Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment Research Articles

Research progress on mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine intervention in angiogenesis in prevention and treatment of nontraumatic avascular necrosis of femoral head

Nontraumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head(NANFH) is a common and refractory femoral head disease that causes bone death due to interruption of blood supply. Early clinical symptoms are atypical, such as hip pain and limited joint function. In the late stage, severe pain, shortening of the affected limb, claudication, and other serious symptoms are common, which se-riously affects the quality of life of patients. Therefore, it is of great significance to actively improve the clinical symptoms of NANFH to enhance the quality of life of patients. The pathogenesis of NANFH is complex, such as traumatic vascular circulatory disorders, the use of hormones or other drugs, alcoholism, and diabetes mellitus. These factors directly or indirectly lead to femoral head vascular damage, thrombosis, and coagulation system disorders, which reduce the blood supply to the acetabulum and femoral head, thus causing ischaemic death of the femoral head or even femoral head collapse. NANFH is mainly categorized as "bone impotence" and "bone paralysis" in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The treatment of NANFH with TCM has the characteristics and advantages of a long history, stable and reliable therapeutic effect, fewer adverse reactions, good patient tolerance, and high acceptance. Previous studies have shown that the promotion of angiogenesis is a key initiative in the prevention and treatment of NANFH, and TCM can promote fe-moral head angiogenesis by interfering with the expression of angiogenesis-related factors, which in turn can help to restore the blood supply of the femoral head and thus improve clinical symptoms of NANFH and prevent and treat NANFH. This article described the roles of blood supply interruption and angiogenesis in NANFH and the accumulated knowledge and experience of TCM in NANFH and summarized the role of angiogenesis-related factors in NANFH and the research progress on TCM intervention, so as to provide an idea for the subsequent research and a new basis for the clinical application of TCM in the treatment of NANFH.

Pathogenesis of ferroptosis on chronic kidney disease and traditional Chinese medicine intervention: a review

Chronic kidney disease(CKD) is an insidious disease that has become a significant global public health issue due to its high incidence rate, low awareness, low diagnostic rate, poor prognosis, and high medical costs. Recent studies have shown that CKD development is associated with varying degrees of ferroptosis features. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) can regulate iron metabolism, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant systems to inhibit ferroptosis and delay the progression of CKD. Consequently, the intervention mechanism of ferroptosis has become one of the focuses of CKD research. TCM has thousands of years of traditional experience and wisdom. It focuses on the overall regulation of human body functions and can stimulate the body's disease resistance and recovery capabilities, which has certain advantages in treating CKD. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive articles on the application of TCM in intervening ferroptosis to treat CKD and the pathogenesis of ferroptosis in CKD. Therefore, this article summarizes the latest research progress both domestically and internationally, briefly introduces the main mechanisms of ferroptosis, and systematically reviews the relationship between ferroptosis and CKD. The article integrates TCM theories related to ferroptosis in CKD, including "deficiency" "stasis" "phlegm turbidity" and "toxins" and summarizes the research status of active ingredients and herbal formulas in intervening ferroptosis to treat CKD. By considering ferroptosis from a new perspective, this article aims to provide new targets and directions for the application of TCM in treating CKD.

Study of Banxia Xiexin Prescription Combined with Diet Nursing on Improving the Clinical Symptoms, Inflammatory Factor Levels and Prognosis of Hospitalized Patients with Peptic Ulcer

Western medicine is the first choice for the clinical treatment of peptic ulcer (PU), which can quickly improve the symptoms of patients. However, the efficacy of western medicine can be influenced by PU patients’ unhealthy lifestyle and other factors, leading to various adverse reactions during and after treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to actively find ways to increase the efficacy of PU patients without increasing adverse reactions. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment for PU focuses on warming and tonifying deficiencies and alleviating urgency. The medicinal composition of Banxia Xiexin Decoction is Pinellia, Scutellaria baicalensis, Zingiberis rhizoma, fried licorice, Rhizoma coptidis and jujube, etc. β-sitosterol, 6-gingerol and berberine, the active components of Pinellia, Zingiberis rhizoma and Rhizoma coptidis, have been proved to have anti-ulcer effects. In this study, a rat model of PU was established in the animal experiment, and it was found that Banxia Xiexin prescription could effectively reduce the levels of ET-1 and NO in PU rats (P < 0.05). In the clinical trial, the Western Medicine convention (W-Con) group consisted of 61 PU patients who were hospitalized in our facility from 2020.01 to 2022.12 and received conventional western medicine treatment, while the Banxia combination (B-Com) group included PU patients who received Banxia xiexin decoction along with dietary care during the same period. The analysis of treatment outcomes between the two groups revealed that patients treated with Banxia Xiexin decoction combined with dietary care exhibited more significant improvements in clinical symptoms and inflammatory state compared to those relying solely on traditional western medicine (P < 0.05). In addition, we found that combined diet care helped to improve the prognosis of patients (P < 0.05). Therefore, this study suggests that Banxia Xiexin decoction combined with diet nursing can be used as an optimal treatment for PU patients. Banxia Xiexin decoction can effectively treat PU, which may be the main active ingredients in Banxia Xiexin decoction, such as β-sitosterol, 6-gingerol and berberine, which have anti-ulcer effects.

Progress in TCM Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression in Parkinson's Disease

Progress in TCM Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression in Parkinson's Disease

Analysis of Research Trends in Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatments for Pes Anserine Bursitis from 2014 to 2024: Using the Search Results of China National Knowledge Infrastructure

Analysis of Research Trends in Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatments for Pes Anserine Bursitis from 2014 to 2024: Using the Search Results of China National Knowledge Infrastructure

Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Acute Pancreatitis Research Progress

Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Acute Pancreatitis Research Progress

Research progress in Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment and nursing care of upper limb lymphedema after breast cancer surgery

Research progress in Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment and nursing care of upper limb lymphedema after breast cancer surgery

Oral bacteriome and mycobiome of patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy with different tongue coatings treated with a Chinese herbal formula

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMoshen Fuyuan Formula (MSFY) is one of the representative Chinese medicine compound for Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), that originate from Fang Ji Huang Qi decoction in the Han dynasty. IMN is usually accompanied by different tongue coatings in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and tongue microorganisms are important factors affecting the formation of the tongue coating. Recently, oral microbiomes, including bacteria and fungi, have been identified as pivotal factors that contribute to disease development. However, the regulation of oral microbiomes by MSFY has not been defined. Aim of the studyIn this work, we explore the characteristics of oral bacteria and fungi in IMN patients with different tongue coatings, and clarify the therapeutic effect of MSFY based on oral microbiome. Materials and methodsWe enrolled 24 patients with IMN, including 11 with white tongue (IMN-W) and 13 with yellow tongue (IMN-Y), and recruited an additional 10 healthy individuals. Patients with IMN were treated with the MSFY. The oral bacteriome and fungi before and after treatment were detected using full-length 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer gene sequencing. ResultsThe therapeutic effect of MSFY on patients with yellow tongue coating was more significant than that on patients with white tongue coating. In terms of oral bacteriome, Campylobacter bacteria were enriched in patients with yellow tongue and could be a promising biomarker for yellow coating. Enrichment of Veillonella parvula_A may partially account for the therapeutic effect of MSFY. As for oral fungi, Malassezia globosa was enhanced in patients with IMN-W and reduced in patients with IMN-Y. Notably, it was reduced by MSFY. We also found that mycobiome-bacteriome interactions were highly complex and dynamic in patients with IMN. ConclusionThe regulation of the dynamic balance between oral fungi and bacteria by MSFY contributes to the treatment of IMN. This study determined the oral bacteriome and mycobiome of patients with IMN with different tongue coatings before and after MSFY treatment, which aids in promoting personalized treatment in clinical TCM and provides direction for investigating the mechanism of Chinese herbal medicines.

Progress in traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment of hepatic myelopathy

Progress in traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment of hepatic myelopathy

Research on the signaling pathway and the related mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine intervention in chronic gastritis of the "inflammation-cancer transformation".

Objective: The aim of this study is to uncover the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments for chronic gastritis and their potential targets and pathways involved in the "inflammation-cancer" conversion in four stages. These findings can provide further support for future research into TCM and its active components. Materials and methods: The literature search encompassed PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP, employing keywords such as "chronic gastritis", "gastric cancer", "traditional Chinese medicine", "medicinal herb", "Chinese herb", and "natural plant". Results: Herbal remedies may regulate the signaling pathways linked to the advancement of chronic gastritis. Under the multi-target and multi-pathway independent or combined reaction, the inflammatory microenvironment may be enhanced, leading to repair of damaged gastric mucosal cells, buffering the progress of mucosal atrophic degeneration via the decrease of inflammatory factor expression, inhibition of oxidative stress-induced damage, facilitation of microvascular neovascularization in the gastric mucosa and regulation of the processes of gastric mucosal cell differentiation and proliferation. Simultaneously, the decreased expression of inflammatory factors may impact the expression of associated oncogenes and regulate the malignant proliferation of cells, thereby achieving the treatment and prevention objectives of gastric cancer through the reduction of cell metastasis and apoptosis. Conclusion: Chinese medicine formulations and individual drugs can be utilised at various stages of the "inflammation-cancer" progression of chronic gastritis to prevent and treat gastric cancer in a multi-level, multi-targeted, and multi-directional fashion. This can provide guidance for the accurate application of medicines during different stages of "inflammation-cancer" transformation. New insights into the mechanism of inflammation-cancer transformation and the development of novel drugs for chronic gastritis can be gained through an extensive investigation of TCM treatment in this condition.

Feasibility and Challenges of Interactive AI for Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Example of ChatGPT

Abstract As a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) represents an established medical system with a rich history and abundant clinical experience. TCM is an empirical medicine, the process of which is analogous to ChatGPT’s learning and development model. In TCM, inquiry is a relatively objective way of traditional syndrome differentiation. Although various artificial intelligence systems related to TCM consultation exist, their interactive abilities remain limited. The study standardized the primary complaint and instructed ChatGPT to simulate a TCM practitioner, conducting three comprehensive inquiry tests. The results yielded unexpected conclusions, revealing that ChatGPT could simulate a TCM practitioner’s inquiry with patients, confirming its potential in the field of TCM inquiry. However, current applications still pose certain limitations and risks. Hence, to integrate ChatGPT-like language models with traditional TCM AI to establish an associative mode that can facilitate TCM diagnosis and treatment with more convenience and standardization is crucial, yet at the same time, it should be treated very carefully.

Time-/dose- series transcriptome data analysis and traditional Chinese medicine treatment of pneumoconiosis

Pneumoconiosis' pathogenesis is still unclear and specific drugs for its treatment are lacking. Analysis of series transcriptome data often uses a single comparison method, and there are few reports on using such data to predict the treatment of pneumoconiosis with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Here, we proposed a new method for analyzing series transcriptomic data, series difference analysis (SDA), and applied it to pneumoconiosis. By comparison with 5 gene sets including existing pneumoconiosis-related genes and gene set functional enrichment analysis, we demonstrated that the new method was not inferior to two existing traditional analysis methods. Furthermore, based on the TCM-drug target interaction network, we predicted the TCM corresponding to the common pneumoconiosis-related genes obtained by multiple methods, and combined them with the high-frequency TCM for its treatment obtained through literature mining to form a new TCM formula for it. After feeding it to pneumoconiosis modeling mice for two months, compared with the untreated group, the coat color, mental state and tissue sections of the mice in the treated group were markedly improved, indicating that the new TCM formula has a certain efficacy. Our study provides new insights into method development for series transcriptomic data analysis and treatment of pneumoconiosis.

Press Needle: A Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy for Myopia Patients with Dry Eye.

Most patients with myopia have dry eye, which has been shown to adversely affect ocular symptoms, myopia progression, and quality of life in patients with myopia. Needle prickling has been shown to be effective in providing symptom relief in patients with myopia and dry eye. Press needle is a long-lasting, easy-to-operate, and inexpensive traditional Chinese medicine treatment. The standard practice of needle insertion is very important for the treatment of myopia and dry eye. The specific steps include selecting the appropriate acupoints, piercing them with appropriate needles, and fixing them in the skin or subcutaneously at the acupoints, burying them for 2 days, resting for 1 day; the course of treatment lasts for 2 weeks. Specifically, the following indicators were assessed: uncorrected visual acuity and the ocular surface disease index. This article will explain how to standardize the operation of a press needle in the treatment of myopia and dry eye.

Integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of combined allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome

Combined allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome (CARAS) refers to a common respiratory disease that occurs simultaneously with clinical or subclinical allergic symptoms of the upper respiratory tract (allergic rhinitis) and the lower respiratory tract (asthma). The incidence of CARAS is high and the quality of life of the patients is greatly affected. At present, treatment of this comprehensive disease is often carried out separately in the otorhinolaryngology and respiratory departments. One of the reasons is a lack of coordinated treatment consensus on the comprehensive management of this disease. As a common respiratory disease, this syndrome also has a profound clinical basis of traditional Chinese medicine in its diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, the Allergy Committee of Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine organized domestic experts in respiratory medicine, otolaryngology, allergy, pediatrics, traditional Chinese Medicine internal medicine and other related fields to discuss and summarize the etiology and anatomical characteristics, pathophysiology and pathogenesis, laboratory examination, diagnostic evaluation and differential diagnosis as well as treatment of both traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, in order to provide integrated diagnosis and treatment opinions for this common integrative disease of upper and lower respiratory system in clinical practice.

Sishen Pill and its active phytochemicals in treating inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer: an overview.

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the associated risk of colon cancer are increasing globally. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment has unique advantages. The Sishen Pill, a common Chinese patented drug used to treat abdominal pain and diarrhea, consists mainly of Psoraleae Fructus, Myristicae Semen, Euodiae Fructus, and Schisandra Chinensis. Modern research has confirmed that Sishen Pill and its active secondary metabolites, such as psoralen, myristicin, evodiamine, and schisandrin, can improve intestinal inflammation and exert antitumor pharmacological effects. Common mechanisms in treating IBD and colon cancer mainly include regulating inflammation-related signaling pathways such as nuclear factor-kappa B, mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, NOD-like receptor heat protein domain-related protein 3, and wingless-type MMTV integration site family; NF-E2-related factor 2 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α to inhibit oxidative stress; mitochondrial autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress; intestinal immune cell differentiation and function through the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway; and improving the gut microbiota and intestinal barrier. Overall, existing evidence suggests the potential of the Sishen pill to improve IBD and suppress inflammation-to-cancer transformation. However, large-scale randomized controlled clinical studies and research on the safety of these clinical applications are urgently required.

The Value of Traditional Medicine Should not be Underestimated—Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases

Abstract Autoimmune diseases of the nervous system (ADNS) are characterized by the formation of a pronounced neurologic deficit and often lead to disability. The attention of doctors and researchers is increasingly attracted by complementary medicine as adjuvant or preventive therapy for various diseases, including autoimmune diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a combination of treatment methods that include acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietetics, physical exercises, and other methods that are often used in conjunction with recognized approaches of official medical science. The article describes the application of TCM techniques in autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, and demonstrates clinical experience in the use of acupuncture, herbal medicine, diets and physical exercises. Traditional and complementary medicine is an important and often underestimated healthcare resource, especially in the prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases of the nervous system.

The role of traditional Chinese medicine in postoperative wound complications of gastric cancer.

Due to the high risks of postoperative complications brought on by gastric cancer, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a commonly used therapy, has exerted its vital role in postoperative recovery care. In this sense, this meta-analysis was conducted to explore the related documents about TCM's impact on gastric cancer postoperative recovery. During the research, we explored a total of 1549 results from databases PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science (WoS). Thirty-two clinical randomized trials (RCTs) were then selected and analysed for this meta-analysis by using the software RevMan 5.4 (under PRISMA 2020 regulations), with a population of 3178 patients. Data prove that TCM therapy reduced the risks for postoperative complications exposure by an estimated average of 19% (95% CI). Among the complications, TCM therapy suppressed the risks of wound infection and incisional infections by 53% and 48% respectively. Meanwhile, the patient's wound healing duration exhibited a significant reduction compared to those without TCM treatment, with a difference at around 0.74 days (95% CI). TCM also exerted its potential to strengthen the patient's immune and health conditions, leading to a significantly promoted gastrointestinal function in the patients with a shorter duration to release first exhaustion and defecation compared to those with no TCM therapy. In addition, similar promoted phenomena also exist in those patients with TCM therapy in terms of their immunity and nutritional conditions. These facts all indicate a positive impact of TCM therapy in clinical applications.

NcRNA Regulated Pyroptosis in Liver Diseases and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention: A Narrative Review.

Pyroptosis is a novel pro-inflammatory mode of programmed cell death that differs from ferroptosis, necrosis, and apoptosis in terms of its onset and regulatory mechanisms. Pyroptosis is dependent on cysteine aspartate protein hydrolase (caspase)-mediated activation of GSDMD, NLRP3, and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1 (IL-1β), and interleukin-18 (IL-18), ultimately leading to cell death. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) is a type of RNA that does not encode proteins in gene transcription but plays an important regulatory role in other post-transcriptional links. NcRNA mediates pyroptosis by regulating various related pyroptosis factors, which we termed the pyroptosis signaling pathway. Previous researches have manifested thatpyroptosis is closely related to the development of liver diseases, and is essentialfor liver injury, alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), liver fibrosis, and liver cancer. In this review, we attempt to address the role of the ncRNA-mediated pyroptosis pathway in the above liver diseases and their pathogenesis in recent years, and briefly outline that TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) intervene in liver diseases by modulating ncRNA-mediated pyroptosis, which will provide a strategy to find new therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases in the future.

Mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in chronic heart failure and research progress in traditional Chinese medicine

Chronic heart failure(CHF) is a severe cardiovascular disease characterized by a complex pathogenesis involving myocardial structural and functional abnormalities and the activation of inflammatory responses. The NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3(NLRP3) inflammasome, acting as a sensor for inflammatory cells, plays a pivotal role in the development of CHF. Research indicates that the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome can induce inflammatory responses, leading to cardiac inflammation and impairing myocardial function, and it is correlated with the severity of CHF. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has garnered increasing attention as a traditional therapeutic approach in recent years. Various TCM drugs and treatment methods have exhibited potential efficacy in suppressing inflammatory responses, alleviating myocardial cell pyroptosis, improving myocardial structure and function, and inhibiting myocardial fibrosis. Several TCM drugs and their extracts have been utilized in CHF treatment, with mechanisms potentially involving the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasomes and the mitigation of inflammatory responses. The article provided an overview of the composition, structural characteristics, initiation, and activation modes of the NLRP3 inflammasome, its mechanisms in CHF, and the research progress of TCM in CHF treatment. It aims to offer references and foundations for a deeper understanding of CHF pathogenesis and subsequent development of new therapeutic strategies.

Impacts of the Zero-Markup Drug Policy on Hospitalization Expenses of Patients with Stroke in Western China: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

In 2016, an innovative medical pricing reform called zero-markup drug policy (ZMDP) was implemented in selected pilot cities in China, which focuses on curbing the unreasonable growth of medical expenses. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of ZMDP on medical expenditure of stroke in western China. The quantitative data of inpatients diagnosed with stroke was extracted from the medical insurance system in 7 tertiary public hospitals. An interrupted time series (ITS) was used to analyze the instantaneous level and long-term trend changes of hospitalization expenses per visit from January 2015 to November 2018. A total of 22,407 stroke inpatients were extracted. The total hospitalization expense per visit had the highest proportion of 20,000 CNY and above (33.66%). After the ZMDP, the median total hospitalization expense and western medicine expense per visit decreased by 631.74 CNY and 966.35 CNY, respectively (P <0.001). Before the policy, the total hospitalization expense, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) expense, examination expense, treatment expense, laboratory expense and surgical expense per visit showed upward trends (P<0.05), while the anesthesia expense per visit showed a downward trend (P<0.001). When the policy was implemented, the anesthesia expense per visit instantaneously increased by 91.70% (P<0.001). After the policy, the total hospitalization expense, western medicine expense, TCM expense, treatment expense and surgical expense per visit changed from upward trends to downward trends (P<0.05). The anesthesia expense per visit changed from a downward trend to an upward trend (P<0.001), and the examination expense per visit maintained an upward trend (P=0.005). The economic burden of stroke inpatients decreased significantly with the implementation of the ZMDP, especially for the drug expenses. The medical service expenses increased significantly, reflecting the improvement in the value of medical staff's technical labor. However, the unexpected increase in the examination expenses was likely to be associated with the unreasonable medical compensation mechanism.