs. 66.7%, p < 0.05), without a significant increase in adverse reactions. Compared with the control group, the combination group showed greater reductions in TCM syndrome scores, larger improvements in lung function, a more pronounced decrease in TNF-α, and a greater increase in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio after treatment, together with superior improvement in ACT scores. These findings indicate that Chaipu Decoction combined with Seretide can provide additional clinical and immunological benefit in bronchial asthma over a 12-week treatment period while maintaining acceptable short-term tolerability.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of enzyme-treated radish (Raphanus sativus L.) leaves on lipid metabolism in rats fed a high fat diet. Rats were divided into four experimental groups which were composed of a high fat diet group (HF group), a high fat diet with 10% radish leaf powder-supplemented group (MA group), a high fat diet with 5% enzyme-treated radish leaf powder-supplemented group (MB group) and a high fat diet with 10% enzyme-treated radish leaf powder-supplemented group (MC group). Total dietary fiber content of enzyme-treated radish leaves were greater than untreated radish leaves. Body weight gain and food efficiency ratio (FER) of the HF group increased compared to the MA, MB and MC groups. The serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index contents in the radish leaf powder-supplemented groups were lower than that of the HF group, while those values for the MB and MC groups were significantly lower than that of the HF group. The serum HDL-cholesterol contents of the MB and MC groups increased compared to the HF group. The hepatic triglyceride contents of the MA, MB and MC groups decreased compared to the HF group. In fact, the hepatic triglyceride contents of the MB and MC groups were significantly lower than the MA group. The hepatic total cholesterol contents of the MB and MC groups significantly decreased compared to those of the HF group. The fecal total cholesterol contents of the MA, MB and MC groups significantly increased compared to those of the HF group. These results indicate that supplementation with enzyme-treated radish leaves increase the useful fiber contents. Furthermore, it may have a pronounced impact on lipid metabolism of serum and liver in rats fed a high fat diet.

Clinical efficacy of abdominal moxibustion at the Zhongji (CV3) in combination with Yiqi Tonglin Yangyin decoction and antibiotics for treating elderly female patients with complicated urinary tract infection.