Herbal Medicine News and Research

Unscheduled bleeding in combined oral contraceptive users: focus on extended-cycle and continuous-use regimens.

J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care. 2009 Oct;35(4):245-8

Authors: Hickey M, Agarwal S

Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are highly effective when correctly used but unscheduled bleeding, which occurs fairly commonly during the early months, is disruptive for many women. The mechanisms underlying this bleeding are not fully understood. Several studies have shown that extended-cycle or continuous-use COCs are typically associated with higher initial rates of unscheduled bleeding than are conventional 21-day cyclical COCs. Some medicines, herbal supplements and smoking may increase unscheduled bleeding by interfering with estrogen metabolism. The most common cause of unscheduled bleeding is non-adherence to a prescribed COC regimen. Compliance can be improved by appropriate counselling of women about the possibility of unscheduled bleeding and the importance of adherence to the pill regimen. If abnormal bleeding persists beyond 3-4 months and causes such as incorrect usage can be ruled out, other causes should be considered.

PMID: 19849921 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Four new fatty acid esters from the Feces of Trogopterus xanthipes.

Lipids. 2009 Sep;44(9):849-53

Authors: Yang NY, Tao WW, Duan JA, Guo JM, Cao LL

Four new fatty acid esters have been isolated from Feces Trogopterus. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods to be bis(7-hydroxyheptyl) icosanedioate (1), bis(7-hydroxyheptyl) heptadecanedioate (2), bis(7-hydroxyheptyl) decanedioate (3), and bis(7-hydroxyheptyl) octanedioate (4). In the anticoagulative assay, compounds 3 and 4 had significant antithrombin activity.

PMID: 19649668 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Wuling Capsule for climacteric patients with depression and anxiety state: a randomized, positive parallel controlled trial.]

Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2009 Nov;7(11):1042-6

Authors: Wang XJ, Li J, Zou QD, Jin L

Background: The incidence of menopausal anxiety and depression is increasing. It can induce and aggravate a variety of somatic symptoms. Despite of the good effects of psychotropic drugs on the disease, patients' compliance is poor. Therefore, it is necessary to find a drug which is practical, effective, and easy for patients to take. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Wuling Capsule (WC), a Chinese herbal medicine, in treatment of female climacteric syndrome with depression and anxiety state. Design, setting, participants and interventions: A total of 96 outpatients of female climacteric syndrome from Department of Gynecology of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Department of Gynecology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University were included. The study was designed as a randomized, positive drug parallel controlled trial. The patients were divided into WC group (64 cases) and control group (32 cases) and were orally administered Wuling Capsule and Gengnianan Tablet, respectively. Main outcome measures: The efficacy was evaluated with Kupperman menopausal index (KMI), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) before treatment, and after 3-week and 6-week treatment. Results: The total response rate was 89.66% (52/58) in the WC group, which was superior to that in the control group [76.67% (23/30)]. Ridit test showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Kupperman score of the two groups decreased markedly after the treatment (P<0.01), but there was no statistical difference between the two groups. The scales of SAS and SDS in both groups were improved obviously after the treatment (P<0.01). Covariance analysis showed that the decrease of SAS score in the WC group was more significant than that in the control group after 3- and 6-week treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), but the SDS score was improved more significantly in the WC group than in the control group after 6-week treatment (P<0.05). Conclusion: Both Wuling Capsule and Gengnian' an Tablet are effective in treating female climacteric patients with depression and anxiety state. Wuling Capsule is more effective to alleviate depression and anxiety as compared with Gengnianan Tablet.

PMID: 19912735 [PubMed - in process]

How useful is traditional herbal medicine for pulmonary fibrosis?

Respirology. 2009 Nov;14(8):1082-91

Authors: Yang J, Cui Y, Kolb M

IPF, despite considerable advances in clinical management and understanding of its complex pathophysiology, is still a fatal disease without effective treatment. Herbal medicine has been used for more than 5000 years and is the central component of medical practice in many parts of Asia. Not surprisingly, traditional and herbal medicine is also widely applied for treatment of IPF. This review describes the most important herbal medicines that are used for IPF treatment. The relevant experimental studies investigating potential mechanisms of these drugs are discussed. The best conducted clinical studies which have reported beneficial effects of some herbal medications in the management of IPF are also evaluated. Overall, there is considerable experimental support from preclinical studies for some of these herbal medicines, but the translation into clinical practice appears difficult. The clinical trials evaluating their anti-fibrotic potential are not fulfilling the standards expected from 'Western' medicines. Systematic clinical research in this field is still in its infancy, and as such, the routine use of traditional and herbal medicine cannot be recommended for patients suffering from IPF.

PMID: 19909458 [PubMed - in process]

[Clinical observation on scalp point injection to improve the cerebral microcirculation for children of early cerebral palsy]

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2009 Oct;29(10):795-8

Authors: Su XZ, Zhao YG

OBJECTIVE: To explore an effective therapy for children of early cerebral palsy. METHODS: One hundred and twenty cases were randomly divided into an acupoint injection group and a medication group, 60 cases in each group. The acupoint injection group was treated with scalp point injection of 0.5-1 mL brain protein hydrolysate into each point, Baihui (GV 20), Fengchi (GB 20) and motor area etc. were selected; the medication group was treated with 10 mL brain protein hydrolysate by intravenous drip. The therapeutic effects in the two groups were observed, and the changes of cerebral blood flow were compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: The total effective rate of 91.4% in the acupoint injection group was superior to that of 73.7% in the medication group (P<0.05), the acupoint injection group could significantly improve the systolic peak velocity (Vs), end diastolic velocity (Ved) and mean velocity (Vm) of middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA), and decrease the vascular resistance index (RI) (all P<0.05), and the improvement degree was superior to the medication group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Scalp point injection therapy can significantly improve the cerebral microcirculation of patients, and has a good therapeutic effect for early cerebral palsy.

PMID: 19873914 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

The augmented anti-tumor effects of Antrodia camphorata co-fermented with Chinese medicinal herb in human hepatoma cells.

Am J Chin Med. 2009;37(4):771-83

Authors: Li SL, Huang ZN, Hsieh HH, Yu WC, Tzeng WY, Lee GY, Chen YP, Chang CY, Chuu JJ

Antrodia camphorata, unique fungal specie, has been used as a folk medicine in Taiwan for many years. The purpose of this study was to compare the extracts from the solid-state culture of A. camphorata co-fermented with Chinese medicinal herb (AC-CF) with two other extracts from fruiting bodies (AC-FB) or solid-state culture (AC-SS), for their anti-tumor effects in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. We measured in vitro cell proliferation, percentage of apoptosis, population distribution of cell cycles, Western blot analysis of multiple drugs resistance-1 (MDR-1), and apoptosis-related proteins in HepG2 cells treated with three different preparations of A. camphorate extracts. Our results showed that AC-CF had better anti-proliferation effect on human hepatoma HepG2 cells than AC-FB or AC-SS dose-dependently. In addition, AC-CF in combination with anti-tumor agents (mitomycin C or methotrexate) showed better adjuvant anti-tumor effects than AC-FB or AC-SS. We further demonstrated the augmented adjuvant anti-tumor effects of AC-CF not only through down regulation of MDR-1 expression but also through a COX-2 dependent apoptosis pathway, involving down-regulation of COX-2 and p-AKT and up-regulation of PARP-1. In conclusion, in this study, we have demonstrated a novel strategy of fermenting A. camphorata with Chinese medicinal herb (AC-CF), which augmented their anti-tumor effects in human hepatoma HepG2 cells as compared to the traditional ones (AC-FB or AC-SS).

PMID: 19655414 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Effect of Chinese drugs for supplementing Qi, nourishing Yin and activating blood circulation on myocardial perfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction after revascularization.

Chin J Integr Med. 2009 Feb;15(1):19-25

Authors: Li YQ, Jin M, Qiu SL, Wang PL, Zhu TG, Wang CL, Li TC, Liu HX, Bian H, Yao LF, Shi DZ

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Chinese drugs for supplementing qi, nourishing yin and activating blood circulation on the myocardial perfusion in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients after revascularization. METHODS: Eighty patients with anterior or inferior ventricular wall AMI, who had received revascularization by intravenous thrombolysis or coronary bypass, were randomized into the treated group and the control group equally, both treated with conventional Western medical treatment, but combined, respectively, with Xinyue Capsule (, XYC) plus Composite Salvia Tablet (CST) and placebo for 3 months. Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) was performed 14 days and 3 months after revascularization, respectively on every patient to observe blood perfusion extent (b value), myocardial perfusion velocity (k value) and local blood fl ow volume (k x b) in left ventricular infarction-related vascular segments under stressed state. RESULTS: With 5 cases dropping out in the observation period (3 in the treated group and 2 in the control group), the trial was completed in 75 patients in total. The 14-day DSE shows that the b value and k x b value of left anterior ventricular wall mid segment and apex segment, and the k value of apex segment in patients with anterior wall AMI, as well as the b value and k x b of basal segment in patients with inferior wall AMI in the treated group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The 3-month DSE shows that the b value of apex segment, k x b value of basal segment, mid segment and apex segment of left anterior ventricular wall in patients with anterior wall AMI as well as the b value and k x b value of basal segment of left inferior ventricular wall in patients with inferior wall AMI were all higher in the treated group than those in the control group, respectively (P<0.05). The comparison between 14-day DSE and 3-month DSE in the treated group showed that the b value of apex segment of left anterior ventricular wall in patients with anterior wall AMI and the k x b value of apex segment and mid segment of left inferior ventricular wall in patients with inferior wall AMI significantly increased along with the on-going treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Therapy with Chinese drugs for supplementing qi, nourishing yin and activating blood circulation in combination with conventional Western medical treatment could obviously improve the blood perfusion at the myocardial tissue level in infarction-related vascular segments.

PMID: 19271165 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

New understanding of the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine.

Chin J Integr Med. 2009 Feb;15(1):7-12

Authors: Zhou J

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an important role in the medical system used in health care and treatment of diseases. This article reviews the basic theory of TCM based on its formation and contributions. Two new personal points are proposed as follows: Six Zang () theory and deemphasization of the five-element theory. The basic theory of Chinese herbs is also discussed.

PMID: 19271162 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]