scholarly journals A Brief Review on the Pathological Role of Decreased Blood Flow Affected in Retinitis Pigmentosa

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Jing Yang ◽  
Jun Peng ◽  
Deng Ying ◽  
Qing Hua Peng

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) represents a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease characterized by progressive photoreceptor loss. In recent years, research has been rarely made in blood flow affected in RP. The specific mechanism of blood flow affected in RP is not completely clear. A number of studies indicated that the decreased blood flow was related to RP. According to clinical observation and treatment experience, Chinese medicine considered that blood stasis runs throughout the RP disease progression, and the blood stasis corresponding to Chinese herbal medicine has a positive effect on the clinical treatment of RP. Therefore, we proposed that the decreased blood flow may participate in the lesion. In this article, we will review the findings on the decreased blood flow affected in RP from the perspective of modern medicine and Chinese medicine.

Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1120
Author(s):  
Fay Newton ◽  
Roly Megaw

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common cause of inherited blindness and is characterised by the progressive loss of retinal photoreceptors. However, RP is a highly heterogeneous disease and, while much progress has been made in developing gene replacement and gene editing treatments for RP, it is also necessary to develop treatments that are applicable to all causative mutations. Further understanding of the mechanisms leading to photoreceptor death is essential for the development of these treatments. Recent work has therefore focused on the role of apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death pathways in RP and the various mechanisms that trigger these pathways in degenerating photoreceptors. In particular, several recent studies have begun to elucidate the role of microglia and innate immune response in the progression of RP. Here, we discuss some of the recent progress in understanding mechanisms of rod and cone photoreceptor death in RP and summarise recent clinical trials targeting these pathways.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Saverio Sorrentino ◽  
Claudio Bonifazzi ◽  
Paolo Perri

Retinitis pigmentosa is a clinical and genetic group of inherited retinal disorders characterized by alterations of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium leading to a progressive concentric visual field restriction, which may bring about severe central vision impairment. Haemodynamic studies in patients with retinitis pigmentosa have demonstrated ocular blood flow abnormalities both in retina-choroidal and in retroocular vascular system. Moreover, several investigations have studied the augmentation of endothelin-1 plasma levels systemically in the body and locally in the eye. This might account for vasoconstriction and ischemia, typical in vascular dysregulation syndrome, which can be considered an important factor of reduction of the ocular blood flow in subjects affected by retinitis pigmentosa.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (33) ◽  
pp. 061-108
Author(s):  
鄭中堅 鄭中堅

<p>「儒醫」同時擁有儒學與醫學的素養是具儒家特質的醫學群體,惟儒學是修身治國的學問,中國醫學則是養生治病的醫術,兩者屬性不同,「儒醫」如何加以融合?本文論證兼具「儒」與「醫」角色的「儒醫」如何在思想層面上融合儒學與中國醫學,首先析論「儒醫」的特質有助於融合儒學與中國醫學,再分別就角色綜合與思想會通的觀點加以論述,認為「儒醫」係透過「仁學」思想融合儒者與醫者的角色;並以「和」作為核心概念,聯結儒學的「中和思想」與中國醫學的「陰陽調和」思維,提出「儒醫」的醫學觀是儒學修養論與中國醫學調養論的相互交融。結論除總結各段,並從「儒醫」視角批判現代醫學發展「醫療商業化」(medical commercialization)與「過度醫療」(excessive medical treatment)的現象。</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Confucian physician at once embodies the common principle of self-cultivation shared by both the Confucian and medical communities. Both traditions are different; Confucianism being the only kind of political philosophy that emphasizes moral cultivation while Chinese medicine focuses on healing sickness, how may the Confucian physician integrate the two? </p> <p>This paper sets out to prove the critical role of the Confucian physician in philosophically integrating the two traditions.</p> <p>It will first analyze how the characteristics of the Confucian physician make the fusion of Confucianism and Chinese medicine possible, before distinguishing between the two processes of role integration as well as the synthesis of philosophical concepts and thus demonstrating that Confucian physicians call upon &ldquo;theories of benevolence&rdquo; to integrate Confucianism and medicine. With the concept of &ldquo;cohesive harmony&rdquo; at it&rsquo;s core, and by linking Confucianism&rsquo;s concept of &ldquo;Harmonization&rdquo; and Chinese medicine&rsquo;s &quot;Balancing of Yin and Yang&quot;, the Confucian physician&rsquo;s approach to medicine creates synergy between Confucianism&rsquo;s self-cultivation and Chinese Medicine&rsquo;s therapeutic nurturing.</p> <p>The summary will not only provide an overview of the argument, but will also apply the lens of the Confucian physician to critique the joint phenomena of commercialization and excessive treatment found in modern medicine today.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
pp. 2965-2987
Author(s):  
Yohan Bernard ◽  
Véronique Collange ◽  
Aurore Ingarao ◽  
Sarra Zarrouk-Karoui

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand an increasingly widespread practice consisting, of a brand, in signaling the domestic origin of its products aimed at domestic consumers, that is, the “made in the domestic country” (MIDC) strategy. To this end, it is proposed to analyze the MIDC label as a cue interacting with the brand’s characteristics (brand equity and country of origin of the brand). Design/methodology/approach A between-subjects experiment is conducted among 293 French consumers on four different brands of pasta. The overall design is a 2 (with/without the MIDC label) × 2 (high/low brand equity) × 2 (domestic/foreign brand) mixed design. Findings The results show that intention to buy the product increases significantly with the presence of the MIDC label, but not so willing to pay. The positive effect on buying intention is greater when: the product has rather low brand equity, consumer ethnocentrism is high and/or consumers are strongly attached to their national identity. Research limitations/implications The present research extends the literature on country-of-origin effects by taking into account the role of the brand equity of the product. However, the study focused on only one low-involvement product category (pasta) and one country (France). Practical implications This study shows that adding an MIDC label to the product is empirically justified. Originality/value While moderate or high scores on “patriotic” variables reinforce the positive impact of the MIDC label, low scores reverse the trend, that is, cause rejection.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1073-1076 ◽  
pp. 1104-1107
Author(s):  
Hong Dao Zhang ◽  
Ping Chen ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Ji Di Gao ◽  
Ji Lin Li ◽  
...  

Sustainable agricultural systems tend to have a positive effect on natural, social and human capital, while unsustainable ones feedback to deplete these assets, leaving fewer for future generations. Forage crop are critical to sustainable agriculture and contribute extensively to the world economy. Tremendous progress has been made in genetic transformation of forage and turf grasses in the past decade. The rapida dvancement of cellular and molecular biology and transgenic technology provides novel methods to accelerate and complement conventional breeding efforts. This review summarizes the latest advances of breeding forage crop and introduces the development of sustainable agriculture as well as perspectives the important role of breeding forage crop in development of sustainable agriculture in the future.


Author(s):  
Blagica Arsovska ◽  
Jihe Zhu

<p class="abstract">The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck secreting thyroid hormones. When hormones are not secreted properly, the two conditions may occur - hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Acupuncture as a treatment for thyroid disorders is used very common and it can improve the symptoms significantly. The patients is a 42 year old woman, who first came to the clinic on 14.02.2013 with very low level of TSH=0,2. Since then she has made 29 treatments in a period of three years, until 12.01.2016. Acupuncture treatments were made in a clinic for Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture in Skopje, Macedonia. During the treatment her hormone levels normalized, although she faced and unplanned pregnancy and went from hyperthyroidism to hypothyroidism. The last results are from the analysis made on 12.01.2016 - FT4=9, 7 TSH=2,9 TPO&lt;10 TG&lt;20. Acupuncture has a positive effect as a treatment for thyroid disorders, regulating the flow of the energy and restoring the balance of the internal state of the body. </p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (07) ◽  
pp. 1577-1592
Author(s):  
Sumei Wang ◽  
Shunqin Long ◽  
Zhiyin Deng ◽  
Wanyin Wu

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) plays a critical role in treating cancer patients. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the main component of CAM. TCM, especially Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM), has been increasingly used in China, some other Asian countries and European countries. It has been proven to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted-therapy, and immunotherapy. It lessens the damage caused by these therapies. CHM functions on cancer by inhibiting tumor progression and improving an organism’s immune system. Increasing evidence has shown that many CHM exert favorable effects on the immune regulation. We will summarize the role of CHM on patient’s immune system when treating cancer patients. Our evidence reveals that single herbs, including their extracts, compound formulations, and preparations, will provide current advances on CHM study, especially from the perspective of immune regulation and novel insights for CHM application in clinic. The main herbs used to treat cancer patients are health-strengthening (Fu-Zheng) herbs and pathogen eliminating (Qu-Xie) herbs. The key mechanism is regulating the immune system of cancer patients. Firstly, health-strengthening herbs are mainly functioned as immune regulatory effectors on cancer. Secondly, some of the compound formulations mainly strengthen the health of patients by regulating the immune system of cancer patients. Lastly, some Chinese medicine preparations are widely used to treat cancer for their properties of spiriting vital energy and anti-cancer effects, mainly by improving immunity. CHM plays a positive role in regulating patients’ immune system, which helps cancer patients to fight against cancer itself and finally improves patients’ life quality.


2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 1522-1526
Author(s):  
Chenjuan Zeng ◽  
Qi Liao ◽  
Ye Hu ◽  
Yongmei Shen ◽  
Funeng Geng ◽  
...  

Abstract The purpose of this review is to elaborate the role of Periplaneta (P.) americana L. in modern and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and compare the use of the species in these two forms of medical treatments. From searches on Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science databases, studies were identified involving TCMs with P. americana, which have a history of use over several thousand years, and demonstrate how extracts from this insect play a role in the treatment of diseases through antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor activity, and enhancement of immune function. Extracts from P. americana have not been fully developed for clinical use because the active components have not been completely purified or their molecular mechanisms thoroughly understood. The development of extraction technology in modern Chinese medicine has revealed that many extracts from P. americana are able to play an important role in the control of diseases such as cancer. Drugs such as ‘Kangfuxin Solution’ and ‘Xinmailong Injection’ are now widely used for gastrointestinal ulcers and chronic heart failure, having achieved beneficial curative effects in clinical studies. Based on this, the information from studies of P. americana in TCM and modern medicine should be combined and their respective advantages applied. This review provides an overview of the role of P. americana in modern and TCM and thus contributes to identification of further applications and area requiring drug development.


Author(s):  
Weibo LU

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.中西醫結合包含中醫和西醫之間的團結合作,但更重要的是中醫學和西醫學之間的互相結合。在世界上對傳統醫學曾有過三種方針,即“否定”,“容忍”和“平行”的方針,均不能充分發揮傳統醫學的作用和潛力。中國採取“結合”的方針,較好地解決了這一問題,不僅滿足當前醫療工作的需要,更重要的是在科學研究中,強調創新,兩種醫學的觀點、方法、優勢互補,獲得大量新的研究成果,如針刺原理和針麻研究,青萬素的發現,瘀血證研究等。雖然現代醫學是主流醫學,但尚不足以解決所有問題,如慢性病,老年病等。用結合的思想可以更好地解決各種難題,使醫學科學更快地向前發展,造福於人民。What attitude should we take toward traditional medicine? There have been three types of policies in this regard all over the world. First, the excluding policy prohibits practicing any traditional medicine. Traditional physicians are not qualified to possess the title of physician, and their practice is illegal. Second, the tolerating policy does not make illegal traditional medical practice, but it does not formally affirm the practice. Third, the paralleling policy allows both traditional and modem medical practices, but their use may not overlap. For example, traditional physicians may not use modem medical facilities.Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, a unique policy of integration has been adopted in China. This policy assumes that both traditional Chinese medicine and modern Western medicine have strengths and weaknesses. It requires that both types of medicine be integrated so as to develop more effective methods in treating diseases and preserving health.There are two senses of the integration of traditional Chinese and modern Western medicine. The first sense refers to the integration of the two types of the physicians, i.e., the cooperation between traditional Chinese practitioners and modern Western medical professionals. The second sense refers to the integration of the two disciplines; i.e., to use both traditional Chinese and modern Western medical theories and practices to create new forms of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and means. The hope was to have the perspectives, methods, and solutions of both types of medicine complement each other.Under the integrating policy, traditional Chinese medicine has been developed tremendously in mainland China. 30 traditional Chinese medical colleges, 2457 traditional Chinese medical hospitals, and 170 traditional Chinese medical research institutions have been established. A number of well-known medical achievements, such as acupunctural analgesia and anesthesia, the discovery of a new type of anti-malaria drug - Qinghaosu (artemisinin), and the study of blood stasis syndrome, have been made by following the integrating strategy.With the rapid growth and development of the diagnostic and therapeutic technologies in modern Western medicine, some individuals are doubtful of the prospect of traditional Chinese medicine and of the necessity of China’s integrating strategy. However, no matter how advanced modern Western medicine as a form of medicine has become, it will not be able to handle all diseases or medical problems effectively and appropriately. The human body and medical reality are too complicated to be fixed by modern medicine once and for all. For instance, in the present time, chronic and geriatric diseases pose perplexing challenges to modern medicine. Possibilities are always open for traditional Chinese medicine as well as the integrated traditional Chinese and modern medicine to make their valuable contributions.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 69 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.


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