The American journal of Chinese medicine
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Spiranthes sinensis is an east Asian wild orchid used in Chinese folk medicine. In this study, an ethyl acetate fraction from S. sinensis(SSE) was found to suppress the production of LPS-stimulated inflammatory mediators in RAW264.7 cells and BALB/c mice. SSE inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumo necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. ⋯ In vivo, we demonstrated that SSE attenuated the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), ALT, and AST in the serum of LPS-stimulated BALB/c mice. Western blotting revealed that SSE enhanced HO-1 expression in lung and liver tissue after LPS injection in mice. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of SSE involve the suppression of iNOS, mPGES-1, and inflammatory mediators by inducing the HO-1 pathway in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and BALB/c mice.
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Review Meta Analysis
The Effects of Qigong for Adults with Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of qigong as a treatment for chronic pain. Five electronic databases were searched from their date of establishment until July 2014. The review included 10 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that compared the impacts of qigong on chronic pain with waiting list or placebo or general care. ⋯ This study showed that internal qigong generated benefits on treating some chronic pain with significant differences. External qigong showed nonsignificant differences in treating chronic pain. Higher quality randomized clinical trials with scientific rigor are needed to establish the effectiveness of qigong in reducing chronic pain.
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Meta Analysis
Danhong injection in the treatment of acute coronary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Danhong injection (DH) in treating acute coronary syndrome (ACS), randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding ACS treated by DH were searched in Chinese and English electronic databases from inception until June 2013. Two reviewers independently retrieved RCTs and extracted information. The Cochrane risk of bias method was used to assess the quality of the included studies, and a meta-analysis was conducted with Review Manager 5.2 software. ⋯ There were no adverse drug reactions (ADR) reported in the experimental group, while one case occurred in the control group. Based on the systematic review, DH combined with WM was effective in the treatment of ACS. However, the safety of DH in the treatment of ACS should be further carefully interpreted by more large-scale and double-blind RCTs.
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Meta Analysis
A systematic review of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine for managing irritable bowel syndrome.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been commonly used by Chinese practitioners to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the effectiveness of combining TCM with Western medicine in managing IBS has not been evaluated systematically. In this study, we evaluated the clinical effectiveness of combining TCM and Western medicine in the treatment of IBS via meta-analyses. ⋯ These results demonstrated that treating IBS with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicines showed better effectiveness than conventional Western medicine alone. Although due to the quality of the included studies, our results might possess a high risk of bias. TCM, particularly Chinese proprietary medicine, with the benefits of low-cost, easy to use, and good palatability, would be an attractive option to be used in conjunction with conventional Western medicine to manage IBS patients.
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The clinical therapeutics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitutes a complicated process which involves theory, diagnosis, and formula prescription with specific herbal dosage. Zhang Zhong-Jing's classic work, Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, has been influencing TCM practice for almost 2000 years. However, during this extended period of time in Chinese history, the Chinese weight measurement system experienced noticeable changes. ⋯ Recommended by the committee on TCM formula dose-effect relationship of the China Association of Chinese Medicine and the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, the following expert consensus has been reached: (i) One liang converts to 6-9 g for the severely and critically ill patients. (ii) One liang converts to 3-6 g for the patients suffering from chronic diseases. (iii) One liang converts to 1-3 g in preventive medicine. The above conversions should be used as a future TCM practice guideline. Using this recommended guideline should enhance the effectiveness of daily TCM practice.