Exploration of the Medication Patterns of Zhu Wenzeng in Treating Myasthenia Gravis Based on Data Mining

PENG Siyang; TIAN Yukun; CHANG Weiqian; LI Shaohong; NI Jinxia; ZHU Wenzeng

Abstract：Objective To analyze the medication rules of Professor Zhu Wenzeng in the treatment of myasthenia gravis(MG)by data mining.Methods The medical records of newly-diagnosed MG patients who visited professor Zhu Wenzeng's clinic from January 2017 to December 2021 were collected.The Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions for first visit were included and a database was established.The frequency of each herbal medicine used,four Qi,five flavors,meridians,and efficacy categories were calculated.Association rules analysis and cluster analysis were carried out to explore the characteristics of herbal medicine used.Results A total of 212 prescriptions were included,involving 126 herbal medicines.All herbal medicines were used 5 320 times in total.The top 5 herbal medicines used were astragalus membranaceus(Huangqi,212 times),Nux vomica(Maqianzi,212 times),dried human placenta(Ziheche,212 times),Codonopsis pilosula(Dangshen,211 times),and Licorice(Gancao,211 times).Warm(2 645 times)and sweet herbs(3 492 times)were used the most in the aspect of Qi and flavor.Most of the herbal medicines belong to liver meridian(2 927 times),lung meridian(2 581 times),spleen meridian(2 534 times),and kidney meridian(1 624 times).The top 5 efficacy categories applied were tonifying deficiency drugs(2 215 times),relieving exterior drugs(1 036 times),blood activating drugs(438 times),liver calming and wind calming drugs(418 times),and heat clearing drugs(114 times).The results of association rules analysis showed that Astragalus membranaceus,Nux vomica,Codonopsis pilosula,Radix Bupleuri(Chaihu)and cimicifugae foetidae(Shengma)were the core drugs,among which Huangqi-Maqianzi-Ziheche were the essential drugs for prescription.The drugs can be divided into 9 categories by cluster analysis.Conclusion Professor Zhu Wenzeng takes supplementing Qi and warming Yang as the basic principle in the treatment of MG,and attaches importance to the combined application of methods such as activating blood circulation and dredging collaterals,consolidating exterior and expelling wind,drying dampness,and removing phlegm.