P. WANG – O. DUHAMEL
 

I - Making use of Internet

The consultation of Chinese Internet sites on pneumoconioses gave the following result:

more than 180 articles have appeared in the past decade in China.

In short the following is to be found:

• Clinical observations and comparative clinical trials testing more than 20 plant strains and approximately 25 compositions of Chinese drugs tested on a large number of patients (from 53 to 427 cases depending on the studies). The results have been globally very encouraging.
• Fundamental research at cell level on the biological effect and pharmacodynainic action of drugs, and also animal experiments.
• Uses, with a view to prevention, of drugs and also of methods such as the specific Qi Gong breathing exercises.
• Proposals for early diagnosis of the disease by the aspect of auricular acupoints and proposals for therapies used in conjunction with acupuncture.
• A variety of epidemiological research work on the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis.

Research work is conducted throughout China, from the north to the south and from the east to the west. For some drugs, there are multi-centre studies with national coordination offices.

These are just the first abstracts--documentary research obviously has to be taken ftu-ther. This supposes greater cooperation between France and China, requiring specific organisation and specific means.

 

II - Results of clinical and biological experiments on the treatment of pneumoconioses with certain Chinese drugs

1) Phagocytosis capacity of macrophages collected by alveolar lavage in mice exposed to coal dust

% survival of macrophages; % phagocytosis; quantity of ATP in macrophages

without exposure

• without exposure with C (C = formula of Chinese drugs)
• without exposure with Zn
• without exposure with C + Zn

with exposure

• with exposure with C
• with exposure with Zn
• with exposure with C + Zn

1) Improvement of the main symptoms of pneuraoconiotics after treatinent by a placebo, or C, or Zn, or C + Zn

 
 

% improvement	Placebo	C	Zn	C+Zn
Phlegm	16	71	65	87
Brethlessness	12	61	40	75
Chest pain	18	53	47	65
Oppression	12	58	42	75
Fatigue	16	63	47	70
Increase in appetite	35	60	42	75
Bronchitis	6	81	47	85

 
 
 A considerable improvement is noticed with the Chinese drug, even more so when combined with zinc.

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