Treatment of myasthenia gravis with the method of tonifying spleen and replenishing qi in traditional Chinese medicine

Abstract

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that is associated with the production of autoantibodies. The symptoms of MG are mainly mediated by pathogenic antibodies directed against nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, resulting in a decrease in the number of acetylcholine receptors molecules on the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction endplate, leading to clinical symptoms of muscle fatigue and weakness. At present, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment of MG has a better effect by tonifying spleen and replenishing qi. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM therapy for tonifying spleen and replenishing qi in the treatment of myasthenia gravis. Methods: We searched the following databases from their establishment until December 2021: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, Springer, CNKI, Wanfang, China Biomedical Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Chinese Knowledge Infrastructure, China Clinical Trial Registry, and Baidu Scholars. The literature search language was limited to Chinese and English, and publication time and status were not limited. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Two researchers independently searched and screened the articles, assessed their quality, and used the RevMan 5.4.1 software to perform a meta-analysis of the included literature. Results: This study compared the main outcome indicators: efficacy rate, recurrence rate, quality of life, and quantitative myasthenia gravis (QMG). Secondary outcome indicators were the clinical absolute score, TCM syndrome score, serum acetylcholine receptor antibody level, and electromyogram low-frequency repetitive nerve stimulation. Conclusion: This study aimed to evaluate whether the TCM method of tonifying spleen and replenishing qi is effective in the treatment of MG and to provide evidence-based data. Ethics and dissemination: The protocol of the systematic review did not require ethical approval because it did not involve human subjects. This article will be published in peer-reviewed journals and will be presented at conferences.

The Value of Traditional Medicine Should not be Underestimated—Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases

“…22 A study of randomized controlled trials on the use of acupuncture for GBS in medical and biological databases such as PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL Complete, the National Digital Science Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the Wanfang Database (万方数据库) showed high effectiveness and safety of acupuncture as additional therapy. 23 Also of some scientific interest are the results of a generalized quantitative analysis of the data obtained in the study of the effect of acupuncture on MG. 24 In the study of Crestati et al a positive result is noted when treating the ocular form of MG with anticholinergic medicines, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants in combination with auricular acupuncture, 24 as well as cauterization together with Chinese phytotherapy medications for MG. 25 Electroacupuncture in combination with medicine therapy in MG patients made it possible to achieve a clinical effect against the background of a halving of the dose of pyridostigmine and prednisolone compared to the control group, as well as a significant decrease in the level of interleukin-4 (IL-4). 26,27 Finsterer notes the need to clarify the effect of acupuncture on medication dose reduction in MG patients.…”

“…A study of randomized controlled trials on the use of acupuncture for GBS in medical and biological databases such as PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL Complete, the National Digital Science Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the Wanfang Database (万方数据库) showed high effectiveness and safety of acupuncture as additional therapy. 23 Also of some scientific interest are the results of a generalized quantitative analysis of the data obtained in the study of the effect of acupuncture on MG. 24 In the study of Crestati et al a positive result is noted when treating the ocular form of MG with anticholinergic medicines, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants in combination with auricular acupuncture, 24 as well as cauterization together with Chinese phytotherapy medications for MG. 25…”

Deciphering the active constituents of Dabushen decoction of ameliorating osteoarthritis via PPARγ preservation by targeting DNMT1

“…Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat OA for many years ( Lai et al, 2015 ; Zhang et al, 2015 ; Yao et al, 2021 ; Sun et al, 2022 ). “Kidney Governing Bone” is a classical theory in TCM ( Jiang et al, 2022 ). According to TCM syndromes, modifying kidney function is regarded as the one of the main treatments for OA.…”