Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is typically characterized by high prevalence, a complex etiology and pathogenesis, and a prolonged disease course. It is also frequently associated with anxiety and depression. PPPD originates in the brain, with its pathogenesis primarily characterized by a deficiency-excess complex. Its onset often involves the spleen, liver, and kidney. Western medical treatment lacks specific therapeutic approaches owing to its unclear pathogenesis. The "turbid pathogen disturbing clearness" theory, which summarizes the pathogenic pattern of dampness-heat turbid pathogen clouding the clear orifices, is derived from the Wenre Lun. From this perspective, the paper hypothesizes that the causative factors of PPPD involve dysfunction of the spleen, liver, and kidney owing to irregular diet, emotional disturbances, aging, and chronic illness, which leads to the internal generation of turbid pathogens such as dampness-turbidity, phlegm-turbidity, and blood stasis turbidity. The core pathogenesis is that turbid pathogens obscure the clear orifices and disturb the clear yang, leading to dysfunction of the clear orifices and to the failure of the original spirit to govern. Based on the pathological progression of the turbid pathogen, the disease is treated in three stages: incipient, exuberant, and latent. The principle of phased treatment centers on regulating the zang-fu, expelling turbid pathogens, unblocking orifices, and strengthening the body′s foundations. During the incipient stage, therapy focuses on strengthening the spleen, soothing the liver, and warming the kidney to prevent the generation of turbid pathogen; during the exuberant stage, therapy emphasizes resolving phlegm, dispelling dampness, and eliminating blood stasis to restore the function of the clear orifices; during the latent stage, therapy focuses on tonifying qi and clearing the mind to support vital qi and expel the latent turbid pathogen. During clinical management, adjustments can be made based on the progression of the turbid pathogen and the characteristics of the syndrome. Using the "turbid pathogen disturbing clearness" theory to guide the treatment of PPPD can provide new perspectives and practical guidance for its clinical diagnosis and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.
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To elucidate the quantification and standardization of cold and hot patterns, the fundamental concepts in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
This randomized cross-controlled trial recruited 30 healthy volunteers. Participants in Group 1 underwent 14 days of Coptis chinensis Franch. (C. chinensis, Huang Lian) treatment to shift their body toward the cold pattern, followed by 7 days of washout and 14 days of Cinnamomum cassia Presl (C. cassia, Rou Gui) treatment to shift their body toward the hot pattern. Participants in Group 2 underwent the opposite treatment. Blood and stool samples were collected for routine blood testing and full-length 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing.
Red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), and blood platelet count (BPC) were increased by C. chinensis, whereas the mean corpuscular HGB concentration (MCHC) was increased by C. cassia. RBC, HGB, HCT, and BPC were positively associated with the cold pattern but negatively correlated with the hot pattern, whereas MCHC showed opposite relationships. C. chinensis-increased Blautia stercoris was positively correlated with RBC, HGB, and HCT under C. chinensis treatment, whereas C. cassia-enhanced Parabacteroides distasonis_A was positively associated with MCHC under C. cassia treatment. Interestingly, five indicators (RBC, HGB, HCT, Blautia stercoris, and Prevotella copri) had an area under the curve of 0.795 for predicting the cold pattern. Although three indicators (MCHC, Akkermansia sp004167605, and Parabacteroides distasonis_A) showed poor predictive ability for the hot pattern, when the individual’s gut microbiota experienced disturbance by cold Chinese materia medica stimulation, the predictive ability increased to 0.703.
This study suggests that blood parameters and gut microbes may be potential indicators of hot and cold TCM patterns, which could benefit the objectivity and scientific rigor of TCM.
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