Chinese Medicine - Latest Articles

Using Guasha to treat musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review of controlled clinical trials

Myeong Soo Lee — 2010-01-29T00:00:00Z

Background: Guasha is a therapeutic method for pain management using tools to scrape or rub the surface of the body to relieve blood stagnation. This study aims to systematically review the controlled clinical trials on the effectiveness of using Guasha to treat musculoskeletal pain. Methods: We searched 11 databases (without language restrictions): MEDLINE, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Korean Studies Information (KSI), DBPIA, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), KoreaMed, Research Information Service System (RISS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the Cochrane Library. The search strategy was Guasha (OR scraping) AND pain. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane criteria (i.e. sequence generation, blinding, incomplete outcome measures and allocation concealment). Results: Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and two controlled clinical trials (CCTs) were included in the present study. Two RCTs compared Guasha with acupuncture in terms of effectiveness, while the other trials compared Guasha with no treatment (1 trial), acupuncture (4 trials), herbal injection (1 trial) and massage or electric current therapy (1 trial). While two RCTs suggested favorable effects of Guasha on pain reduction and response rate, the quality of these RCTs was poor. One CCT reported beneficial effects of Guasha on musculoskeletal pain but had low methodological quality. Conclusion: Current evidence is insufficient to show that Guasha is effective in pain management. Further RCTs are warranted and methodological quality should be improved.

Quality evaluation of mycelial Antrodia camphorata using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode array detector and mass spectrometry (DAD-MS)

Sandy Zhao — 2010-01-29T00:00:00Z

Background: Antrodia camphorata (AC) is an important fungus native to Taiwanese forested regions. Scientific studies have demonstrated that extracts of AC possess a variety of pharmacological functions. This study aims to identify the full profile fingerprint of nucleosides and nucleobases in mycelial AC and to access the quality of two commercial mycelial AC products. Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and mass spectrometry was employed to identify the major components in mycelial AC. The chemical separation was carried out using a gradient program on a reverse phase Alltima C18 AQ analytical column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 mum) with the mobile phase consisting of deionized water and methanol. Results: Ten nucleosides and nucleobases, two maleimide derivatives, and a sterol were identified as the major constituents in mycelial AC. These groups of chemical compounds constitute the first chromatographic fingerprint as an index for quality assessment of this medicinal fungus. Conclusions: This study provides the first chromatographic fingerprint to assess the quality of mycelial AC.

Antioxidant effects of ethyl acetate extract of Desmodium gangeticum root on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury in rat hearts

Gino Kurian — 2010-01-22T00:00:00Z

Background This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant potential of ethyl acetate extract of Desmodium gangeticum root for cardioprotection from ischemia reperfusion-induced oxidative stress. Methods The in vitro antioxidant potential of the extract was in terms of hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, lipid peroxide scavenging activity, nitric oxide scavenging activity and diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity. The in vivo antioxidant potential of the extract was assessed in an isolated rat heart model. Results Free radicals were scavenged by the extract in a concentration-dependent manner within the range of the given concentrations in all models. Administration of the ethyl acetate extract of Desmodium gangeticum root (100mg per kg body weight) before global ischemia caused a significant improvement of cardiac function and a decrease in the release of lactate dehydrogenase in coronary effluent, as well as the level of malondialdehyde in myocardial tissues. Conclusion The ethyl acetate extract of Desmodium gangeticum root protects the myocardium against ischemia-reperfusion-induced damage in rats. The effects of the extract may be related to the inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

Semantic Web for data harmonization in Chinese medicine

Kei-Hoi Cheung — 2010-01-12T00:00:00Z

Scientific studies to investigate Chinese medicine with Western medicine have been generating a large amount of data to be shared preferably under a global data standard. This article provides an overview of Semantic Web and identifies some representative Semantic Web applications in Chinese medicine. Semantic Web is proposed as a standard for representing Chinese medicine data and facilitating their integration with Western medicine data.

Are acupoints specific for diseases? A systematic review of the randomized controlled trials with sham acupuncture controls

Hongwei Zhang — 2010-01-12T00:00:00Z

Background The results of many clinical trials and experimental studies regarding acupoint specificity are contradictory. This review aims to investigate whether a difference in efficacy exists between ordinary acupuncture on specific acupoints and sham acupuncture controls on non-acupoints or on irrelevant acupoints. Methods Databases including Medline, Embase, AMED and Chinese Biomedical Database were searched to identify randomized controlled trials published between 1998 and 2009 that compared traditional body acupuncture on acupoints with sham acupuncture controls on irrelevant acupoints or non-acupoints with the same needling depth. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias was employed to address the quality of the included trials. Results Twelve acupuncture clinical trials with sham acupuncture controls were identified and included in the review. The conditions treated varied. Half of the included trials had positive results on the primary outcomes and demonstrated acupoint specificity. However, among those six trials (total sample size: 985) with low risk of bias, five trials (sample size: 940) showed no statistically significant difference between proper and sham acupuncture treatments. Conclusion This review did not demonstrate the existence of acupoint specificity. Further clinical trials with larger sample sizes, optimal acupuncture treatment protocols and appropriate sham acupuncture controls are required to resolve this important issue.

Cancer patients' attitudes towards Chinese medicine: a Hong Kong survey

Yuen-chi Lam — 2009-12-30T00:00:00Z

Background: This article reports a survey conducted in Hong Kong on the cancer patients' attitudes towards Chinese medicine treatment. Methods: Cancer patients from three Chinese medicine clinics and one oncology clinic were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Results: Of a total of 786 participants included in the study, 42.9% used Western medicine only; 57.1% used at least one form of Chinese medicine; 5 participants used Chinese medicine only; and 56.5% used Chinese medicine before/during/after Western medicine treatment. Commonly used Western medicine and Chinese medicine treatments included chemotherapy (63.7%), radiotherapy (62.0%), surgery (57.6%), Chinese herbal medicine (53.9%) and Chinese dietary therapy (9.5%). Participants receiving chemotherapy used Chinese medicine (63.3%) more than those receiving any other Western medicine treatments. Spearman correlation coefficients showed that the selection of Chinese medicine was associated with the cancer type (rs = -1.36; P < 0.001), stage (rs = 0.178; P < 0.001), duration (rs = -0.074; P = 0.037), whether receiving chemotherapy (rs = 0.165; P < 0.001) and palliative therapy (rs = 0.087; P = 0.015). Nearly two-thirds of the participants (N = 274) did not tell their physicians about using Chinese medicine. Over two-thirds of all participants (68.2%) believed that integrated Chinese and Western medicine was effective. Conclusion: Chinese medicine is commonly used among Hong Kong cancer patients. The interviewed cancer patients in Hong Kong considered integrative Chinese and Western medicine is an effective cancer treatment.

Diagnostic accuracy of pattern differentiation algorithm based on Chinese medicine theory: a stochastic simulation study

Arthur Ferreira — 2009-12-21T00:00:00Z

Background: Clinical practice of Chinese medicine requires little information for differentiation of Zang-fu patterns. This study is to test the impact of information amount on the diagnostic accuracy of pattern differentiation algorithm (PDA) using stochastic simulation of cases. Methods: A dataset with 69 Zang-fu single patterns was used with manifestations according to the Four Examinations, namely inspection (Ip), auscultation and olfaction (AO), inquiry (Iq) and palpation (P). A variable quantity of available information (N%) was randomly sampled to generate 100 true positive and 100 true negative manifestation profiles per pattern to which PDA was applied. Four runs of simulations were used according to the Four Examinations: Ip, Ip+AO, Ip+AO+Iq and Ip+AO+Iq+P. The algorithm performed pattern differentiation by ranking a list of diagnostic hypotheses by the amount of explained information F%. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and negative and positive predictive values were calculated. Results: Use the Four Examinations resulted in the best accuracy with the smallest cutoff value (N% = 28.5%), followed by Ip+AO+Iq (33.5%), Ip+AO (51.5%) and Ip (52.0%). All tested combinations provided concave-shaped curves for accuracy, indicating an optimal value subject to N%-cutoff. Use of N%-cutoff as a secondary criterion resulted in 94.7% (94.3; 95.1) accuracy, 89.8% (89.1; 90.6) sensitivity, and 99.5% (99.3; 99.7) specificity with the Four Examinations. Conclusion: Pattern differentiation based on both explained and optimum available information (F% and N%-cutoff) is more accurate than using explained and available information without cutoff (F% and N%). Both F% and N%-cutoff should be used as PDA's objective criteria to perform Zang-fu single pattern differentiation.

Effects of Kombucha on oxidative stress induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Ola Gharib — 2009-11-27T00:00:00Z

Background: Trichloroethylene (TCE) may induce oxidative stress which generates free radicals and alters antioxidants or oxygen-free radical scavenging enzymes. Methods: Twenty male albino rats were divided into four groups: (1) the control group treated with vehicle, (2) Kombucha (KT)-treated group, (3) TCE-treated group and (4) KT/TCE-treated group. Kidney lipid peroxidation, glutathione content, nitric oxide (NO) and total blood free radical concentrations were evaluated. Serum urea, creatinine level, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were also measured. Results: TCE administration increased the malondiahyde (MDA) and NO contents in kidney, urea and creatinine concentrations in serum, total free radical level in blood and GGT and LDH activities in serum, whereas it decreased the glutathione (GSH) level in kidney homogenate. KT administration significantly improved lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress induced by TCE. Conclusion: The present study indicates that Kombucha may repair damage caused by environmental pollutants such as TCE and may be beneficial to patient suffering from renal impairment.

A novel combination of Chinese medicines to treat advanced cancers and lymphomas tested in rats

Dawn Waterhouse — 2009-11-27T00:00:00Z

Background: Chinese medicine often targets more than one system and as such comprises several compounds, often in non-purified form, with treatments therefore consisting of whole extracts of herbs rather than isolated compounds. The additive and synergistic effects of the phytochemicals in OMN54, a novel mixture of extracts from three commonly used Chinese medicine components; Ganoderma lucidum, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Scutellaria barbata, were previously demonstrated to have potent anti-cancer activity. This study aims to test whether this heterogeneous, multifunctional and multitargeted agent has an acceptable toxicity profile. Methods: We conducted preliminary and formal preclinical tolerability determination of OMN54 in Sprague-Dawley rats. In the preliminary study rats were given OMN54 by oral feeding daily for 14 days at doses of 1000 mg/kg, 1750 mg/kg, 2500 mg/kg or 3000 mg/kg per day. A subsequent daily dosing (x 28, 60, 120 or 180) formal toxicology study was conducted in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats at a dose of single dose of 2000 mg/kg/day. Results: Significant body weight loss was noted in one of the rats treated at 3000 mg/kg/day, with decline beginning study day 11. This animal experienced mild GI toxicity in the form of diarrhoea. Gross observation indicated kidney damage (pale kidneys) in both this group and in one rat treated at 2500 mg/kg/day. For the later studies, no body weight loss was noted over the course of the study. Blood counts and chemistry were not substantially altered following administration of OMN54, nor were there any findings on histological assessment of organs. Conclusion: OMN54 was found to be well tolerated in rat models. OMN54 did not cause any microscopic, anatomic or pathologic changes in exposed animals at the concentrations and under the conditions employed in this study.

Patent applications for using DNA technologies to authenticate medicinal herbal material

Pang-Chui Shaw — 2009-11-24T00:00:00Z

Herbal medicines are used in many countries for maintaining health and treating diseases. Their efficacy depends on the use of the correct materials, and life-threatening poisoning may occur if toxic adulterants or substitutes are administered instead. Identification of a medicinal material at the DNA level provides an objective and powerful tool for quality control. Extraction of high-quality DNA is the first crucial step in DNA authentication, followed by a battery of DNA techniques including whole genome fingerprinting, DNA sequencing and DNA microarray to establish the identity of the material. New or improved technologies have been developed and valuable data have been collected and compiled for DNA authentication. Some of these technologies and data are patentable. This article provides an overview of some recent patents that cover the extraction of DNA from medicinal materials, the amplification of DNA using improved reaction conditions, the generation of DNA sequences and fingerprints, and the development of high-throughput authentication methods. It also briefly explains why these patents have been granted.