Zhi-xiu Lin

Zhi-xiu Lin
Chinese University of Hong Kong | CUHK · School of Chinese Medicine

BSc (TCM, Guangzhou), PhD (Pharmacognosy, King's College London).

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261
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Publications

Publications (261)
Article
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Intestinal cancer (IC) poses a significant global health challenge that drives continuous efforts to explore effective treatment modalities. Conventional treatments for IC are effective, but are associated with several limitations and drawbacks. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) plays an important role in the overall cancer prevention and therapeutic s...
Article
Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common disease among men worldwide, and conventional treatments for PCa typically involve surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. However, Chinese medicine (CM) has gained increasing attention as a complementary therapy for PCa treatment in recent decades. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), a form of CM, has been shown...
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Introduction Upper limb problems have a significant impact on the global population leading to pain and restricted joint mobility, ultimately impacting their quality of life. Traditional treatments, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids, often come with undesirable side effects, prompting patients to seek alternative the...
Preprint
The pathways that run along the olfactory nerves crossing the cribriform plate and connecting to lymphatic vessels in the nasal cavity, have been identified as a crucial route for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow. However, the presence of a CSF efflux pathway through blood vessels in this region has yet to be clarified. This study aimed to elucida...
Preprint
Full-text available
The pathways that run along the olfactory nerves crossing the cribriform plate and connecting to lymphatic vessels in the nasal cavity, have been identified as a crucial route for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow. However, the presence of a CSF efflux pathway through blood vessels in this region has yet to be clarified. This study aimed to elucida...
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Background: Psoriasis is a long-term inflammatory skin disease. A novel herbal formula containing nine Chinese herbal medicines, named Inflammation Skin Disease Formula (ISDF), has been prescribed in clinics for decades. Aims: To investigate the efficacy and action mechanisms of ISDF on psoriasis using imiquimod (IMQ) and Interleukin-23 (IL-23)-...
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A traditional Chinese herbal medicine formula named Huang-Lian-Jie-Du Decoction (HLJDD) has been used to cure various inflammatory diseases with a long history. However, one component of HLJDD Gardeniae fructus has remarkable liver and kidney toxicities. Therefore, it was altered with Dictamni cortex to form a modified HLJDD (MHLJDD). In this study...
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Background Qing-Zao-Jiu-Fei Decoction (QZJFD) is a famous herbal formula commonly prescribed for the treatment of lung-related diseases in the ancient and modern times. Trichosanthis Fructus (TF) and Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus (FTB) are widely used for treatment of cough and pulmonary disease. In order to identify a more effective formula for t...
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Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the largest global epidemic in recent time. Chinese medicine has been recognized by the World Health Organization as an effective treatment for COVID-19, but there is still a lack of high-quality randomized, double-blind trials using placebo as the control to support its application, which may...
Article
Background Brachial plexus avulsion (BPA) animally involves the separation of spinal nerve roots themselves and the correlative spinal cord segment, leading to formidable neuropathic pain of the upper limb. Methods The right seventh cervical (C7) ventral and dorsal roots were avulsed to establish a neuro- pathic pain model in rats. After operation...
Article
Background: Tinnitus is a common auditory condition that can lead to serious problems. Clinically, acupuncture and moxibustion have been commonly applied to treat tinnitus in China, with potential therapeutic effects but with limitations in study methodology and high-quality evidence. Therefore, we designed a randomized controlled trial to evaluat...
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Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative joint condition that causes disability and pain in the elderly population. The prevalence of KOA among persons aged 63 or above is approximately 30%. Previous studies have reported the positive effects of Tui-na treatment and the Chinese herbal formula Du-Huo-Ji-Sheng Decoction (DHJSD)...
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Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive cancer with very poor prognosis. Combination therapy has proven to be a promising strategy for enhancing TNBC treatment efficacy. Toosendanin (TSN), a plant‐derived triterpenoid, has shown pleiotropic effects against a variety of tumors. Herein, it is evaluated whether TSN can enhance the effica...
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Gut dysbiosis, a well-known risk factor to triggers the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is strongly associated with metabolic disturbance. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), produced in the dietary choline metabolism, has been found to accelerate neurodegeneration in AD pathology. In this study, the cognitive function and gut microbiota of TgC...
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Autophagy plays a complex impact role in tumor initiation and development. It serves as a double-edged sword by supporting cell survival in certain situations while also triggering autophagic cell death in specific cellular contexts. Understanding the intricate functions and mechanisms of autophagy in tumors is crucial for guiding clinical approach...
Article
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor that regulates redox homeostasis, plays a pivotal role in several cellular processes such as cell proliferation and survival, and has been found to be aberrantly activated in many cancers. As one of the key oncogenes, Nrf2 represents an important therapeutic target for cance...
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Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive dysfunctions and behavioral impairments. Patchouli alcohol (PA), isolated from Pogostemonis Herba , exhibits multiple pharmacological properties, including neuroprotective effects. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects...
Article
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an irreversible neurodegenerative disease that progressively impairs memory and cognitive judgment, severely affects the quality of life and imposes a heavy burden on the healthcare system. No cure is currently available for AD, in part because the pathogenesis of this disease has not been established. Animal models are es...
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Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an upper airways chronic inflammatory disease mediated by IgE, which affects 10%–20% of the population. The mainstay for allergic rhinitis nowadays include steroids and antihistamines, but their effects are less than ideal. Many patients therefore seek Chinese medicine for treatment and Yupingfeng Powder is one...
Article
Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognitive functions. There are two pathological hallmarks, including accumulation of amyloid plaques composed of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) and deposits of neurofibrillatory tangles (NFT). Cyclin-dependent kinase 5...
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Background Gemcitabine (GEM) is the first-line chemotherapeutic drug used to treat pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma carcinoma (PDAC), but chemoresistance is often encountered clinically. Nrf2, an oxidative stress responsive transcription factor, is an important contributor to chemoresistance and poor prognosis of PDAC. Brucein D (BD), a naturally o...
Article
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Background Brachial plexus avulsion (BPA) physically involves the detachment of spinal nerve roots themselves and the associated spinal cord segment, leading to permanent paralysis of motor function of the upper limb. Root avulsion induces severe pathological changes, including inflammatory reaction, oxidative damage, and finally massive motoneuron...
Article
Background : Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers with high metastasis and lethality. Arrestin domain-containing 4 (ARRDC4) is involved in inhibiting cancer glycolytic phenotypes. Brusatol (BR), extracted from Bruceae Fructus, exerts good anti-cancer effects against a number of cancers. Purpose : In the present stu...
Article
Ethnopharmacological relevance A widely used traditional prescription, Yi-Gan San (YGS) is a remedy for neurodegenerative disorders. The formulation consists of seven Chinese medicinal materials in specific proportions, namely Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis (Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Miq. ex Havil.), Bupleuri Radix (Bupleurum chinense DC.), Angelica...
Article
Background : Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. Patchouli alcohol (PA), a major active ingredient isolated from Pogostemonis Herba, exhibits extensive bioactivity in the central nervous system (CNS) and exerts neuroprotective effects. Purpose : This study aimed to investigate the anti-AD effects of PA...
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Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Chinese Medicine (CM) on the health condition of the post-COVID-19 patients, particularly with the CM Syndrome diagnosis and Body Constitutions (BC), as well as related clinical characteristics. Methods 150 participants who had COVID-19 and discharged from Hong Kong public hospitals were recru...
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Background Acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure has been used as a complementary and alternative treatment for smoking cessation in Hong Kong for over 10 years. This study aimed to investigate the success rates of smoking cessation posttreatment, and to evaluate treatment effects on tobacco dependence, smoking behavior, anxiety levels, a...
Article
BACKGROUND Huang-Lian-Jie-Du Decoction is a traditional Chinese medicine formula which has long been used to treat inflammatory skin disease including AD. However, Gardeniae Fructus, a component herb of HLJDD, has noticeable toxicity in liver and kidney. We therefore replaced Gardeniae Fructus with Dictamni Cortex with a hope to derive at a modifie...
Article
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Background Chronic Urticaria (CU), a common skin disorder known as Yin Zhen in Chinese medicine, is characterized by recurrent, pruritic, pink-to-red edematous lesions and wheals on the skin. Xiao-Feng Powder (XFP, meaning Wind-Dispersing Powder), is reported to be one of the most frequently used Chinese herbal formulae for CU. In this study, we ai...
Preprint
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Background: Acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure has been used as a complementary and alternative treatment for smoking cessation in Hong Kong for over 10 years. This study aimed to verify its therapeutic effects and safety for smoking cessation and to evaluate its effects on tobacco dependence, smoking behavior, anxiety levels and sleep...
Article
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Background: Tinnitus is a common problem worldwide. There is still no effective method to cure it. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may be a potentially effective treatment approach for tinnitus. However, there is still no clinical trial with scientifically rigorous methodology to evaluate the treatment effect of TCM for tinnitus. Therefore, we p...
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Brucea javanica (Ya-dan-zi in Chinese) is a well-known Chinese herbal medicine, which is traditionally used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of intestinal inflammation, diarrhea, malaria, and cancer. The formulation of the oil (Brucea javanica oil) has been widely used to treat various types of cancer. It has also been found that B. javanica i...
Article
Dendrobium nobile Lindl ( D. nobile ), a well-known precious herb, has a long history of use as a medicine and health food in China. Phytochemically, D. nobile has been found to contain various bioactive compounds, such as alkaloids, bibenzyl, phenanthrene, phenylpropanoids, and polysaccharides. Its medicinal applications are closely correlated to...
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Background Uncaria tomentosa , which has similar chemical constituents with Uncaria rhynchophylla, has been reported to alleviate cognitive impairments in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) animal models. This study aimed to compare the chemical constituents and anti-AD effect of the ethanol extracts of U. tomentosa (UTE) and U. rhynchophylla (URE). Methods...
Article
Baicalin has distinct therapeutic effects in various skin diseases animal models such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-atopic dermatitis (AD) effects of baicalin in 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-treated mice. Female BALB/c mice treated with DNCB to induce AD-like skin lesions and orally admi...
Preprint
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Background Gemcitabine (GEM) is a chemotherapeutic drug used to treat pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma carcinoma (PDAC), but chemoresistance is often encountered clinically. Nrf2, an oxidative stress responsive transcription factor, is an important contributor to chemoresistance and is closely associated with poor prognosis of PDAC. Brucein D (BD),...
Preprint
Full-text available
Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal functional disease. Adults with IBS may experience abdominal pain, change of bowel habits, and abnormal stool form without organic disease. IBS can seriously affect their work productivity and quality of life, especially diarrhea-predominant Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). Ch...
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Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing skin disease characterized by recurring episodes of itchiness with skin erythema and surface damages. Chinese medicine (CM) is widely used for the management of AD in China not only by its own, but also used in combination with conventional therapy (integrated Chinese-Western medicine, ICWM...
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The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted for more than 16 months, and there have been over 169 million confirmed cases worldwide. Besides, after treatment with Western medicine or undergoing home quarantine, COVID-19 patients are still severely or mildly functionally impaired. Though COVID-19 patients were discharged from the hospital, most of them still e...
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Several genetic studies have identified a rare variant of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, findings on the effects of TREM2 on Aβ deposition are quite inconsistent in animal studies, requiring further investigation. In this study, we investigated whether elevation of TR...
Article
Objective The objective of this study was to investigate whether 70% aqueous ethanol extract of San-Jia-Fu-Mai decoction extract (SJFMDE) could protect against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced oxidative stress in PC12 cells and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced motor function deficits in mice. Materials and Meth...
Article
Ethnopharmacological relevance Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a skin inflammatory disease characterized by erythema, eruption, lichenification and pruritus. Shi Zhen Formula (SZF), an empirical Chinese herbal preparation, has clinical efficacy in relieving the symptoms of AD patients. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of SZF remained unclear....
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Introduction Honokiol (HO) exerts neuroprotective effects in several animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the poor dissolution hampers its bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. Objectives A novel honokiol nanoscale drug delivery system (Nano-HO) with smaller size and excellent stability was developed in this study to improve the solu...
Article
Breast cancer is a prominent type of malignancy among women with a high rate of mortality. A number of previous studies have demonstrated the anticancer potential of brucein D (BD), a quassinoid extracted from Brucea javanica, against the cancers of the pancreas, bone, and liver. We investigated the impact of BD on apoptotic as well on mitogen-acti...
Article
Our previous study revealed that Epimedii Folium (EF) and Codonopsis Radix (CNR) significantly promoted tumor growth on a subcutaneous mouse model of prostate cancer (PCa) via enhancing the mRNA and protein expressions of androgen receptor (AR), while Astragali Radix (AGR) inhibited tumor growth via suppressing the protein expression of AR. In the...
Article
Due to the rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, antivirulence therapy may be a promising alternative for the effective control of the spread of resistant pathogens. The Chinese Materia Medica has been widely used for the treatment of diseases and production of health foods, and it remains a valuable resource for the di...
Preprint
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Background Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative joint condition that causes disability and pain amongst the elderly. The prevalence of KOA among persons aged 63 or above is approximately 30%. It is estimated that around 10% of the Hong Kong residents will have KOA by the year 2036. Previous studies have reported the positive effect of...
Article
Background : Dictamni Cortex (DC), a Chinese herbal medicine with wind dispelling and itchiness relieving effects, is the most popular single herb prescribed for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), as it is used in up to 12.68% of all herbal prescriptions for AD. Purpose : The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-AD effect of Dictamni Cor...
Article
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Background Around 15% of the Hong Kong population was found to suffer from overactive bladder (OAB), but the current available treatments, such as medication, behavioral therapy and physical therapy are unsatisfactory. Previous studies have suggested that acupuncture may have promising effect for OAB, but some limitations on the study design render...
Article
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia characterized by progressive loss of cognitive functions due to neuronal death mainly in the hippocampal and cortical brain. Sulforaphene (SF) is one of the main isothiocyanates isolated from a Chinese herb Raphani Semen. In this study, we aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects...
Preprint
Full-text available
Background Atopic Dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema, is a chronic skin disease characterized by recurring episodes of itchiness with skin erythema and surface damages, such as dry skin, skin thickening and swelling. Long-term treatment with conventional medicine for subacute and moderate atopic eczema is not satisfactory. Evidence from r...
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Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture plus warm needling (EAWN) therapy on pain and foot function in adults with plantar heel pain (PHP). Methods This prospective, randomised, parallel-group, waitlist-controlled trial was conducted at a Chinese medicine centre in Hong Kong between May 2018 and February 2019. Eighty...
Article
Background The accumulation and aggregation of Aβ as amyloid plaques, the hallmark pathology of the Alz-heimer׳s disease, has been found in other neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury. The axonal injury may con-tribute to the formation of Aβ plaques. Studies to date have focused on the brain, with no investigations of spinal cord,...
Preprint
Full-text available
Background Honokiol (HO) exerts neuroprotective effects in several animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the poor dissolution hampers its bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. A novel honokiol nanoscale drug delivery system (Nano-HO) with smaller size and excellent stability was developed in this study to improve the solubility and bio...
Article
Full-text available
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive memory loss. Magnolol (MN), the main active ingredient of Magnolia officinalis, possesses anti-AD effects in several experimental models of AD. In this study, we aimed to explore whether MN could ameliorate the cognitive deficits in TgCRND8 transgenic mice a...
Article
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Increasing evidence suggests that activation of satellite glia cells (SGCs) in sensory ganglia play important roles in the development of neuropathic pain. The present study aimed to investigate the involvement of SGC activation in a novel model of motor nerve injury induced pain hypersensitivity. The neuropathic pain model was established by cervi...
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IntroductionGelsemine is a natural alkaloid extracted from Gelsemium elegans Benth., a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Gelsemine has been shown to penetrate the brain, and could produce neurological activities, such as anxiolytic and neuralgia-alleviating effects, suggesting that this natural compound might be used for treating nervous system d...
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Introduction: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process of transdifferentiation where epithelial cells attain mesenchymal phenotype to gain invasive properties and thus, can contribute to metastasis of tumor cells. Objectives: The antimetastatic and antitumor efficacy of brusatol (BT) was investigated in a hepatocellular carcinoma (HC...
Article
Beta amyloid (Aβ) is a key component of parenchymal Aβ plaques and vascular Aβ fibrils, which lead to cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent studies have revealed that Aβ contained in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can re-enter into brain through paravascular spaces. However, whether Aβ in CSF may act as a constant sou...
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Cancer patients seek help from both Western medicine (WM) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This study explored what patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) in Hong Kong (HK) expect from TCM to WM. Twenty purposively sampled CRC patients were interviewed and audio-taped. Interviews were transcribed verbatim in Cantonese. Data were analyzed usin...
Article
Ethnopharmacological relevance Many prostate cancer (PCa) patients in Mainland China and other Asian countries often use Chinese herbal medicines as an adjuvant treatment while receiving Western medicines. However, concerns have been raised about the potential herb-drug interaction when using herbal medicines containing phytoandrogens. Aim of the...
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Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for dysphagia as a complication of stroke. Methods and Design. This is a multicenter, pragmatic, nonrandomized, self-controlled clinical trial. A total of 39 patients were recruited from several Chinese medicine outpatient clinics and hospital-affiliated speech therapy out...
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Purpose: Skin hydration (SH) and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) are important skin biophysical parameters for assessment of childhood eczema. This study investigated whether age, sex, and disease status influence these parameters. Methods: Skin hydration and TEWL were measured by Delfin MoistureMeterSC and Delfin Vapometer SWL5, respectively,...
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Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) refers to pathological changes occurring in cerebral blood vessels caused by deposition of beta amyloid (Aβ) protein. However, the mechanisms involved in the origin of Aβ for the formation of CAA and its link to parenchymal amyloid depositions remained to be unraveled. Here, we found CAA and parenchymal plaques dis...