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Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao. Yi Xue Ban =... Oct 2023Insomnia is a common disease and its impact on human health cannot be ignored. At present, there are 3 main clinical treatments for insomnia, including traditional...
Insomnia is a common disease and its impact on human health cannot be ignored. At present, there are 3 main clinical treatments for insomnia, including traditional Chinese medicine treatment, sedative hypnotic drug therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment for insomnia is widely used due to its advantages of low side effects, good efficacy, and no drug dependence. This paper summarizes the pathogenesis of insomnia in the theories of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Modern medical research generally believes that sleep-wake disorder is the main pathological mechanism of insomnia, involving many factors such as monoamine neurotransmitter disorder, cytokine imbalance and intestinal flora imbalance. TCM mainly divides the pathogenesis of insomnia into 9 kinds of syndrome types: Liver depression transforming into fire, hyperactivity of fire due to yin deficiency, phlegm-heat attacking internally, disharmony between heart and kidney, deficiency of both heart and spleen, qi deficiency of both heart and gallbaldder, stomach qi disharmony, exuberance of heart fire, and internal blockade of static blood. According to these 9 kinds of pathogenesis of insomnia, the corresponding classical prescriptions such as Longdanxiegan decoction, Suanzaoren decoction, Huanglian-Wendan decoction, Jiaotai pill and Guipi decoction were analyzed and summarized. There is evidence that traditional Chinese medicine could treat insomnia mainly by increasing the level of 5-hydroxytryptamine, reducing the levels of dopamine, noradrenaline, tumor necrosis factor α, and interlukin-6, decreasing the ratio of glutamic acid to γ-aminobutyric acid, and inhibiting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Topics: Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Amines
PubMed: 38432879
DOI: 10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2023.230200 -
Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine Dec 2018The aim of this study was to investigated the functional changes of airway epithelial cells and mitochondria in rat models of asthenic lung and phlegm blocking combined...
The aim of this study was to investigated the functional changes of airway epithelial cells and mitochondria in rat models of asthenic lung and phlegm blocking combined with cough variant asthma (CVA). Sixteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: Control and model group, with 8 rats in each group. On the basis of the CVA rat model induced and sensitized by ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide, the rat models with asthenic lung and phlegm blocking combined with CVA were established via smoking stimulation. The rats in the control group were injected with equivalent normal saline. All rats were sacrificed after the model was successfully prepared. The lung histopathological sections of the two groups of rats were observed, and respiratory control ratio (RCR) of mitochondria and membrane potential changes were compared. The results showed that the rats in the model group had tracheal structure abnormities, epithelial cell damages, cilia structure defects, capillary injection, alveolar exudates, and inflammatory cells compared to those in the control group. RCR of mitochondria and membrane potential of rats in the model group were significantly lower than those of rats in the control group (P<0.05). Damaged lung tissue and decreased mitochondrial activity and membrane potential are detected in the rat models of asthenic lung and phlegm blocking combined with CVA.
PubMed: 30546407
DOI: 10.3892/etm.2018.6863 -
Evidence-based Complementary and... 2022To explore the clinical effect of acupoint application on the outcome of fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) of the...
OBJECTIVE
To explore the clinical effect of acupoint application on the outcome of fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) of the phlegm-dampness type and elucidate its possible mechanism of action from the perspective of follicular fluid metabolomics.
METHODS
A total of 90 patients undergoing IVF-ET due to infertility were selected and divided into three groups: the treatment group (PCOS with acupoint application, = 30), the control group (PCOS without acupoint application, = 30), and the normal group (non-PCOS, = 30). All patients received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) long protocol for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). Among them, the treatment group was also given the acupoint application from the day of pituitary downregulation to the day of the human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) trigger. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography connected with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was adopted for untargeted metabolomic analysis of follicular fluid collected from the three groups of patients on the day of oocyte pick-up (OPU). The significantly differential metabolites were screened using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, and the related metabolic pathways were identified by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis.
RESULTS
Metabolomic analysis showed that the treatment group's follicular fluid samples were aggregated with the normal group and separated from the control group. A total of 34 significantly differential metabolites were found in the follicular fluid of patients with phlegm-dampness PCOS and normal people. With the intervention of acupoint application, seven metabolites (pseudouridine, phenol, 2-oxoadipic acid, 9R,10S-EpOME, DL-lactate, nicotinamide, and DL-indole-3-lactic acid) were all downregulated, mainly involving the pathways of pyruvate metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, biosynthesis of amino acids, and pyrimidine metabolism.
CONCLUSIONS
Acupoint application can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and the outcome of IVF-ET treatment in patients with PCOS of the phlegm-dampness type, and its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of the pathways of pyruvate metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, biosynthesis of amino acids, and pyrimidine metabolism.
PubMed: 36276871
DOI: 10.1155/2022/9568417 -
Evidence-based Complementary and... 2017To study the correlation between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitution and dyslipidemia. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To study the correlation between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitution and dyslipidemia.
METHODS
CNKI, VIP, Wanfang database, CBMdisc, PubMed, and Embase were searched, and meta-analysis was performed by Review Manager 5.2 software.
RESULTS
Altogether 11 studies were included with 12890 individuals. The results showed that balanced constitution was a protective factor of dyslipidemia (OR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.47~0.82) while phlegm-dampness constitution was a risk factor of it (OR = 2.50, 95% CI 2.22~2.80), and the effect of phlegm-dampness constitution in South China (OR = 3.31, 95% CI 1.71~6.43) was more obvious than that in East (OR = 2.40, 95% CI 2.06~2.80) and North China (OR = 2.24, 95% CI 1.81~2.78).
CONCLUSION
This study provides evidence for the prevention and treatment of dyslipidemia in TCM. However, most of the studies included are of moderate quality; more high quality, multicenter, large-sample studies are expected to provide higher level evidence.
PubMed: 29234371
DOI: 10.1155/2017/1896746 -
Contrast Media & Molecular Imaging 2022This research was aimed to explore the application of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) based on intelligent iterative reconstruction technique in the early...
Artificial Intelligence Algorithm-Based High-Resolution Computed Tomography Image in the Treatment of Children with Bronchiolitis Obliterans by Traditional Chinese Medicine Method of Resolving Phlegm and Removing Blood Stasis.
This research was aimed to explore the application of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) based on intelligent iterative reconstruction technique in the early diagnosis and treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) in children and to explore the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in resolving phlegm and removing blood stasis. Sixty pediatric patients with BO were selected as the study subjects and diagnosed by HRCT scanning, and the scanned images were processed by iterative reconstruction technique. The patients were treated with TCM therapy of resolving phlegm and removing blood stasis alone (group A), HRCT-guided TCM therapy of resolving phlegm and removing blood stasis (group B), and iterative reconstruction HRCT-guided TCM therapy of resolving phlegm and removing blood stasis (group C). The results showed that the lung HRCT image after iterative reconstruction was closer to the original image than that after filtered back projection reconstruction, and the edge of the image after filtered back projection reconstruction was more blurred and the noise was higher. The image obtained by iterative reconstruction technique was smoother and clearer, and the image stability after iterative reconstruction was higher. The treatment results showed that the proportion of moderate and severe obstruction in group C was 5.18%, which was significantly lower than that in group A (18.75%) and group B (11.29%), and group B was significantly lower than that in group A (18.75%) ( < 0.05). The proportion of clinical effect in group C after treatment was 70.18%, significantly higher than that in group A (55.5%) and group B (63.34%), and that in group B was significantly higher than that in group A (55.5%) ( < 0.05). In summary, the lung HRCT after iterative reconstruction can more clearly and intuitively show the lesion site, which has a key role in guiding the early diagnosis and treatment planning of BO; the HRCT image based on iterative reconstruction technique combined with TCM treatment of removing blood stasis and resolving phlegm has a better therapeutic effect on children, with a high application value.
Topics: Algorithms; Artificial Intelligence; Bronchiolitis Obliterans; Child; Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 35685664
DOI: 10.1155/2022/8952791 -
COPD Aug 2014Cough and phlegm are common in COPD. Previous studies have shown conflicting evidence regarding their association with mortality and lung function. We sought to better...
Cough and phlegm are common in COPD. Previous studies have shown conflicting evidence regarding their association with mortality and lung function. We sought to better understand how cough and phlegm impact mortality and lung function in COPD. We analyzed data from the Lung Health Study, consisting of 5,887 smokers with mild to moderate airflow obstruction followed longitudinally. We assessed the association between baseline symptoms of cough alone, phlegm alone, and cough and phlegm with 12.5-year mortality and annual lung function decline. Average age at entry was 48.5 years (± 6.8) with 63% males and 4% African Americans. Cough alone was present in 17%, phlegm alone in 12%, while 31% had both. Neither symptom alone was associated with death, but the combination was associated with increased risk of death after adjustment for age, gender, race, smoking status at year 5, pack-years smoked, randomization group, baseline FEV1 percent predicted (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.02-1.59). Individuals with cough and phlegm together more commonly died of respiratory causes than those without. Cough with phlegm was associated with 48 mL lower baseline FEV1 (95% CI -90, -6), while neither symptom alone was associated with baseline FEV1. No symptom was associated with FEV1 longitudinally. Cough and phlegm together are associated with mortality and lung function decrement in mild-to-moderate COPD, independent of lung function and smoking status. Respiratory causes of death are common among those with cough and phlegm. Such information can help to identify subsets of individuals with COPD having higher risk for adverse outcomes.
Topics: Adult; Cough; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Mucociliary Clearance; Mucus; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Risk Factors; Smoking; Survival Rate
PubMed: 24127996
DOI: 10.3109/15412555.2013.837870 -
International Journal of Chronic... 2020Chronic cough and phlegm are frequently reported chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms. Prior research classified chronic mucus hypersecretion (CMH)...
BACKGROUND
Chronic cough and phlegm are frequently reported chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms. Prior research classified chronic mucus hypersecretion (CMH) based on the presence of these symptoms for ≥3 months, called chronic bronchitis (CB) if respiratory infection symptoms were present for 1-2 years (Medical Research Council [MRC] definition). We explored whether the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), a simple measure developed for routine clinical use, captures CMH populations and outcomes similarly to MRC and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) definitions.
METHODS
We identified CMH in the SPIROMICS COPD cohort using (a) MRC definitions, (b) SGRQ questions for cough and phlegm (both as most/several days a week), and (c) CAT cough and phlegm questions. We determined optimal cut-points for CAT items and described exacerbation frequencies for different CMH definitions. Moderate exacerbations required a new prescription for antibiotics/oral corticosteroids or emergency department visit; severe exacerbations required hospitalization. Results were stratified by smoking status.
RESULTS
In a population of 1431 participants (57% male; mean FEV% predicted 61%), 47% and 49% of evaluable participants had SGRQ- or CAT-defined CMH, respectively. A cut-point of ≥2 for cough and phlegm items defined CMH in CAT. Among SGRQ-CMH+ participants, 80% were also defined as CMH+ by the CAT. CMH+ participants were more likely to be current smokers. A higher exacerbation frequency was observed for presence of CMH+ versus CMH- in the year prior to baseline for all CMH definitions; this trend continued across 3 years of follow-up, regardless of smoking status.
CONCLUSION
Items from the CAT identified SGRQ-defined CMH, a frequent COPD trait that correlated with exacerbation frequency. The CAT is a short, simple questionnaire and a potentially valuable tool for telemedicine or real-world trials. CAT-based CMH is a novel approach for identifying clinically important characteristics in COPD that can be ascertained in these settings.
Topics: Bronchitis, Chronic; Female; Humans; Male; Mucus; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Quality of Life; Respiratory Function Tests; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 33116463
DOI: 10.2147/COPD.S267002 -
The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 1978The visit of two Tibetan physicians provided a unique opportunity to gain insight into a practice of medicine very different from that of Western civilization. Initial...
The visit of two Tibetan physicians provided a unique opportunity to gain insight into a practice of medicine very different from that of Western civilization. Initial discussions indicated that the practice of medicine and mysticism were inextricably interwoven in the Tibetan culture. Accordingly, the focus of the study was directed to goiter, which is both common in the Himalayas and easy to define.In Tibetan medical practice, illness is considered to be derived from both proximate and distant causes. Three humors, "wind," "bile," and "phlegm" are thought to be responsible for normal mental and physical functions when in balance, but disease when out of balance. Goiter was thought to be due to an imbalance of these humors. The Western discovery that endemic goiter in the Himalayas was due to iodine deficiency explained the proximate cause but did not explain why some individuals have goiter and others do not in the same iodine deficient village.
Topics: China; Education, Medical; Female; Goiter, Endemic; Humans; Male; Medicine, East Asian Traditional; Philosophy, Medical
PubMed: 751325
DOI: No ID Found -
BioMed Research International 2021Constitution in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a key role in the genesis, development, and prognosis of diseases. Phlegm-dampness constitution (PDC) is one of...
BACKGROUND
Constitution in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a key role in the genesis, development, and prognosis of diseases. Phlegm-dampness constitution (PDC) is one of the nine constitutions in TCM, susceptible to metabolic disorders, which is mainly manifested by profuse phlegm, loose abdomen, and greasy face. Epidemiologic, genomic, and epigenetic studies have been carried out in previous works, confirming that PDC represents a distinctive population with microcosmic changes related to metabolic disorders. However, whether long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a regulatory role in metabolic disease in subjects with PDC remains largely unknown. We aimed to investigate distinct lncRNA and mRNA expression signatures and lncRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in the phlegm-dampness constitution (PDC).
METHODS
The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from the subjects with PDC ( = 13) and balanced constitution (BC) ( = 9). The profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs in PBMCs were analyzed using microarray and further validated with RT-qPCR. Subsequently, pathway analysis was performed to investigate the function of differentially expressed mRNAs by using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA).
RESULTS
Results suggested that some mRNAs, which were regulated by the differentially expressed lncRNAs, were mainly enriched in lipid metabolism and immune inflammation-related pathways. This was consistent with the molecular characteristics of previous studies, indicating that the clinical characteristics of metabolic disorders in PDC might be regulated by lncRNAs. Furthermore, by making coexpression network construction as well as -regulated target gene analysis, several lncRNA-mRNA pairs with potential regulatory relationships were identified by bioinformatic analyses, including RP11-317J10.2-CA3, RP11-809C18.3-PIP4K2A, LINC0069-RFTN1, TTTY15-ARHGEF9, and AC135048.13-ORAI3.
CONCLUSIONS
This study first revealed that the expression characteristics of lncRNAs/mRNAs may be potential biomarkers, indicating that the distinctive physical and clinical characteristics of PDC might be partially attributed to the specific expression signatures of lncRNAs/mRNAs.
Topics: Adult; Computational Biology; Female; Gene Regulatory Networks; Humans; Inflammation; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Lipid Metabolism; Male; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Metabolic Diseases; RNA, Long Noncoding; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 34926685
DOI: 10.1155/2021/4896282 -
Evidence-based Complementary and... 2013TRADITIONAL KOREAN MEDICINE CLASSIFIES STROKE INTO FOUR SUBTYPE PATTERNS ACCORDING TO SYMPTOMATIC PATTERN IDENTIFICATION: Qi deficiency (QD), Yin deficiency (YD),...
TRADITIONAL KOREAN MEDICINE CLASSIFIES STROKE INTO FOUR SUBTYPE PATTERNS ACCORDING TO SYMPTOMATIC PATTERN IDENTIFICATION: Qi deficiency (QD), Yin deficiency (YD), Dampness-phlegm (DP), and Fire and Heat (FH). This study investigated the difference in metabolic profiles of plasma comparing subjects displaying non-DP and DP patterns. A total of 141 patients with cerebral infarction enrolled in this study were distributed as non-DP (N = 68) and DP (N = 73). Anthropometric parameters and symptom/sign index were measured. Metabolic profiling was performed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The Ratio of subjects with slippery pulse was higher in DP pattern, but fine pulse was lower than that in non-DP pattern. As a result of metabolomics analysis, twenty-one metabolites displayed different levels between non-DP and DP patterns. Two were identified as lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), LPC(18:2), and LPC(20:3) having an unsaturated acyl chain and showed lower levels in DP pattern than in non-DP pattern (P = 0.015, 0.034, resp.). However, the saturated LPCs, LPC(18:0) and LPC(16:0), exhibited slight but statistically insignificant elevation in DP pattern. Our results demonstrated that plasma LPCs with polyunsaturated fatty acid groups were associated with DP pattern and suggest that variation of plasma lipid profiles may serve as potential biomarker for diagnosis of DP pattern.
PubMed: 23573132
DOI: 10.1155/2013/517018