Abstract:Since its first mention in U.S. media in the early 1970s, the practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) has grown in stature from a fringe, counter-culture movement to a valid, evidenced-based treatment option for patients. In the last 40 years, AOM schools and colleges have been accredited by the U.S. Department of Education, offering both masters and doctoral degree programs. To date, forty-seven states and the District of Columbia license or certify acupuncturists based on competency proven through state examination or professional certification by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). As acceptance of AOM in the U.S. has increased through both the assurance of psychometrically sound certification and the education of the American public on this topic, many challenges have emerged. Problems such as the underemployment of AOM clinicians, methodological hurdles for the investigation of mechanisms, and efficacy of acupuncture and other AOM treatment techniques have been observed. Investigative challenges also include gaps in research training as well as a dearth of the basic resources needed to conduct randomized controlled trials (RCTs). As AOM research has sought integration into the Western research model, problems have been identified in the design of AOMRCTs, and strategies for their resolution through methods such as translational research have been examined. Incorporating these strategies as well as efficacy, effectiveness, and qualitative measures will strengthen the evidence base and thus provide clinical decision makers with more tools that can be used to design patient treatment regimens.  
Abstract:Chinese medicine (CM) basic theory differs substantially from modern medicine in methodology. CM views the healthy human body as an entity in yinyang equilibrium. CM practitioners typically diagnose patients with “Zheng (CM syndrome)”-yin-yang status of specific organs, and the ultimate goal of treatment in CM is to restore the yin-yang balance. This concept might seem strange to Western perceptions; however, CM philosophy and methodology have been gradually accepted and used in the West. There is growing evidence from prestigious worldwide journals like Nature, Science and Cell indicating that CM theory is becoming an important component in dealing with health issues in the West.  
Keywords:Chinese medicine syndrome;Basic Theory;yin-yang;Zheng;West medicine;integration
Abstract:Over the past 4 decades Chinese medicine (CM) has come increasingly into the spotlight in the United States as the clinical effectiveness of CM has been not only empirically well-tested over a long period of time but also proven by recent scientific research. It has proven cost effectiveness, safety, and is authorized for natural and holistic approaches. In consideration, CM is one of the underutilized health care professions in the United States with a promising future. However, CM faces many challenges in its education and system, its niche in the health care system as an independent profession, legal and ethical issues. This paper discusses the confronting issues in the United States: present education, standards of CM education with shifting first professional degree level, new delivery systems of CM education. Development of new research models, training of evidence-based practice, and implementation of integrative medicine into CM education also are the key issues in the current CM profession. This paper also discusses opportunities for the CM profession going beyond the current status, especially with a focus on fusion medicine.  
Keywords:Chinese Medicine;education system;standard of education;evidence-based practice;Integrative Medicine;new research model;fusion medicine
Abstract:To observe the change in the number of antibodies of preneoplastic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using early treatment by Compound Phyllanthus Urinaria L. (CPUL) on patients with preneoplastic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC. A total of 102 cirrhosis patients with regenerative or dysplastic nodules whose sera were tested positive for at least one of these six proteins (five up-regulated genes URG4, URG7, URG11, URG12 and URG19, and one down-regulated gene DRG2) were assigned randomly to two groups using continual random codes by SPSS software. Fifty-two patients were in the treatment group and 50 patients were in the control group. CPUL was used in the treatment group for 3 years, while the control group did not receive any treatment. The changes in HBV-DNA level, number of antibodies, and hepatocarcinogenesis occurred were observed. Patients who did not develop HCC were followed up for another 2 years. HBV-DNA levels decreased ⩾2log in 22.2% (10/45) of patients in the treatment group in contrast to only 5.0% (2/40) of patients in the control group (P=0.0228). The number of antibodies that were tested positive in the treatment group (1.08±1.01) was significantly lower compared with the control group (2.11±1.12) after 24 months of drug treatment (P<0.01). Both the positive rates of anti-URG11 (33/52) and anti-URG19 (31/52) were over 60% at baseline in the two groups, and were decreased to 48.1% (25/52) and 46.2% (24/52) respectively at 36 months of drug treatment, while the rates increased to 68.0% (34/50) and 66.0% (33/50) respectively (P=0.0417, P=0.0436) in the control group. The positive rate of anti-DRG2 was increased to 55.8% (29/52) at 36 months of drug treatment, while in the control group was decreased to 36.0% (18/50, P=0.0452). Among the 102 patients who developed HCC, 2 were in the treatment group and 9 were in the control group, meaning that a significant difference between the two groups (P=0.0212). In 11 patients who developed HCC, anti-URG11 and anti-URG19 were always positive, while anti-DRG2 was negative. Patients newly developing HCC were 6 (20.0%) in the control group, and only one (2.5%) in the treatment group (P=0.0441) during 2-year follow-up after the end of the treatment. Anti-URG11, anti-URG19 and anti-DRG2 could be used as early markers in the prediction of the therapeutic efficacy of CPUL in treating preneoplastic HCC. CPUL is useful in preventing or delaying the development of HBV-associated cirrhosis to HCC.  
Keywords:carcinoma;hepatic cell;serologic preneoplastic markers of hepatocellular carcinoma;compound phyllanthus urinaria L.
Abstract:To investigate whether pinching spine (PS, i.e. 捏脊, a traditional Chinese manipulative therapy) is beneficial to ameliorating the depressive state (including behavioral deficit, retardative weight gain and decreased sucrose consumption) in a rat model of depression induced by chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) and to explore the candidate mechanism of action. PS was performed on rats’ spine once daily for 1 week after exposure to CUS. The open-field test, body weight measuring, and sucrose intake test were applied on different dates: before stress (d0), at the end of stress (d21) and after PS treatment (d28), respectively. Then the rats’ hippocampuses were performed genome-wide microarray analysis, and the expression levels of several genes were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Exposure to CUS resulted in decreases of behavioral activity and sucrose consumption, which were reversed significantly after PS treatment. The expression of several genes relevant to energy metabolism, anti-oxidation, and olfactory receptor, etc., were down-regulated, while the expression of those relevant to hemostasis, immunity-inflammation, and restriction of activities and ingestion, etc., were up-regulated in hippocampuses of rats exposed to CUS. PS treatment significantly inverted these changes. Furthermore, increase or decrease in gene expression evaluated by realtime PCR was concordant with up-regulated or down-regulated expression evaluated by microarray analysis. PS showed a potential antidepressant-like effect, of which the action mechanism might be due to gene expression regulation in hippocampus.  
Abstract:To determine the mechanisms underlying the anti-depressant effects of Kaixin Jieyu Decoction (开心解郁汤, KJD) by investigating the effects of KJD on behavior, monoamine neurotransmitter levels, and serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtype expression in the brain in a rat model of depression. The rat depression model was established using chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Forty-eight Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, depression model (CUMS), CUMS+KJD (7.7 g/kg−1·d−1 of crude drug), and CUMS+fluoxetine (2.4 mg/kg−1·d−1) groups (n=12 in each group), and the treatments lasted for 21 days. We regularly evaluated body weight, sucrose consumption, and horizontal and vertical activity scores in open-field tests. The content of the monoamine neurotransmitters 5-HT, norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA) and the DA metabolite homovanillic acid in the cerebral cortex, and 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor mRNA in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, were determined respectively by high-performance liquid chromatography-coularray electrochemical detector and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Compared with the control group, CUMS rats showed a variety of depression-like behavioral changes, including a significant reduction in body weight, sucrose consumption, and horizontal and vertical activity scores in open-field tests (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and a significant decrease in 5-HT and NE levels and 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression. In contrast, they showed a significant increase in 5-HT1A receptor mRNA expression in the cerebral cortex. In the hippocampus, 5-HT1A receptor mRNA expression was lower whereas 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression was higher than in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Treatment with KJD or fluoxetine partially attenuated these changes (P<0.05 or P<0.01). KJD could normalize the levels of 5-HT and NE and adjust the balance of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor expression in rat cerebrum, and this may be one of mechanisms of antidepressant effects of KJD.  
Keywords:depression;Kaixin Jieyu Decoction;behavior;monoamines neurotransmitter;serotonin1A and serotonin2A receptor mRNA
Abstract:To investigate the effect of Delisheng Injection (得力生注射液, DLS), a Chinese medicinal compound, DLS combined with cis-platinum (DDP), an active agent used in lung cancer chemotherapy, on a human highly metastatic giant lung carcinoma cell line PGCL3. The suspended PGCL3 cells at 105 /mL cultured in 96-well tissue culture plates were divided into 4 groups: DLS treatment group (2 μL/mL, 5 μL/mL, 10 μL/mL, 25 μL/mL), DDP treatment group (1 μg/mL, 2 μg/mL, 5 μg/mL, 15 μg/mL), combined DLS with DDP treatment group (DLS:DDP 2 μL/mL:1 μg/mL, 5 μL/mL:2 μg/mL, 10 μL/mL:5 μg/mL, 25 μL/mL:15 μg/mL) and a control group. The cytotoxicity of DLS with different concentrations (2 μL/mL, 5 μL/mL, 10 μL/mL, 25 μL/mL) on PGCL3 cells was determined by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay. Effect of DLS on adhesion of PGCL-3 cells was tested by cell-matrigel adhesion assay. Chemotactic movement model of transwell camerula was used to determine the effect of DLS on invasion and migration of PGCL-3 cells. Compared with the control group, DLS (2 μL/mL, 5 μL/mL, 10 μL/mL, 25 μL/mL) could significantly decrease cell proliferation, adhesion, invasion and migration abilities (P <0.05). Cell adhesion, invasion and migration abilities were significantly decreased after combination treatment of DLS:DDP (2 μL/mL:1 μg/mL, 5 μL/mL:2 μg/mL, 10 μL/mL:5 μg/mL, 25 μL/mL:15 μg/mL) compared with DDP single-agent treatment (1 μg/mL, 2 μg/mL, 5 μg/mL, 15 μg/mL, P<0.05), respectively. DLS single-agent has a satisfying inhibition effect in PGCL3 cell line and DLS might enhance the inhibition effect of DDP on cancer metastasis. Our research provided a experimental basis about the treatment on highly metastatic lung caner.  
Abstract:To evaluate the effect of moxa-stick suffumigation in the hematology and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) wards with luminar flow. The plate exposure method was used to measure the effect of air-disinfection of moxa-stick suffumigation in hematology and HSCT wards. The yearly average qualified rates of air sampling in HSCT wards were evaluated from 2007 to 2010. To further investigate the disinfecting effect of moxa-stick suffumigation, the colony counts of common pathogens (including Staphylcoccus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) before and after moxa-stick suffumigation were compared. The mean air quality rates of the HSCT wards with class 100 laminar flow were all above 90.0% (91.2%–96.2%) from 2007 to 2010. Moxa-stick suffumigation effectively decreased the presence of bacteria in the hematology ward’s air (P<0.01). The most notable effect was the drastic reduction in the colony counts of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the blood plates exposed to air treated with moxa-stick suffumigation (77.1±52.9 cfu/m2 vs 196.1±87.5 cfu/m2, P<0.01; and 100.2±35.3 cfu/m2 vs 371.5±35.3 cfu/m2, P<0.01). Moxa-stick suffumigation proved to be a reliable and effective airdisinfection method for hematology and HSCT wards, and hence, it should be employed extensively.  
Abstract:The medical community as a whole is attempting to start preventive therapy for coronary heart disease (CHD) patients earlier in life. However, the main limitations of such interventions are drug resistance and adverse reactions. Additionally, traditional biomarker discovery methods for CHD focus on the behavior of individual biomarkers regardless of their relevance. These limitations have led to attempting novel approaches to multi-dimensionally investigate CHD and identify safe and efficacious therapies for preventing CHD. Recently, the benefit of Chinese medicine (CM) in CHD has been proven by increasing clinical evidence. More importantly, linking CM theory with modern biomedicine may lead to new scientific discoveries. According to CM theory, all treatments for patients should be based on patients’ syndromes. A recent epidemiological investigation has demonstrated that blood stasis syndrome (BSS) is the major syndrome type of CHD. BSS is a type of complex pathophysiological state characterized by decreased or impeded blood flow. Common clinical features of BSS include a darkish complexion, scaly dry skin, and cyanosis of the lips and nails, a purple or dark tongue with purple spots, a thready and hesitant pulse, and stabbing or pricking pain fixed in location accompanied by tenderness, mass formation and ecchymosis or petechiae. The severity of BSS is significantly correlated with the complexity of coronary lesions and the degree of stenosis, and is an important factor affecting the occurrence of restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. The mechanisms of BSS of CHD patients should be investigated from a modern medicine perspective. Although many studies have attempted to explore the biomedical mechanisms of BSS of CHD, from hemorheological disorders to inflammation and immune responses, the global picture of BSS of CHD is still unclear. In this article, the current status of studies investigating the biomedical mechanisms of BSS of CHD and future perspectives are discussed.  
Keywords:Blood Stasis Syndrome;coronary heart disease;Modern Medicine
Abstract:In recent years, a novel analytical technology, metabolomics is widely used in the modern research of Chinese medicine (CM). Metabolomics adopts a “top-down” strategy to reflect the function of organisms from terminal symptoms of metabolic network and understand metabolic changes of a complete system caused by interventions. As a holistic approach, metabolomics technology, including nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, favorable to express the meaning of basic theories of CM, CM syndrome and Chinese herb. Therefore, we believe that metabolomics technology will greatly benefit to development for the research of CM in the light of modern sciences.  
Keywords:metabolomics;Chinese medicine theory;Chinese medicine syndrome;Chinese Herb
Abstract:Mangroves are salt-tolerant forest ecosystem that extends between tropical and subtropical intertidal regions of the world. Mangroves are biochemically unique vegetation that produce wide array of natural products with immense medicinal potential. These plants are the most valuable resources and provide economic and ecological benefits to the coastal people. Natural products from these plants are of great interest as they provide innumerable direct and indirect benefits to human beings for the discovery of novel antimicrobial and other bioactive compounds. They possess active metabolites with some novel chemical structures that belong to diverse chemical classes such as alkaloids, phenol, steroids, terpenoids and tannins. Several mangrove species have been used in traditional medicine or have few applications as insecticide and pesticide. To date, several mangroves, and their associated species and solvent extracts are screened for antimicrobial activity along with the presence of potent bioactive compounds. The present article emphasizes and creates awareness about the potential mangrove plants and their associates as a source of biologically active compounds with potent antimicrobial properties. This paper also elaborates the mechanisms of action and various methods for screening of antimicrobial compounds.