Objective

The aim of this study is to analyze how patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai interpret their disease, and how these interpretations influence patients’ life satisfaction, intention to escape from their illness and their ability to reflect on the implications of their illness. 

Methods

A cross-sectional study enrolling 142 patients (mean age (50 ± 16) years; 63% men, 37% women) with chronic diseases (60% cancer) was recruited in the Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China and surveyed using standardized questionnaires. 

Results 

Patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai interpreted their illness mostly as an Adverse Interruption of Life (55%), as a Threat/Enemy (50%), but also as a Challenge (49%), and only rarely as a Call for Help (18%) or as a Punishment (13%). Particularly fatalistic negative (i.e., Threat/Enemy, Adverse Interruption of Life) and strategy-associated disease interpretations (i.e., Relieving Break, Call for Help) were moderately associated with patients’ intention to escape from illness. In contrast, positive interpretations (i.e., something of Value, Challenge) and also the guilt-associated negative interpretation Failure were moderately related with patients’ ability to reflect on their illness. However, life satisfaction was weakly associated only with the view that illness might be a Challenge. Interestingly, 58% of those who would see their illness as an Adverse Interruption (AI+) could see it also as a Challenge (Ch+). Detailed analyses showed that AI+Ch+ patients differ from their AI+Ch- counterparts significantly with respect to their ability to reflect life and implications of illness (F=9.1; P=0.004). 

Conclusion

The observed interpretations of illness, particularly the negative perceptions, could be used as indicators that patients require further psychological assistance to cope with their burden. Helping AI+ patients see their illness also as a Challenge, and thus develop a higher Reflection on Life Concerns, would be greatly beneficial, and encourages further research.

Objective

Inflammation and lung function decline are the main pathophysiological features of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Acupuncture can improve lung function in patients with COPD, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Orexins (OXs), which are found in peripheral plasma, are neuropeptides that regulate respiration and their levels are related to COPD. Therefore, we hypothesized that acupuncture might alter OXs, reduce lung inflammation and improve lung function in COPD.

Methods

COPD was induced in rats by exposure to cigarette smoke for 8 weeks and injecting with lipopolysaccharide twice. Electroacupuncture (EA) was performed at Feishu (BL13) and Zusanli (ST36) for 30 min/d for 2 weeks. Rat lung function and morphology were assessed after EA. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and orexin A and B levels in the lung tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. OX receptor mRNA levels and immunopositive cells were assessed with real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical methods, respectively. The relationships among lung function, cell factors, and OX levels were analyzed by Pearson correlation analyses. 

Results

Compared with the control group, lung function was significantly decreased in the rats with COPD (P<0.05). There were obvious increases in TNF-α and IL-1β levels in BALF (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively), orexin A level in lung tissue (P<0.01; but not orexin B) and mRNA expressions of OX 1 type receptor (OXR1) and OX 2 type receptor (OXR2) in lung tissue (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively); the integrative optical densities (IODs) of both receptors were greater in the COPD group (P<0.05). For rats with COPD subjected to EA, lung function was improved (P<0.05). There were notable decreases in TNF-α and IL-1β levels (P<0.05 and <0.01, respectively) in BALF. Orexin A, but not orexin B, levels in lung tissue also decreased (P<0.01), as did mRNA expression of OX1R and OX2R in lung tissue (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Receptor IODs were also reduced after EA treatment (P<0.05). Furthermore, orexin A levels and ratio of forced expiratory volume in 0.3 s to forced vital capacity were strongly negatively correlated (P<0.01), and orexin A was positively correlated with TNF-α and IL-1β (P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively).

Conclusion

EA at Zusanli and Feishu improved lung function of rats with COPD and had an anti-inflammatory effect, which may be related to down-regulation of OXA and its receptors.

Objective

Use of cisplatin, a conventional anticancer drug, is restricted because it generates strong hepatotoxicity by accumulating in liver. Therefore its anticancer potential can only be fully exploited if its own toxicity is considerably reduced. Towards this goal, ethanolic extract of the plant, Boldo (Peumus boldus), known for its antihepatotoxic effects, was used simultaneously with cisplatin, to test its ability to reduce cisplatin’s cytotoxicity without affecting its anticancer potential. 

Methods

The cytotoxicity of Boldo extract (BE) and cisplatin, administered alone and in combination, was determined in three cancer cell lines (A549, HeLa, and HepG2) and in normal liver cells (WRL-68). Drug-DNA interaction, DNA damage, cell cycle, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨ) were also studied. Hepatotoxicity and antioxidant activity levels were determined by alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and glutathione assays in mice. The cytotoxicity of related proteins was tested by Western blotting. 

Results

Co-administration of BE and cisplatin increased viability of normal cells, but had no effect on the viability of cancer cells. Boldo protected liver from damage and normalized different antioxidant enzyme levels in vivo and also reduced ROS and re-polarized MMP in vitro. Bax and cytochrome c translocation was reduced with caspase 3 down-regulation. Further, a drug-DNA interaction study revealed that BE reduced cisplatin’s DNA-binding capacity, resulting in a reduction in DNA damage. 

Conclusion

Results indicated that a low dose of BE could be used beneficially in combination with cisplatin to reduce its toxicity without hampering cisplatin’s anticancer effect. These findings signify a potential future use of BE in cancer therapy.

Objective

Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl. (Solanaceae) is present in many Ayurveda compound formulations including Chavanaprasha and Dasamoolarishta. The whole plant is used in conditions such as inflammation, constipation and promoting conception in females. In the present study, we carried out different tests to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of Solanum xanthocarpum (SXE) in postmenopausal syndrome. 

Methods

The study was carried out in bilaterally ovariectomized one-month-old Wistar rats (40-50 g). Bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX) Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=6) receiving different treatments, consisting of a vehicle (distilled water), aqueous extract of Solanum xanthocarpum at two different doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) administered orally daily for 90 d and standard drug β estradiol at a dose of 1 mg/kg administered subcutaneously biweekly for 90 d. Estrogenic activity was assessed by vaginal cornification, sexual behavior, serum estradiol and uterine weight to body weight ratio. Antiosteoporotic activity was assessed on the basis of biomechanical and biochemical parameters followed by histopathological studies, and antidepressant activity was assessed by forced swim test. 

Results

Objective

To investigate the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, and adipokine-ameliorating effects of Liuwei Dihuang (LWDH), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, in obese rats. 

Methods

After 2 weeks of acclimation with free access to regular rodent chow and water, obese-prone-caesarean-derived (OP-CD) rats were fed a modified AIN-93G diet containing 60% energy from fat. Treatment was performed twice daily by gavage feeding with 500, 1 500, or 3 500 mg/kg body weight LWDH suspended in water (n=12 rats per group). Twelve obese-resistant-CD (OR-CD) rats were fed the atherogenic diet and gavaged with water, and served as the normal control. Blood biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress and adiponectin were measured post-sacrifice and used to determine the treatment effect of LWDH and assess the suitability of OR/OP-CD rats for studying these parameters. 

Results

After 9 weeks of treatment, LWDH lowered serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels showed a tendency towards reduction, but were not significantly different from the OP-CD control. Liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was increased in response to all three doses of LWDH, while the levels of reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were unchanged. Serum adiponectin levels were increased in response to oral administration of LWDH at the dose of either 500 or 1 500 mg/kg body weight. In addition, comparisons between OR-CD and OP-CD rats revealed differential, and for some biomarkers, conflicting characteristics of high-fat diet-fed OP-CD rats in reference to obese human subjects in terms of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers and circulating adiponectin levels. 

Conclusion

Objective

The stable quality of Chinese herbal medicines is a critical factor for their reliable clinical efficiency. An improved liquid-liquid extraction procedure and a liquid chromatographic method were developed to simultaneously analyze five anthraquinones (aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion) in a Chinese traditional hospital preparation, Fuyankang mixture, in order to quantitatively control its quality in a more effective way. 

Methods

A more economical and repeatable extraction procedure based on conventional liquid-liquid extraction technique was developed and used to extract five marker components in Fuyankang mixture. These anthraquinones were separated in less than 20 min on a C18 column with methanol and 0.1% phosphoric acid (88:12, v/v) as mobile phase. The method was validated for specificity, precision, spiked recovery and stability. 

Results

Compared to conventional liquid-liquid extraction, the improved liquid-liquid extraction was found to be more effective for simultaneous extraction of anthraquinones from an aqueous Chinese herbal preparation, especially for hydrophobic compounds. The improved extraction method was successfully applied to determine the content of five marker components in Fuyankang mixture by the means of reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography. 

Conclusion

The improved extraction procedure may be suitable for routine quality control of Fuyankang mixture and other traditional preparations at city-level hospitals in China.