Academic literature on the topic 'Fu wu qi'

Background: To explore the prescription rules of famous ancient physicians in the treatment of threatened miscarriage. Methods: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescriptions for threatened miscarriage were screened out of Fu Ren Da Quan Liang Fang by Ziming Chen, Yi Zong Jin Jian by Qian Wu, and Fu Qing Zhu Nv Ke by Qingzhu Fu. Data were standardized and analyzed through the TCM inheritance auxiliary platform. Results: A total of 29 prescriptions for threatened miscarriage were screened. Dang Gui, E Jiao, Gan Cao, Chuan Xiong, Bai Shao were the top five frequently prescribed Chinese herbs. The common herb–herb combinations used by Ziming Chen contained E Jiao, Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Ai Ye, Cong Bai, and Sang Ji Sheng. Ren Shen, Gan Cao, and Bai Zhu were the common herbal groups used by Qingzhu Fu. Huang Qi, Shu Di Huang, Bai Shao, Dang Gui, and Gan Cao were one of Qian Wu’s core prescriptions, with Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong being the others. According to the analysis of four Qi, five flavors, and meridian tropism of the prescriptions, herbs with the warm nature, or with the sweet, pungent, bitter flavors topped the list of application. The top six meridian tropisms of high-frequency herbs were: liver, spleen, lung, kidney, heart, and stomach meridian. Conclusion: Based on the principle of restoring the balance within the organs and enriching Qi and blood, clinical treatment of threatened miscarriage involves invigorating the Chong and Ren channels, nourishing Yin, dispelling cold and wind, generating and activating blood, regulating and harmonizing Qi.

Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIPN) has a relevant impact on the quality of life of cancer patients. There are no curative conventional treatments, so further options have to be investigated. We conducted a systematic review in English and Chinese language databases to illuminate the role of medical herbs. 26 relevant studies on 5 single herbs, one extract, one receptor-agonist, and 8 combinations of herbs were identified focusing on the single herbsAcorus calamus rhizoma,Cannabis sativa fructus,Chamomilla matricaria,Ginkgo biloba,Salvia officinalis,Sweet bee venom,Fritillaria cirrhosae bulbus,and the herbal combinations Bu Yang Huan Wu, modified Bu Yang Huan Wu plus Liuwei Di Huang, modified Chai Hu Long Gu Mu Li Wan,Geranii herbaplusAconiti lateralis praeparata radix, Niu Che Sen Qi Wan (Goshajinkigan), Gui Zhi Jia Shu Fu Tang (Keishikajutsubuto), Huang Qi Wu Wu Tang (Ogikeishigomotsuto), and Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang(Shakuyakukanzoto). The knowledge of mechanism of action is still limited, the quality of clinical trials needs further improvement, and studies have not yielded enough evidence to establish a standard practice, but a lot of promising substances have been identified. While CIPN has multiple mechanisms of neuronal degeneration, a combination of herbs or substances might deal with multiple targets for the aim of neuroprotection or neuroregeneration in CIPN.

Oracle-bone scholars have long uniformly read the charges (i.e., the portion that mentions the event being divined) of Shang oracle-bone inscriptions as questions. Since the 1970's, many foreign oracle-bone scholars have proposed a new view that the charges are never questions, or at least are generally not questions. Whether or not the charges are actually questions is a very important question bearing not only on oracle bone studies, but also on research on ancient divination and on ancient Chinese grammar. Based on an examination of a great number of Shang oracle-bone inscriptions, the author of this essay believes that charges that can now be determined to be questions are mainly those choice-type charges in early inscriptions that contain the final particles yi and zhi, and true-or-false type charges that contain yi. Charges of the type “V bu V” (such as “rain not rain” [yu bu yu]) and “V bu,” regarded by many as choice-type questions, are actually comprised of the charge and a verification or use notation, the “bu V” being a verification and the “bu” being either a verification or a use notation (similar to the notation bu yong, “do not use”). Charges that can now be determined not to be questions are mainly in those inscriptions with complex charges, such as “this *spring the king ought not ally with Wang Cheng to attack Xia Wei, (for if he does) he will not receive divine assistance” (jin ?chun wang wu bi Wang Cheng fa Xia? Wei, fu qi shou you you, and “On ren we ought not hunt, (for if we do) it will rain” (ren wu tian, qi yu), the syntax of which shows that they cannot be questions.

Background:Recent studies have reported that some drugs such as low-dose interleukin-2, rapamycin, metformin, retinoic acid and coenzyme Q10 could promote the proliferation and functional recovery of regulatory T cells (Treg) in patients with autoimmune diseases. However, the effects on the balance of Treg cells and pro-inflammatory lymphocytes and long-term efficacy have rarely been reported.Objectives:To evaluate the changes of peripheral lymphocyte subsets, conventional drugs and remission rate in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after immunomodulatory combination therapies.Methods:A total of 189 patients with SLE from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2016 to October 2019 were enrolled, who were divided into well-controlled group and untargeted control group taking a full consideration of the patient’s symptoms, signs and related laboratory findings. We measured the absolute counts of B, NK, CD8+T and helper T 1 (Th1), helper T 2 (Th2), helper T 17 (Th17) and Treg cells in peripheral blood of patients before immunomodulatory combination therapies and during the 3 months and 6 months of follow-up and 190 sex- and age- matched control individuals using flow cytometry. Moreover, the ratios of various cells to Treg cells were calculated.Results:Compared with healthy controls, Treg cells in SLE patients were significantly lower before the treatment with immunomodulator, while the ratios of various pro-inflammatory lymphocytes to Treg cells (such as Th2/Treg, Th17/Treg, CD8+T/Treg, etc.) were higher. After 3 months and 6 months with immunomodulatory therapy, the absolute number of Treg cells in peripheral blood of SLE patients increased obviously reaching to normal level. Accordingly, the ratios of various pro-inflammatory lymphocytes to Treg cells recovered. At the same time, the dose of glucocorticoid and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) decreased distinctly. Additionally, the well-controlled group was able to maintain a high remission rate, and the untargeted control group could achieve a higher response rate after immunomodulatory treatment.Conclusion:The imbalance between pro-inflammatory lymphocytes and Treg cells caused by the significant decrease of Treg cells may be the main cause of SLE. And immunomodulatory combination therapies we came up with may reverse the imbalance of proinflammatory lymphocytes and Treg cells, which is an potential and effective treatment for SLE.References:[1]Noack M, Miossec P. Th17 and regulatory T cell balance in autoimmune and inflammatory disease[J]. Autoimmun Rev, 2014, 13(6): 668-677.[2]Yu A, Snowhite I, Vendrame F, et al. Selective IL-2 responsiveness of regulatory T cells through multiple intrinsic mechanisms supports the use of low-dose IL-2 therapy in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes. 2015;64: 2172–2183.[3]Schuiveling M, Vazirpanah N, Radstake TRDJ, Zimmermann M, Broen JCA. Metformin, A New Era for an Old Drug in the Treatment of Immune Mediated Disease?[J]. Curr Drug Targets, 2017;18:1-15.Table 1.The changes of remission rate in the no-remission group during follow-up.Follow-up periodTotal patientsRemissionNo-remissionRemission rate(%)Baseline9209203 Months72333945.8a6 Months74423256.8aa: Compared with baseline; b: Compared with 3 months.Acknowledgments:We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our coworkers and collaborators, Jing Luo, Xiangcong Zhao, Chen Zhang, Qi Wu, Congcong Liang, and Rui Fu for their technical support.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Background:Behcet’s disease (BD) is a chronic multisystemic disease. Several studies have shown that immune mechanisms play an important role in the development of the disease and limited options of therapeutic medicines for BD. Low dose IL-2 has been reported to selectively promote the expansion of Treg.Objectives:To evaluate the significance of Treg cells and cytokines in the pathogenesis and the changes of peripheral lymphocyte subsets and clinical indexes in patients with BD after low dose IL-2 therapy.Methods:Absolute number of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+Treg, CD4+IL17+T (Th17) and other subsets in peripheral blood (PB) from 177 patients with BD and 160 healthy donors were characterized by flow cytometry combined with an internal microsphere counting standard. And cytokines were analyzed by cytometric beads array. Thirty-nine patients were treated with daily subcutaneous injections of 0.5 million IU of human IL-2 for five consecutive days, and then its effects were analyzed.Results:As compared to healthy controls, the number of Treg cells were significantly decreased in BD patients (median:22.32 cells/ul VS median:33.12 cells/ul,P<0.001), while there was no difference about Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells. Accordingly, the median ratios of Th17/Tregs cells in patients were greatly higher than those of healthy volunteers. Besides, the circulating NK cells in the patients appeared to be lower than the proportion in the healthy donors. While no difference was observed for that of T, B, CD4+T, CD8+T cells between groups. Further, the correlation analysis showed that circulating Treg levels were negatively correlated with ESR, CRP and BDCAF respectively, suggesting an important role of Tregs in sustained high disease activity. While no obvious correlation was seen in Th1, Th2, Th17 and NK cells. Then the results showed there was a statistically significant decrease in the secretion of IL-10 in the BD patients (P= 0.004), not for IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17 and IL-6.To evaluate the effects of IL-2 on lymphocytes in vivo, we examined 39 inpatients who received daily low-dose IL-2 at the dosage of 50 WIU for 5 days. It showed that, besides NK cells, total T cells, B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, Th1 cells, Th2 cells, and Th17 cells were all increased after IL-2 treatment. But only Treg cells were amplified more dramatically, with the four-fold increase. Accordingly, the ratio of Th17/Treg was decreased significantly in patients with IL-2 treatment, tended to balance and had no difference with healthy individuals. At the same time, we found that the symptom were mitigated obviously and disease activity including ESR and CRP were both decreased distinctly without observed side effects.Conclusion:Absolute decrease of PB Tregs in patients with BD was associated with disease activity,which might be the major reason for imbalance of Th17/Tregs. It is speculated that BD is an autoimmune disease triggered by the defect of immunotolerance. More importantly, low-dose IL-2 proposes a selective biological treatment strategy by restoring immune tolerance and promoting rapidly remission.References:[1]Lopalco G, Lucherini OM, Lopalco A, et al. Cytokine signatures in mucocutaneous and ocular Behçet’s disease. Front Immunol. 2017;8:200.[2]Lucherini OM, Lopalco G, Cantarini L, et al. Critical regulation of Th17 cell differentiation by serum amyloid-A signalling in Behcet’s disease. Immunol Lett. 2018;201:38-44.[3]Noack M, Miossec P. Th17 and regulatory T cell balance in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases[J]. Autoimmun Rev,2014,13(6):668-677.Figure 1.The ratios of Th17/Treg among Healthy controls(HC), Before treatment and After treatment.Figure 2.The changes of disease activity in BD patients after low-dose IL-2 treatment.Acknowledgments: :We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our coworkers and collaborators, to Jing Luo, Xiangcong Zhao, Chen Zhang, Qi Wu, Congcong Liang, and Rui Fu for their technical support.Disclosure of Interests:None declared