Effect Of Chinese Herbal Medicine Research Articles

Effectiveness of Chinese Herbal Medicine as a Complementary Treatment for Neutropenia Prevention and Immunity Modulation During Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer: Protocol for a Real-World Pragmatic Clinical Trial.

In recent years, advancements in cancer treatment have enabled cancer cell inhibition, leading to improved patient outcomes. However, the side effects of chemotherapy, especially leukopenia, impact patients' ability to tolerate their treatments and affect their quality of life. Traditional Chinese medicine is thought to provide complementary cancer treatment to improve the quality of life and prolong survival time among patients with cancer. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) as a complementary treatment for neutropenia prevention and immunity modulation during chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. We will conduct a real-world pragmatic clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of CHM as a supplementary therapy to prevent neutropenia in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Patients will be classified into CHM or non-CHM groups based on whether they received CHM during chemotherapy. Using generalized estimating equations or repeated measures ANOVA, we will assess differences in white blood cell counts, absolute neutrophil counts, immune cells, and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) expression levels between the 2 groups. This study was approved by the research ethics committee of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital (IRB 110-168-A). The enrollment process began in September 2021 and will stop in December 2024. A total of 140 patients will be recruited. Data cleaning and analysis are expected to finish in the middle of 2025. Traditional Chinese medicine is the most commonly used complementary medicine, and it has been reported to significantly alleviate chemotherapy-related side effects. This study's findings may contribute to developing effective interventions targeting chemotherapy-related neutropenia among patients with breast cancer in clinical practice. International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry ITMCTR2023000054; https://tinyurl.com/yc353hes. DERR1-10.2196/55662.

Impact of Chinese herbal medicine on sarcopenia in enhancing muscle mass, strength, and function: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Sarcopenia has become important to the public health with the increase in the aging population in society. However, the therapeutic effects of conventional approaches, including pharmacotherapy, exercise, and nutritional intervention, are far from satisfactory. Chinese herbal medicine is a new treatment format with interesting possibilities in sarcopenia has been widely practiced. The study aims to explore the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine in sarcopenia. We comprehensively searched the following electronic databases: Medline, EMBASE, APA PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, and Chinese database from the establishment of the database to December 2022 (no language restrictions). Randomized controlled clinical studies on the use of Chinese herbal medicine in sarcopenia were selected in compliance with PRISMA guidelines. Review Manager and Stata were used for statistical analysis and the mean difference and standardized mean difference were adopted. Of 277 identified studies, 17 were eligible and included in our analysis (N = 1440 participants). The results showed that Chinese herbal medicine can improve total efficiency (RR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.21, 1.36], p < 0.00001) in sarcopenia and enhance muscle mass (SMD = 1.02, 95% CI [0.55, 1.50], p < 0.0001), and muscle strength measured by grip strength (SMD = 0.66, 95% CI [0.36, 0.96], p < 0.0001), measured by 60°/s knee extension peak TQ (MD = 5.63, 95% CI [-0.30, 11.57], p = 0.06) and muscle function measured by 6-meter walking speed (SMD = 1.34, 95% CI [0.60, 2.08], p = 0.0004), measured by the short physical performance battery of 1.50%, 95% CI (1.05, 1.95), measured by the EuroQoL 5-dimension of (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI [-0.10, 0.65], p = 0.16), suggesting that Chinese herbal medicine alone or combined with conventional treatment has ameliorating effect on sarcopenia. Chinese herbal medicine is a potential therapeutic strategy in sarcopenia. The funnel plot and Egger's test indicated publication bias. To confirm our conclusions, further high-quality studies should be conducted.

Non-coding RNAs: targets for Chinese herbal medicine in treating myocardial fibrosis.

Cardiovascular diseases have become the leading cause of death in urban and rural areas. Myocardial fibrosis is a common pathological manifestation at the adaptive and repair stage of cardiovascular diseases, easily predisposing to cardiac death. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), RNA molecules with no coding potential, can regulate gene expression in the occurrence and development of myocardial fibrosis. Recent studies have suggested that Chinese herbal medicine can relieve myocardial fibrosis through targeting various ncRNAs, mainly including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). Thus, ncRNAs are novel drug targets for Chinese herbal medicine. Herein, we summarized the current understanding of ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of myocardial fibrosis, and highlighted the contribution of ncRNAs to the therapeutic effect of Chinese herbal medicine on myocardial fibrosis. Further, we discussed the future directions regarding the potential applications of ncRNA-based drug screening platform to screen drugs for myocardial fibrosis.

Effect of Chinese herbal medicine as an adjunctive technique to standard treatment for people with diabetic foot ulcers: A meta-analysis

Effect of Chinese herbal medicine as an adjunctive technique to standard treatment for people with diabetic foot ulcers: A meta-analysis

Chinese Medicine Combined with Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Improving Myelosuppression in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

To assess the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) combined with adjuvant chemotherapy on myelosuppression for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients using network meta-analysis (NMA). Literature searches in both international (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) and Chinese (China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure) databases for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted from inception until October 10, 2022. We included RCTs of patients who received CHM combined with chemotherapy, including FOLFOX, XELOX, FOLFIRI, and other relevant regimens in the CHM treatment group. The outcomes included the incidence of myelosuppression, leukopenia, hemoglobin reduction, and thrombocytopenia. Two reviewers independently screened the databases, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias and credibility of evidence. RevMan 5.4.1 software and STATA 14.0 were used to perform the NMA. A total of 31 RCTs were included, published from 2008 to 2021 in Chinese. Among these, 2,314 participants comparing the following 9 CHMs were identified: Shengbai Recipe (SBR), Bazhen Decoction (BZD), Jianpi Jiedu Recipe (JJR), Jianpi Recipe (JR), Compound Cantharis Capsule (CCC), Zaofan Pill (ZFP), Guilu Erxian Gel (GL), Buzhong Tiaogan Decoction (BZ), and Qiamagu Capsule (QM). The results of NMA found an indirect comparison. Based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA), the ZFP+ chemotherapy group had the lowest incidence of myelosuppression, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.08 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01, 0.76], whereas the GL+ chemotherapy group had the lowest incidence of leukopenia, hemoglobin reduction, and thrombocytopenia, with an OR of 5.25 (95% CI: 2.41, 11.43), 4.66 (95% CI: 2.23, 9.72), and 0.27 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.54), respectively. Moreover, BZD + chemotherapy could alleviate leukopenia, hemoglobin reduction, and thrombocytopenia (P<0.01). Pairwise comparison showed that there was no difference in the efficacy among the 8 CHMs+ chemotherapy group. The comparison and adjustment funnel plot indicated that small-study effect had no impact on these outcomes. This NMA provided evidence to support that patients with CRC benefit from receiving different combination of CHM chemotherapies. Among these, GL plus chemotherapy and BZD plus chemotherapy were the more effective for myelosuppression in patients; however, as the qualtiy of evidence is insufficient, further research is needed. (PROSPERO, No. CRD42022369025).

Renal-protective effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and compounds for diabetic kidney disease in animal models: protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundDiabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a common and severe complication of diabetes that can lead to end-stage renal disease with no cure. The first-line drugs recommended by clinical guidelines fail to achieve satisfactory effects for people with DKD. A Chinese herbal medicine Tangshen Qushi Formula (TQF) shows preliminary efficacy and safety in preserving renal function for people with DKD, but the effects on comprehensive renal outcomes remain unclear. We will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of TQF herbs and their compounds identified from ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-MS/MS in diabetic animal models with renal outcomes.MethodsThis protocol complies with the guideline Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. We will include studies investigating the effects of TQF herbs and compounds on diabetic rats or mice with renal outcomes. Six electronic databases will be searched from their inception to February 2023. Quality assessment will be conducted using SYRCLE’s risk of bias tool. Standardized or weighted mean differences will be estimated for renal outcomes (creatinine, urea, proteinuria, histological changes, oxidative stress, inflammation, and kidney fibrosis). Data will be pooled using random-effects models. Heterogeneity across studies will be expressed as I2. Sensitivity analyses will explore treatment effects in adjusted models and within subgroups. Funnel plots and Egger’s test will be used to explore publication bias.DiscussionThe results of this review will provide valuable insights into the potential effects of TQF in managing DKD. The limitation is that the included studies will be animal studies from specific databases, and the interpretation of the findings must be cautious.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42023432895. Registered on 19 July 2023 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails).

Intrinsic "self-consistent" phenomenon based on holistic view of traditional Chinese medicine

The fundamental principle of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is holism, and it is crucial for TCM to address the key issue of the &quot;holistic view&quot; of Chinese herbal medicine. While the overall regulatory effects of Chinese herbal medicine have been widely recognized, the holistic internal logic of individual ingredients of Chinese herbal medicines require further clarification. In order to comprehensively understand the mechanism of action of Chinese herbal medicine, this paper combined the holistic view of Chinese herbal medicine with differentiation thinking to explore the intrinsic logical relationships within Chinese herbal medicine. Starting from the perspective of the coexistence of multiple components in Chinese herbal medicine, this paper systematically examined the &quot;self-consistent&quot; phenomenon within single Chinese herbal medicine. This phenomenon refers to the consistent or opposing actions of various components in terms of their physical and chemical properties, pharmacokinetic effects, biological effects, flavors and properties, and TCM efficacy. The paper summarized various logical relationships of syndrome differentiation exhibited by the same Chinese herbal medicine, analyzed the underlying reasons, and focused on analyzing external factors affecting the &quot;self-consistent&quot; phenomenon in the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine, aiming to better elucidate the theoretical basis of the pharmacological effects of Chinese herbal medicine, further enrich the scientific connotation of the holistic view of Chinese herbal medicine, and provide theoretical guidance for the preparation process, compatibility patterns, and formulation design of Chinese herbal medicine.

Effectiveness of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Postoperative Fatigue Syndrome Following Total Joint Arthroplasty or Hip Fracture Surgery: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials.

There is no high-quality, evidence-based protocol for the treatment of postoperative fatigue syndrome (POFS) after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) or fracture surgery with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of CHM in the treatment of POFS after TJA or hip fracture surgery (HFS). We searched six databases to obtain randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CHM for the treatment of POFS after TJA or HFS. The retrieval time limit was from the establishment of each database to August, 2022. According to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews version 5.1, we used RevMan 5.3 to evaluate the quality of the studies. Stata 14.0 software was used to merge and analyze the data. The weighted mean difference (WMD) was the effect estimate for statistical analysis. We also performed subgroup analyses according to different types of surgeries. A total of 11 RCTs were included in this study, comprising 430 cases in the CHM group and 432 cases in the control group (CG). The meta-analysis results showed that there was no significant difference in the Brief Profile of Mood States (BPOMS) score (WMD=0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.29 to 0.45, P=0.688), Christensen Fatigue scale (CHFS) score (WMD = 0.15, 95% CI: -0.09 to 0.39, P=0.214) or Identity-Consequence Fatigue Scale (ICFS) score (WMD=-0.40, 95% CI: -1.84 to 1.05, P=0.589) between the CHM group and the CG on the first postoperative day. The use of CHM significantly reduced the BPOMS score (WMD=-0.85 and WMD=-3.01, respectively), CHFS score (WMD=-1.01 and WMD= -1.45, respectively), and ICFS score (WMD=-3.51 and WMD=-5.26) on postoperative days 3 and 7. Compared with the CG, the CHM group had significantly increased serum transferrin and IgG levels on postoperative days 3 and 7. The subgroup analysis results suggested that the application of CHM in HFS patients improved fatigue symptoms on postoperative days 3 and 7, while the application of CHM to treat POFS in TJA patients had great inconsistency in the evaluation of different indicators. The application of CHM improved the fatigue status of POFS patients after TJA or HFS and increased the levels of transferrin and IgG in serum, which is conducive to promoting the postoperative rehabilitation process of patients. The subgroup analysis results showed that the application of CHM to intervene in POFS in HFS patients had obvious benefits.

Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on pregnancy outcomes of women with PCOS undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer: A retrospective cohort study

IntroductionChinese herbal medicine is widely used for treating polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The present study aimed to explore the effects of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula, a Chinese herbal medicine formula, on the pregnancy outcomes of women with PCOS undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) based on a retrospective cohort study. MethodsOne hundred and forty-six females with PCOS undergoing IVF-ET were included in the study from Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University between July 2016 and June 2021, of whom 73 patients received Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula treatment for 12 weeks before IVF-ET, while the other 73 did not. The clinical data were collected from the medical records of the included patients. Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) and leukemia inhibitory factor levels in the follicular fluids were detected. ResultsAfter the treatment of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula, women with PCOS undergoing IVF-ET exhibited significant improvement in the fertilization (P<0.05), good-quality embryo (P<0.01), clinical pregnancy (P<0.01), and live birth (P<0.01) rates, and single birthweight in newborns (P<0.05). The expression levels of BMP15 in the follicular fluids of the women with PCOS were significantly increased after Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula treatment (P<0.05). ConclusionThis study provided preliminary evidence of a significant association of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula treatment with improved pregnancy outcomes in women with PCOS undergoing IVF-ET, partly through increasing BMP15 levels in the follicular fluids.

Effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine compared with angiotensin II receptor blockers in patients with diabetic kidney disease: A hospital-based matched cohort study

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are one of the standard treatments for diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Some patients may opt for Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) of their own free will. However, there is no real-world evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of CHM. We aimed to explore the effectiveness of CHM for DKD in comparison to ARBs. We enrolled 732 DKD patients (72 used only CHM and 661 used ARBs) from 2007 to 2016, and all patients were followed until December 2016 at China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan. A total of 355 ARB users and 71 CHM users were analyzed after propensity score matching. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) after treatment was 84.9 ± 28.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 in CHM users, which was higher than that (67.8 ± 35.4 ml/min/1.73 m2) in ARB users (p < 0.001). The change in the eGFR was −6.0 ± 21.4 ml/min/1.73 m2 in CHM users and −12.9 ± 24.8 ml/min/1.73 m2 in ARB users (p = 0.029). The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels of patients taking CHM were 22 ± 16 mg/dl and 0.9 ± 0.4 mg/dl, respectively, and were lower than those (30 ± 28 mg/dl and 1.7 ± 2.0 mg/dl) of patients taking ARBs (p = 0.025 and p = 0.003). Using linear regression with adjustments for age, sex, BMI, baseline eGFR, and HbA1c levels, we found that the declines in the eGFR/baseline eGFR and changes in the urine albumin–creatinine ratio (ACR) were comparable between the two groups (p = 0.86 and 0.73). This study suggests that CHM may have comparable effectiveness to ARBs, which provides insights for further investigations.

Characteristics and Effects of Chinese Herbal Medicine in the Management of Female Infertility: A Hospital-Based Study

Background: In Taiwan, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is used to treat female infertility. Evidence indicates that the absence of monotherapy efficacy assessment and comparison with mainstream interventions may lead to the improper use of CHM for female infertility. Methods: A retrospective cohort study enrolled female patients at a hospital undergoing CHM intervention to treat infertility from 2012 to 2020 in order to determine the outcomes of CHM monotherapy for female infertility. Kaplan-Meier analysis under strict assumptions was used to estimate the cumulative probability of pregnancy and live births after CHM. Cox hazard regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratios of prognostic variables, namely, the woman’s age and diagnostic category. Results: 694 women met the inclusion criteria and accounted for 2,145 cycles. A total of 190 pregnancies resulted in 125 live births, all of which were singleton births of babies with 16 perinatal complications requiring hospitalization. The real cumulative pregnancy rate and cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) for the total population after 10 cycles were between 27.4% and 35.2% and between 18% and 22.1%, respectively. Compared with the live birth rate corresponding to patients aged under 35 years, that of older patients, particularly those aged 38–39 years, was significantly lower (hazard ratio: 0.19, 95% confidence interval: 0.11–0.33). Women with other diagnoses, namely, uterine problems or endometriosis, had a greater probability of a live birth than did women with tubal pathology (hazard ratio: 6.31, 95% confidence interval: 1.99–20.07). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first retrospective study to employ life table analysis to determine the CHM treatment outcomes in terms of female infertility. The study established a basis to compare in vitro fertilization (IVF) with CHM and identified the advantages and disadvantages of CHM for treating female infertility. Although the CLBR of present study is lower than those reported in IVF studies, CHM in treating female infertility can still be beneficial to women aged younger than 38 years or with diagnoses other than tubal pathology and worth recommendation by reproductive specialists according to the promising results gained from the strict criteria. However, in order to determine the optimal timing, possible mechanism, corresponding side effects, and the efficacy of CHM combined with IVF for treating female infertility, rigorous research is required.

Dynamic Changes and Correlation Analysis of Polysaccharide Content and Color Parameters in Glycyrrhiza Stems and Leaves during Fermentation

Fermentation can increase the concentration of active ingredients and improve the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of solid-state fermentation (SSF) on the polysaccharide content and color of Glycyrrhiza stems and leaves, as well as to explore the potential of computer vision-based analytical chemistry for the rapid, non-destructive, and accurate quality identification of fermented herbs. The effects of different inoculation rates on the polysaccharide content and color of fermented Glycyrrhiza stems and leaves were evaluated. Subsequently, dynamic changes in the viable counts of the probiotic strains, pH values, polysaccharide content, and color of Glycyrrhiza stems and leaves were explored during the entire fermentation process. The correlations of color variables that were extracted from the images with key quality indicators of the Glycyrrhiza stem and leaf samples were verified. The results showed that with an increase in inoculation amount, the polysaccharide content demonstrated a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, which was consistent with the color parameter behavior, and the optimal inoculation amount was 0.2%. During fermentation, R, G, B, S, V, L, a*, and B* were significantly correlated with the polysaccharide content (p &lt; 0.01), while the correlation of H was weak. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on color variables can effectively distinguish between different stages of fermentation. This study provides a reference for the rapid and nondestructive analysis of fermented Glycyrrhiza stems and leaves, offering a new approach to process monitoring and quality control of fermented herbs.

Scoping review of clinical studies on Chinese herbal medicine against Helicobacter pylori and an exploration of its usage pattern

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a highly infectious bacterium that can aggravate upper gastrointestinal diseases. With the increasingly serious problem of H. pylori drug resistance, it is more important to seek new treatment methods. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of studies on the treatment of H. pylori infection and related diseases with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). The effectiveness of CHM has also emerged. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to systematically identify and summarize the characteristics of randomized controlled trails (RCTs) evaluating CHM for treating H. pylori infection. Three Chinese and two English language databases were comprehensively searched. Included studies were RCTs of H. pylori-positive patients evaluating oral CHM with or without Western Medicine (WM) compared to WM alone. A descriptive analysis of study characteristics and association rule mining in R Studio software were used to identify frequent herbal combinations. The Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool was used to assess study quality. Included were 165 RCTs, with 168 comparisons, involving 16,817 participants. All the RCTs were conducted in China and 68% were published after 2012. The quality of included studies was moderate. The RCTs evaluated 187 herbs that were used in various combinations in 91 types of CHM formulas. Most RCTs compared CHM plus WM to WM only (n=103 comparisons). Only 68% of the RCTs evaluated a recommended WM triple or quadruple therapy. Results showed that Banxia Xiexin Decoction, Huangqi Jianzhong Decoction, Huanglian Wendan Decoction and Jinghua Weikang Capsule were commonly used. The association rules showed that golden thread (Coptis chinensis Franch.), debark peony root (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.), milkvetch root (Astragalus mongholicus Bunge), dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz.), dried tangerine peel (Citrus reticulata Blanco), tangshen (Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf.), largehead atractylodes rhizome (Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz.), processing liquorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), pinellia tuber (Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino) were commonly used clinically. The findings from this review highlight the potential role of CHM formulas for treating H. Pylori and can be used to inform further clinical trials and systematic reviews.

Effect of Shi-Zhen-An-Shen herbal formula granule in the treatment of young people at ultra-high risk for psychosis: a pilot study.

To date, there is no conclusive evidence for early interventions on ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis. The Chinese herbal medicine is confirmed to be beneficial in improving psychiatric symptoms and cognitive impairments for schizophrenia patients. However, the effect of Chinese herbal medicine on treating UHR patients remains unknown. Eighty UHR patients were recruited from the outpatient department. They were randomly assigned to receive either Shi-Zhen-An-Shen herbal formula granule (SZAS-HFG) combined with aripiprazole placebo or aripiprazole combined with SZAS-HFG placebo for a 12-week treatment. The psychiatric symptoms were assessed using the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS). The Trail Making Test part A (TMT-A), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test (BVMT), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), and Continuous Performance Test (CPT) were used to assess cognitive functions. we also employed the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) to evaluate social functioning. The linear mixed-effects models were performed to detect the difference in effectiveness between the two groups. After 12-week treatment, both groups showed significant effects of time on SIPS, TMT-A, HVLT, BVMT, and GAF. There was a significant effect of group only on CPT. Moreover, we also found a significant interaction effect on GAF. SZAS-HFG can effectively alleviate psychosis symptoms, and improve cognitive impairments and overall functioning as well as aripiprazole.Clinical trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IOR-17013513.

Effects and mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine on IgA nephropathy

BackgroundImmunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), is the main cause of end-stage renal disease, that causes serious physical and psychological burden to patients worldwide. Some traditional treatment measures, such as blocking the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, controlling blood pressure, and following a low-protein diet, may not achieve satisfactory results. Therefore, more effective and safe therapies for IgAN are urgently needed. PurposeThe aim of this review is to summarize the clinical efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) and their active ingredients in the treatment and management of IgAN based on the results of clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, to fully understand the advantages and perspectives of CHMs in the treatment of IgAN. Study design and methodsFor this review, the following electronic databases were consulted: PubMed, ResearchGate, Science Direct, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data, "IgA nephropathy," "traditional Chinese medicine," "Chinese herbal medicine," "herb," "mechanism," "Meta-analysis," "systematic review," "RCT" and their combinations were the keywords to search the relevant literature. Data were collected from 1990 to 2022. ResultsThis review found that the active ingredients of CHMs commonly act on multiple signaling pathways in the clinical treatment of IgAN, mainly with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrosis effects, and regulation of autophagy. ConclusionCompared with the single-target therapy of modern medicine, CHMs can regulate the corresponding pathways from the aspects of anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-fibrosis and autophagy to play a multi-target treatment of IgAN through syndrome differentiation and treatment, which has good clinical efficacy and can be used as the first choice or alternative therapy for IgAN treatment. This review provides evidence and research direction for a comprehensive clinical understanding of the protective effect of Chinese herbal medicine on IgAN.

The traditional Chinese medicines treat chronic heart failure and their main bioactive constituents and mechanisms.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a severe public health problem with increasing morbidity and mortality, any treatment targeting a single session is insufficient to tackle this. CHF is characterized by reduced cardiac output resulting from neurohumoral dysregulation and cardiac remodeling, which might be related to oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis, autophagy, mitochondrial function, and angiogenesis. These molecular mechanisms interact with each other through crosstalk. Historically, Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely applied in the treatment of CHF, and therapeutic effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and their ingredients have been scientifically confirmed over the past decades. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with multiple components can confront the different pathogenesis of CHF through multiple targets. This review analyzes commonly used TCM patent drugs and TCM decoctions that are applicable to different stages of CHF based on clinical trials. Diverse bioactive ingredients in Chinese medicinal herbs have been found to treat CHF via multiple molecular mechanisms. This review comprehensively covers the key works on the effects and underlying mechanisms of TCM, herbal ingredients and synergistic effects of constituent compatibility in treating CHF, providing additional ideas to address this threat.

Methamphetamine: Mechanism of Action and Chinese Herbal Medicine Treatment for Its Addiction.

With the proliferation of synthetic drugs, research on the mechanism of action of addictive drugs and treatment methods is of great significance. Among them, methamphetamine (METH) is the most representative amphetamine synthetic drug, and the treatment of METH addiction has become an urgent medical and social problem. In recent years, the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicines on METH addiction have gained widespread attention because of their non-addictiveness, multiple targets, low side effects, low cost, and other characteristics. Previous studies have identified a variety of Chinese herbal medicines with effects on METH addiction. Based on the research on METH in recent years, this article summarizes the mechanism of action of METH as the starting point and briefly reviews the Chinese herbal medicine-based treatment of METH.

Effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine combined with conventional medicine on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) combined with conventional Western Medicine (CWM) on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) based on high-quality randomized placebo-controlled trials. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang databases for randomized placebo-controlled trials of CHM treatment for AECOPD from inception to June 4, 2021. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation were used to assess the risk of bias and the evidence quality of the included studies. Revman 5.3 software was used for Meta-analysis. A total of 9 trials involving 1591 patients were included. The Meta-analysis showed that based on CWM treatment, CHM group had significant advantages over the placebo group in ameliorating clinical total effective rate [ = 1.29, 95% (1.07, 1.56), = 0.007, low quality] and TCM symptom scores [ = -2.99, 95% (-4.46, -1.53), < 0.0001, moderate quality], improving arterial blood gas results [PaO: = 4.51, 95% (1.97, 7.04), = 0.0005, moderate quality; PaCO: = -2.87, 95% (-4.28, -1.46), < 0.0001, moderate quality], reducing CAT scores [ = -2.08, 95% (-2.85, -1.31), < 0.000 01, moderate quality]，length of hospitalization [ = -1.87, 95% (-3.33, -0.42), = 0.01, moderate quality], and acute exacerbation rate [ = 0.60, 95% (0.43, 0.83), = 0.002, moderate quality]. No serious CHM-related adverse events were reported. The current evidence indicates that CHM is an effective and well-tolerated adjunct therapy for AECOPD patients receiving CWM. However, considering the high heterogeneity, this conclusion requires confirmation.

The Effect of Chinese Herbal Medicine on Traumatic Anosmia: A Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial.

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been implemented as a form of treatment for olfactory dysfunction. In this study, we aimed to use a tailored Guizhi decoction for the treatment of traumatic olfactory dysfunction. Patients who had lost olfactory function after experiencing head trauma and whose olfactory function was anosmic were selected. The eligible patients were randomly assigned to two groups. In the CHM group, a tailored Guizhi decoction was prescribed, with patients also undergoing olfactory training (OT). In the OT group, patients performed OT only. The olfactory function of each patient was evaluated by both the phenyl ethyl alcohol (PEA) odor detection threshold test and the traditional Chinese version of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (TC-UPSIT), at both 3 and 6 months after the completion of treatment. A total of 38 patients in the CHM group and 40 in the OT group completed the study. The TC-UPSIT scores of patients slightly rose after treatment in both the CHM and OT groups. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in TC-UPSIT scores before and after treatment in both groups. However, the PEA thresholds improved significantly in both CHM and OT groups (p=0.005 and 0.016, respectively). Of note, there were no significant differences in threshold or identification scores between the CHM and OT groups. Our results show that adding a tailored Guizhi decoction to OT conferred a limited benefit to the olfactory function of patients experiencing traumatic anosmia. 2 Laryngoscope, 2023.

Regulatory effect of eight Chinese herbal medicines on glucose and lipid metabolism and their potential active components based on HCBP6 target

With the improvement of living standards and changes in working style, the prevalence of abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism in humans is increasing in modern society. Clinically, the related indicators are often improved by changing the lifestyle and/or taking hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering drugs, but there are no therapeutic drugs for disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism at present. Hepatitis C virus core protein binding protein 6(HCBP6) is a newly discovered target that can regulate triglyceride and cholesterol content according to level oscillations in the body, thereby regulating abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. Relevant studies have shown that ginsenoside Rh_2 can significantly up-regulate the expression of HCBP6, but there are few studies on the effect of Chinese herbal medicines on HCBP6. Moreover, the three-dimensional structural information of HCBP6 has not been determined and the discovery of potential active components acting on HCBP6 is not rapidly advanced. Therefore, the total saponins of eight Chinese herbal medicines commonly used to regulate abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism were selected as the research objects to observe their effect on the expression of HCBP6. Then, the three-dimensional structure of HCBP6 was predicted, followed by molecular docking with saponins in eight Chinese herbal medicines to quickly find potential active components. The results showed that all total saponins tended to up-regulate HCBP6 mRNA and protein expression, where gypenosides showed the optimum effect on up-regulating HCBP6 mRNA and ginsenosides showed the optimum effect on up-regulating HCBP6 protein expression. Reliable protein structures were obtained after the prediction of protein structures using the Robetta website and the evaluation of the predicted structures by SAVES. The saponins from the website and literature were also collected and docked with the predicted protein, and the saponin components were found to have good binding activity to the HCBP6 protein. The results of the study are expected to provide ideas and methods for the discovery of new drugs from Chinese herbal medicines to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism.