This paper proposes a new idea of the theory of Ju (aggregation) syndrome complex based on succeeding to traditional Chinese medicine. It presumes that the etiological factors of Ju are both heritage deficiency and postnatal viscerae damage, which cause the disturbance of qi-transformation, and thus, the evil heat, turbid damp and stagnated blood take the chance of retention in the body, to block up the production and distribution of the essence and energy. Ju is a mixed symptom complex of asthenia and sthenia, and should be simultaneously applied to purging-tonifying therapy and aggregation-dissipating method. Under the guidance of Ju theory, patients with metabolic syndrome were treated with Chinese medicine. The symptoms were relieved, and the insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, body weight, waist circumference, and the inflammatory cytokines were improved, which confirmed the theoretical significance of the practical value of Ju theory.

It is one of the key problems for the development of Chinese medicine to standardize the diagnosis of syndromes. The authors mainly discuss the ideas and methods of the study of standardization of syndrome diagnosis by retrospective analysis, also put forward the following suggestions: (1) the main ideas of this study should be based on the comparison of the diseases and their relevant syndromes and the predictive diagnosis of syndromes by the effects of herbal prescription treatment; (2) they are important ways to carry out multicenter, large sample and perspective clinical trials on the basis of the investigation and study of literature, consultation of experts and retrospective case review, and following the principles of clinical epidemiology, and to use the methods of evidence based medicine to do systemic evaluation on the criteria of syndrome diagnosis; (3) they are important sectors of the study of standardization of syndrome diagnosis to enhance the objective studies on the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine, and to do the functional studies under the conduction of systems biology; (4) Both data excavation technology and computer intelligence are the important technique supporting this study.

Breast cancer is called ''Ruyan'' in literature of traditional Chinese medicine. We synthesized the ancient and contemporary discussions and raised the theory that ''Duxie'' (poisonous pathogenic factor) is the etiological factor and pathologic product through the whole course of breast cancer. ''Liuyin Fudu'' (latent poison of six exogenous pathogenic factors) and ''Qiqing Yudu'' (stagnant poison of seven emotions) are the main etiological factors affecting the breast cancer occurrence. ''Aidu Neisheng'' (internal product of cancer poison) is the essential change in breast cancer occurrence. ''Tandu Yujie'' (stagnation of phlegm, poison and blood stasis) is the essential pathogenesis of the breast cancer's development. ''Yudu Weiqing'' (vestigial poison) is the main pathogenesis of breast cancer after operation. ''Yudu Pangcuan'' (vestigial poison invasion elsewhere) is the key pathogenesis of recurrence and metastasis after operation. ''Sanjie Jiedu'' (dispersing accumulation and detoxification) is an important therapeutic principle in breast cancer's treatment after operation. The ''Tandu-Yujie'' pathogenesis theory and ''Sanjie Jiedu'' therapeutic principle developed the theory about breast cancer in traditional Chinese medicine, and have some clinical application value.

Objective: To explore the correlation between syndrome differentiation and CT quantitative diagnosis of fatty liver. 

Methods: One hundred and thirteen cases of fatty liver verified clinically accepted plain CT scan after syndrome differentiation (syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency, syndrome of intermingled phlegm and blood stasis, syndrome of phlegm-dampness blocking internally, syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney, syndrome of interior dampness-heat), and then the CT values of the liver and the spleen were measured respectively. 

Results: It was shown that there was a correlation between the syndrome differentiation and the fatty infiltration in the liver. Significant differences of the distribution of fat and the ratio of liver-spleen were found among the five different syndromes (P＜0.05). Diffused, mild fatty liver mainly displayed syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency. 

Conclusion: Syndrome differentiation of fatty liver is correlated with CT quantitative diagnosis, which can be discriminated by the ratio of liver spleen.

Objective: To investigate the pathological factors of syndrome pathomechanism through studying the correlation between syndromes of posthepatitic cirrhosis and biological parameters. 

Methods: Clinical information of three hundred and fifty-five patients with posthepatitic cirrhosis was collected and the database was established. Parameters with statistical significance were analyzed with multi-factor regression analysis to investigate the main influencing factors of the syndromes of posthepatitic cirrhosis. 

Results: Formulae of six syndromes, including syndrome of yin deficiency of liver and kidney, syndrome of damp heat, syndrome of stagnated heat smoldering, syndrome of yang deficiency of spleen and kidney, syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency and syndrome of blood stasis due to qi deficiency, were established with stepwise regression analysis. 

Conclusion: One of the pathophysiological bases of syndrome of blood stasis due to qi deficiency in cirrhosis is synthetic dysfunction of hepatocytes. The pathophysiological basis of syndrome of damp heat is inflammatory injury, which is also syndrome of stagnated heat smoldering in cirrhosis patients. The relationship between syndrome of yin deficiency of liver and kidney and stasis and damp heat may be the pathophysiological basis of the posthepatitic cirrhosis

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of Yisui Shengxue Granule (YSSXG), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in treating β-thalassemia. 

Methods: A randomized single-blinded trial was designed. Sixty patients with β-thalassemia were divided into two groups: 30 patients in YSSXG-treated group and 30 in placebo parallel-control group. The patients in the two groups were assigned to receive either YSSXG or placebo for three months. The patients' symptoms and their blood indexes such as hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC), reticulocytes (Ret) and fetal hemoglobin (HBF) were examined before and after the treatment. Meanwhile, the liver and spleen were examined with B-mode ultrasound. 

Results: In the YSSXG-treated group, the blood indexes (Hb, RBC, Ret and HBF) and the symptoms of the patients were improved after three-month treatment, with statistical significance compared to those before treatment (P＜0.01); hepatauxe and splenomegaly were also relieved (P＜0.05) and no adverse reactions were monitored. In the placebo parallel-control group, no significant improvement of the blood indexes and symptoms, as well as the hepatauxe and splenomegaly had been found (P>0.05). 

Conclusion: YSSXG demonstrates obvious clinical efficacy and no adverse reactions in treating β-thalassemia.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Chaige Qingre Granule, a traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine, in treating acute upper respiratory tract infection of wind heat syndrome. 

Methods: A multi-center, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted. In the phase Ⅱ, 60 patients with acute upper respiratory tract infection were randomly divided into the trial group (n=30) and the control group (n=30). In the phase Ⅲ, 112 patients were randomly divided into the trial group (n=84) and the control group (n=28). The trial group received 6 g Chaige Qingre Granule, and the control group received 6 g Fufang Shuanghua Granule (another traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine). The two groups were all treated for 3 days and four times daily. Clinical symptoms, syndromes, adverse effect, blood, urine and stool test, hepatorenal function and electrocardiogram were examined before and after the treatment. 

Results: After treatment, the overall obvious response rates of the trial group and the control group were 78.57%, 82.14% (by per-protocol analysis) and 75.86%, 79.31% (by intention-to-treat analysis) respectively, and the overall response rates of the two groups were 96.43%, 100% (by per-protocol analysis) and 93.10%, 96.55% (by intention-to-treat analysis) respectively in phaseⅡ. There were no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). In the phase Ⅲ, the overall obvious response rates of the trial group and the control group were 90.54%, 73.08% (by per-protocol analysis) and 88.16%, 70.37% (by intention-to-treat analysis) respectively, and the overall response rates of the two groups were 94.59%, 96.15% (by per-protocol analysis) and 92.11%, 92.59% (by intention-to-treat analysis) respectively. There were no statistical differences between the two groups (P>0.05) too. No adverse effects were found in the trial. 

Conclusion: Chaige Qingre Granule is effective and safe in treating acute upper respiratory tract infection of wind heat syndrome.

Objective: To observe the effect of Ruyiping, a traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine composed of 5 Chinese herbs for removing toxic materials and dissipating nodules from RuningⅡ, another traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine for treating breast cancer, in preventing recidivation and metastasis in breast cancer patients after operation.

Methods: Eighty patients with breast cancer after operation were randomly divided into Ruyiping group and Runing Ⅱ group, and prescribed Ruyiping and Runing Ⅱ on the basis of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endocrine therapy respectively for two years.

Results: There were two patients with metastasis and three patients lost to follow-up in Ruyiping group and three and two in Runing Ⅱ group. The recidivation and metastasis rates were 5.41% and 7.89% respectively. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The difference of disease-free survival time between the two groups was also not statistically significant.

Conclusion: The effect of Ruyiping in preventing recidivation and metastasis is similar to that of Runing Ⅱ. Ruyiping is the essential component of Runing Ⅱ for preventing recidivation and metastasis. The result provides some clinical evidences for the theory that ''Yudu Pangcuan'' (vestigial poison invasion elsewhere) is the essential pathogenesis of breast cancer's recidivation and metastasis and the utilization of ''Sanjie Jiedu'' (dispersing accumulation and detoxification) is the therapeutic principle in preventing recidivation and metastasis after operation.

Objective: To investigate the anti-tumor effect of bufalin and its regulation on Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in orthotopically transplanted tumor of human hepatocellular carcinoma in nude mice. 

Methods: Orthotopically transplanted tumor of human hepatocellular carcinoma was established in nude mice. The mice were randomly divided into five groups: high-dose bufalin-treated group (1.5 mg/kg), medium-dose bufalin-treated group (1 mg/kg), low-dose bufalin-treated group (0.5 mg/kg), adriamycin-treated group (8.0 mg/kg), and normal saline-treated group. After 25 days, mice were sacrificed. The tumor volume was measured, and the pathological changes of tumor tissues were detected by HE staining to observe the tumor necrosis degree. Cell morphological changes were also observed by an electron microscopy. Label index of tumor cell apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), and the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins were determined by immunohistochemical method. 

Results: The tumor volume in the bufalin-treated groups was shrunk significantly compared with that in the normal saline-treated group (P＜0.01). The survival time of the bufalin-treated groups was prolonged compared with that of the adriamycin-treated group and the normal saline-treated group (P＜0.05). Apoptotic characteristics could be seen in tumor tissues of the bufalin-treated groups. The label index of tumor cell apoptosis in the bufalin-treated groups (5.87±2.13, 8.86±2.96 and 10.60±3.42 in low-, medium- and high-dose groups respectively) was higher than that in the adriamycin-treated group (3.28 ±0.98) (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). The expression of Bax was up-regulated, while no changes were detected as to Bcl-2 protein in tumors of the bufalin-treated groups.

Conclusion: Bufalin has significant anti-tumor effect on the orthotopically transplanted tumor of human hepatocellular carcinoma in nude mice. Its effect might be related to up-regulation of Bax protein and inducement of the tumor cell apoptosis.

Objective: To observe the effects of Yiqi Kaimi Recipe (YQKMR), a traditional Chinese compound medicine, on gastrointestinal motility and neuropeptides in rats with colonic slow transit constipation.

Methods: Eighty specific pathogen free rats were included, and there were sixty rats with slow transit constipation (STC) and twenty normal rats. Sixty rats with STC were randomly divided into untreated group, cisapride-treated group and YQKMR-treated group, and twenty normal rats were allocated to normal control group. Percentage of carbon propelling, contraction frequency and amplitude of the muscle segments in vitro, and expressions of nitric oxide synthase-1 (NOS1) and substance P proteins were observed.

Results: Compared with the normal control group, the percentage of carbon propelling, and the contraction frequency and amplitude of the muscle segments in the untreated group decreased obviously (P＜0.05). The percentage of carbon propelling, and the contraction frequency and amplitude of the muscle segments in the YQKMR-treated group and cisapride-treated group were higher than those in the untreated group (P＜0.05). The expression of NOS1 protein in the untreated group was higher than that in the normal control group, YQKMR-treated group and cisapride-treated group. However, there were no significant differences between the YQKMR-treated group and the normal control group (P>0.05). The expression of substance P protein in the untreated group was lower than that in the normal control group, and there was no significant difference between the YQKMR-treated group and the normal control group too (P＞0.05).

Conclusion: Yiqi Kaimi Recipe could promote colon motility by increasing the contraction frequency and amplitude of the smooth muscle, and this may be due to its effect of regulating the expressions of NOS1 and substance P proteins in the enteric plexus.

Objective: To explore the effects of Chinese herbs for replenishing qi and resolving stagnation on hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in granulation tissue of skin ulcers in rats with syndrome of blood stasis and qi deficiency. 

Methods: Diabetic rats with back full-thickness skin lesion and syndrome of blood stasis and qi deficiency were divided in to five groups: untreated group, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-treated group, Yiqi Huayu Recipe (a recipe for replenishing qi and resolving stagnation)-treated group, Yiqi Recipe (a recipe for replenishing qi)-treated group and Huayu Recipe (a recipe for resolving stagnation)-treated group, and another eight normal rats served as normal control group. Immunohistochemical method and image analysis were used to test the expressions of HIF-1α and VEGF in granulation tissue of skin ulcers in rats with diabetes.

Results: In the untreated group, the expression of HIF-1α was significantly increased and the expression of VEGF was significantly decreased as compared with those in the normal control group (P＜0.01). The expression of HIF-1α was obviously lower (P＜0.01) and the expression of VEGF was significantly higher in the four drug treated groups as compared with those in the untreated group. In the Yiqi Huayu Recipe-treated group, the expression of HIF-1α was obviously lower than those in the bFGF-treated, Yiqi Recipe-treated and Huayu Recipe-treated groups (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01), and the expression of VEGF was significantly higher than that in the bFGF-treated group (P＜0.01). 

Conclusion: Chinese herbs for replenishing qi and resolving stagnation can promote the wound healing in rats through reducing the expression of HIF-1α, accelerating the expression of VEGF in granulation tissue of skin ulcers in rats with diabetes and ameliorating the status of ischemia and hypoxia.

Objective: To investigate the possible stimulating mechanism of Huoxue Bushen Mixture (HXBSM), a traditional Chinese compound medicine, on hair growth of mice via measuring the variance of skin blood vessel neogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the hair follicle. 

Methods: Hot rosin and paraffin mixture depilation were used to induce C57BL/6 mice hair follicle to enter from telogen into anagen. Ninety C57BL/6 mice were divided into 3 groups randomly: HXBSM group, Yang-xue Shengfa Capsule (YXSFC, another traditional Chinese compound medicine) group and untreated group. The mice were fed with corresponding drugs after modeling. The hair growth of the mice was observed every day. Every ten mice out of each group were executed respectively at day 4, 11 and day 17. Skin blood vessel neogenesis was counted through pathological section and VEGF expression in the hair follicle was measured via immunohistochemical method. 

Results: The number of local blood vessel neogenisis in the HXBSM group observed was larger than that in the untreated group at day 4 (P＜0.05) ; and evidently larger than that in the YXSFC group and the untreated group at day 11 (P＜0.05). The expression of VEGF in the hair follicle was distinctively higher than that in the YXSFC group and the untreated group at day 11 and day 17 (P＜0.05). 

Conclusion: HXBSM up-regulates VEGF expression to accelerate blood vessel neogenesis and hair growth.

Objective: To study the changes of the center of cellular immune thymus and the interference of Jinhong Tablet, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, during the course of cholangitis. 

Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups. Ligation group, simple ligation of bile duct without producing infection and fed with normal saline; untreated group, reproduce acute cholangitis and fed with normal saline; Jinhong Tablet-treated group, reproduce cholangitis and treated with Jinhong Tablet. Five days after modeling, the rats were sacrificed and the thymus were sampled to observe the morphological changes with an electronic microscope, count the index of thymus and apoptosis and assay the expressions of Bcl-2 gene coding protein and Fas gene coding protein. 

Results: The frequency of apoptosis of thymus in the untreated group was higher than that in the Jinhong Tablet-treated group and the ligation group, and the frequency of apoptosis of thymus in the Jinhong Tablet-treated group was higher than that in the ligation group. Compared with the Jinhong Tablet-treated group and the ligation group, the weight and index of thymus were lower and the index of apoptosis of thymus was higher significantly in the untreated group (P＜0.01). The expression of Bcl-2 gene coding protein in the ligation group and the Jinhong Tablet-treated group were much higher than that in the untreated group (P＜0.01), but there were no significant differences of the expression of Fas gene coding protein among the three groups.

Conclusion: There exists a promotion of non-physiological apoptosis of cellular immune center such as decrease of the weight and the index of thymus and increase of the index of apoptosis of thymus during acute cholangitis, which may be inhibited by up-regulation of Bcl-2 gene coding protein with antipyretic and purgative herbs Jinhong Tablet.

Objective: To observe the changes of intracellular free calcium level ([Ca ²⁺]i) in gallbladder cells of guinea pigs with gallstones so as to study the mechanisms of gallstone formation and the prevention and treatment function of traditional Chinese herbs for nourishing the liver. 

Methods: Eighty guinea pigs were randomly divided into four groups, which were normal control group, untreated group, nourishing-liver Chinese drug (NLCD) group and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) group, with 20 guinea pigs in each group. Gallstones were induced in the guinea pigs of the latter 3 groups by the feed of diet inducing cholelithiasis with high cholesterol, while the corresponding medicines were used in NLCD group and UDCA group for prevention and treatment for 7 weeks. Then the state of the guinea pigs, the formation of gallstones, and the changes of [Ca ²⁺]i in gallbladder cells were observed. 

Results: The [Ca ²⁺]i in gallbladder cells of guinea pigs in the untreated group was decreased significantly. NLCD improved the behavioral signs of the guinea pigs, significantly decreased the formative rate of gallstones and increased the [Ca ²⁺]i in gallbladder cells. 

Conclusions: The [Ca ²⁺]i in gallbladder cells is the important factor for contractile function of gallbladder and the information of gallstones. Traditional Chinese herbs for nourishing the liver may significantly increase the [Ca ²⁺]i in gallbladder cells to facilitate contraction of the smooth muscle cells of gallbladder and relieve the cholestatis. It may be one of the mechanisms of traditional Chinese herbs for nourishing the liver in preventing and treating cholelithiasis.

Objective: Using the method of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, to observe the activities of rat cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) intervened by Tongluo Jiunao Injection (TLJNI), a traditional Chinese compound drug removing toxin to dredge brain collaterals, and then further study the effects of different kinds of conditioned mediums (CMECs-CM) of cerebral microvascular endothelial cells on ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion cerebral cortex cells, and to probe into the drug pharmacological mechanisms of CMECs in modulating the neurons. 

Methods: Three kinds of CMECs (normal, ischemic and ischemic/reperfusional) were all treated by TLJNI previously, and then the three pairs of CMECs-CM without serum were collected respectively for LDH assay. Rat cerebral cortex neurons were also primarily cultured and then divided into similar three groups (normal, ischemic and ischemic/reperfusional). The neuron responses caused by CMECs-CM at different concentrations were observed by using LDH transudation rate assay. 

Results: The LDH release values of ischemic and ischemic/reperfusional CMECs with TLJNI treatment were obviously reduced (P＜0.01) compared with the same kinds of CMECs untreated. For ischemic neurons, both conditioned medium of ischemic CMECs (Is-CM) and conditioned medium of ischemic CMECs with drug treatment (IsT-CM) in high concentration of 100% increased the LDH transudation rate (P＜0.01), while in low concentration of 10%, IsT-CM reduced the transudation rate (P＜0.05). For ischemia/reperfusion neurons, all kinds of CMECs-CM reduced the transudation rate respectively (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). As far as each group concentration was concerned, 10% or 50% showed relatively stronger effects, and both conditioned medium of normal CMECs (N-CM) group and conditioned medium of ischemic/reperfusional CMECs (Rp-CM) group had statistical significance (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). For normal neurons, all kinds of CMECs-CM increased the transudation rate respectively (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). As far as each group concentration was concerned, only conditioned medium of normal CMECs (N-CM)had statistical significance (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). 

Conclusion: The study shows that TLJNI is capable of preventing the damage of CMECs from both ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion states. Chinese drug can restrain the brain ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion damage by the media that CMECs modulate the neurons, demonstrating the pharmacological mechanisms of TLJNI. This work also indicates that there exist some active substances against ischemia/reperfusion injury secreted from CMECs-CM with TLJNI treatment.

Objective: To investigate the effects of heterogenous suberect spatholobus stem (Spatholobus suberectu, Mucuna birdwoodiana, Millettia oosperma and Millettia dielsiana) on peripheral blood cell counts of mice with bone marrow suppression induced by ⁶⁰Co γ ray irradiation. 

Methods: Bone marrow suppression was induced by sublethal dose of ⁶⁰Co γ ray in mice. White blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC) and platelet (PLT) counts in peripheral blood of the mice were detected one day, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after intragastric administration of different doses of the four kinds of suberect spatholobus stem, respectively. 

Results: A slowdown of the decrease of WBC, RBC and PLT counts in peripheral blood of the mice with bone marrow suppression was observed after intragastric administration. The WBC, RBC and PLT counts in the Mucuna birdwoodiana-treated and Spatholobus suberectu-treated groups were significantly higher than those in the untreated group (P＜0.05). 

Conclusion: All the four kinds of heterogenous suberect spatholobus stem can accelerate the recovery of WBC, RBC and PLT counts in peripheral blood of mice with bone marrow suppression, while the effects of Spatholobus suberectu and Mucuna birdwoodiana are relatively good.