The Effect of Gua Sha Therapy on Pain in Parkinson's Disease: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Pain is a common yet undertreated symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). This study investigated the effect of Gua Sha therapy on pain in patients with PD. Patients and Methods: A total of 56 PD patients with pain were randomized into either the experimental group (n=28), receiving 12 sessions of Gua Sha therapy, or the control group (n=28) without additional treatment. Participants underwent assessment at baseline, after the twelfth invention, and at the 2-month follow-up timepoints. The primary outcome was KPPS and VAS. Secondary outcomes included UPDRS I-III, PDSS-2, HADS, PDQ-39, and blood biomarkers (5-HT, IL-8, IL-10). Results: The experimental group reported a significant improvement in pain severity, motor functions, affective disorder, and sleep quality (P < 0.05). Furthermore, increasing trends in both 5-HT and IL-10, as well as decreasing trends in IL-8 were observed. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusion: The preliminary findings suggest that Gua Sha therapy may be effective and safe for alleviating pain and improving other disease-related symptoms in PD patients.

Chinese Herbal Medicine for Chemotherapy-Induced Leukopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of High-Quality Randomized Controlled Trials.

Aim: We conducted a systematic review of high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced leukopenia (CIL). Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched from the date of inception to November 4, 2020 for high-quality RCTs that met the requirements of at least four key domains of the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB) tool. RevMan 5.3 was applied for the meta-analysis. Results: Fourteen RCTs involving 1,053 patients were included. The pooled results showed that CHM + chemotherapy exerted greater beneficial effects on white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil (NEU), hemoglobin (Hb), and platelet (PLT) counts in addition to the Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) score, but showed no significant difference on granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) dosage compared with chemotherapy alone. Placebo (PBO) + chemotherapy and CHM + chemotherapy groups showed no significant differences in terms of reduction of the incidence of neutropenia. CHM + chemotherapy was superior to Western medicine (WM) + chemotherapy in improving the WBC count, KPS, infection amount, G-CSF use rate, and incidence of leukopenia. In addition, no severe adverse events were observed in the 14 RCTs. Conclusion: CHM in combination with chemotherapy could effectively improve the clinical symptoms of CIL when compared with chemotherapy alone or Western medicine + chemotherapy, except when comparing with PBO + chemotherapy. While CHMs were generally safe for clinical use and exerted no severe side effects in the 14 RCTs, high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes are essential to reduce study heterogeneity.

Early therapeutic interventions of traditional Chinese medicine in COVID-19 patients: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the early interventions of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on the conversion time of nucleic acid in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and find possible underlying mechanisms of action. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 300 confirmed COVID-19 patients who were treated with TCM, at a designated hospital in China. The patients were categorized into three groups: TCM1, TCM2 and TCM3, who respectively received TCM interventions within 7, 8-14, and greater than 15 days of hospitalization. Different indicators such as the conversion time of pharyngeal swab nucleic acid, the conversion time of fecal nucleic acid, length of hospital stay, and inflammatory markers (leukocyte count, and lymphocyte count and percentage) were analyzed to observe the impact of early TCM interventions on these groups. RESULTS: The median conversion times of pharyngeal swab nucleic acid in the three groups were 5.5, 7 and 16 d (P < 0.001), with TCM1 and TCM2 being statistically different from TCM3 (P < 0.01). TCM1 (P < 0.05) and TCM3 (P < 0.01) were statistically different from TCM2. The median conversion times of fecal nucleic acid in the three groups were 7, 9 and 17 d (P < 0.001). Conversion times of fecal nucleic acid in TCM1 were statistically different from TCM3 and TCM2 (P < 0.01). The median lengths of hospital stay in the three groups were 13, 16 and 21 d (P < 0.001). TCM1 and TCM2 were statistically different from TCM3 (P < 0.01); TCM1 and TCM3 were statistically different from TCM2 (P < 0.01). Both leucocyte and lymphocyte counts increased gradually with an increase in the length of hospital stay in TCM1 group patients, with a statistically significant difference observed at each time point in the group (P < 0.001). Statistically significant differences in lymphocyte count and percentage in TCM2 (P < 0.001), and in leucocyte count (P = 0.043) and lymphocyte count (P = 0.038) in TCM3 were observed. The comparison among the three groups showed a statistically significant difference in lymphocyte percentage on the third day of admission (P = 0.044). CONCLUSION: In this study, it was observed that in COVID-19 patients treated with a combination of Chinese and Western medicines, TCM intervention earlier in the hospital stay correlated with faster conversion time of pharyngeal swab and fecal nucleic acid, as well as shorter length of hospital stay, thus helping promote faster recovery of the patient. The underlying mechanism of action may be related to improving inflammation in patients with COVID-19.

Effects of Tanreqing Capsule on the negative conversion time of nucleic acid in patients with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Traditional Chinese medicine plays a significant role in the treatment of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Tanreqing Capsule (TRQC) was used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of TRQC in the treatment of COVID-19. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 82 patients who had laboratory-confirmed mild and moderate COVID-19; patients were treated with TRQC in one designated hospital. The treatment and control groups consisted of 25 and 57 cases, respectively. The treatment group was given TRQC orally three times a day, three pills each time, in addition to conventional Western medicine treatments which were also administered to the control group. The clinical efficacy indicators, such as the negative conversion time of pharyngeal swab nucleic acid, the negative conversion time of fecal nucleic acid, the duration of negative conversion of pharyngeal-fecal nucleic acid, and the improvement in the level of immune indicators such as T-cell subsets (CD3, CD4 and CD45) were monitored. RESULTS: COVID-19 patients in the treatment group, compared to the control group, had a shorter negative conversion time of fecal nucleic acid (4 vs. 9 days, P = 0.047) and a shorter interval of negative conversion of pharyngeal-fecal nucleic acid (0 vs. 2 days, P = 0.042). The level of CD3+ T cells increased in the treatment group compared to the control group ([317.09 ± 274.39] vs. [175.02 ± 239.95] counts/µL, P = 0.030). No statistically significant differences were detected in the median improvement in levels of CD4+ T cells (173 vs. 107 counts/µL, P = 0.208) and CD45+ T cells (366 vs. 141 counts/µL, P = 0.117) between the treatment and control groups. CONCLUSION: Significant reductions in the negative conversion time of fecal nucleic acid and the duration of negative conversion of pharyngeal-fecal nucleic acid were identified in the treatment group as compared to the control group, illustrating the potential therapeutic benefits of using TRQC as a complement to conventional medicine in patients with mild and moderate COVID-19. The underlying mechanism may be related to the improved levels of the immune indicator CD3+ T cells.

Protective effects of beef decoction rich in carnosine on cerebral ischemia injury by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

Inflammation has a role in the cerebral injury induced by ischemia and the present study aimed to determine the mechanism of the protective effect of beef decoction (BD) with carnosine against it. A rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion was established using a suture method in the vehicle and each of the BD groups. In experiment 1, 72 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham, vehicle and BD-treated group. Rats in the BD group were given 600 mg/kg BD by oral gavage for 1, 3 and 7 days. The sham and vehicle group rats received an equivalent amount of normal saline. In experiment 2, 60 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham-operated I, sham-operated II, vehicle, low-dose BD, medium-dose BD and high-dose BD group. Rats in the low-, medium- and high-dose BD groups were given BD at the dose of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg, respectively, by oral gavage for 7 days. Rats in the sham-operated II group were given 600 mg/kg BD. Rats in the sham-operated I group and vehicle group were given the same volume of normal saline by oral gavage. The body weight, neurological deficits and infarct volume were recorded at 1, 3 and 7 days after the operation. Furthermore, the effect of different doses of BD on interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels in peripheral blood was measured at 7 days. BD-treated rats showed less neurological deficits and a smaller infarct volume at 7 days. BD at 400 and 600 mg/kg significantly decreased the infarct volume in rats. At 600 mg/kg BD, a decline in IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ and an increase in IL-4 expression was observed in the BD groups, while no difference in body weight and neurological dysfunction was detected. In conclusion, BD is a neuroprotective agent that may be used as a supplement treatment of ischemic stroke.

[Bibliometric Analysis of Applying Proteomics Technology in Acupuncture and Moxibustion Re- search].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze document features and current research status of applying proteomics technology in acupuncture and moxibustion research, thereby further providing reference for further research and development in this area. METHODS: CNKI, Wangfang Data, CBM, PubMed, and Medline were included. Retrieved were literatures involving applying proteomics technology in acupunc- ture and moxibustion from January 2004 to December 2015. Document features and current research features were statistically analyzed using bibliometrics. RESULTS: Totally 91 articles were included, 60 from journals, 8 conference theses, and 23 dissertations. The 60 articles were published in 47 kinds of journals, and 56 of them were published in core journals. Theories of acupuncture and moxibustion (correlated with meridians, zang-fu organs) and mechanism research were hotspots, involving 19 kinds of disease models (dominated as gastric mucosal lesion, cerebral ischemia, and spinal cord injury). Two- dimensional gel based electrophoresis technology was used in 51 articles (69. 86%). CONCLUSIONS: Proteomics technology has been widely applied in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion research. It could promote researches on meridians and zang-fu organs correlated theories and mechanisms. The depth and breadth of the study is worth further widening.

Anti-inflammatory effects of potato extract on a rat model of cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of potato extract (PE) on cigarette smoke (CS)-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: PE was first prepared by frozen centrifugation, and its amino acid composition was detected. Toxicity of PE was analyzed by changes in morphology, behavior, routine blood indexes, and biochemical criteria of mice. Then, the COPD rat model was established by CS exposure, and PE, doxofylline, and prednisolone acetate were used to treat these rats. After 45 days of treatment, the morphology and behavior of rats were recorded. In addition, the histopathology of lung tissue was evaluated by chest x-ray and hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of interleukine-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was detected in serum and lung tissue by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. RESULTS: Various amino acids were identified in PE, and no toxicity was exhibited in mice. The CS-induced COPD rat model was successfully established, which exhibited significant thickened and disordered lung markings on 90% of the rats. After administering doxofylline and prednisolone acetate, inflammation symptoms were improved. However, side effects such as emaciation, weakness, and loosening of teeth appeared. In the PE group, obviously improved histopathology was observed in lung tissues. Meanwhile, it was revealed that PE could increase the expression of IL-10 and reduce the expression of TNF-α and G-CSF in COPD rats, and doxofylline and prednisolone acetate also elicited similar results. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests PE might be effective in the treatment of CS-induced COPD by inhibiting inflammation.

Feasibility study on the application of fenestrated stent grafts in canine aortic arches.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the feasibility and effectiveness of applying fenestrated stent grafts in canine aortic arches. METHODS: According to the anatomic characteristics of the aortic arches from four adult beagle dogs, a straight-type aortic coated vascular stent system from Lifetech Scientific (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. was released in vitro, after which a square window was burnt out at the back tendon of the coated vascular stent with an electrocautery pen, and the fenestrated stent grafts were then returned in the catheter and delivery sheath, following the original release path. Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) was then performed in the canine aorta. Immediately after surgery, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and computed tomography (CT) angiography were conducted. On day 3, the dressing was changed, and on day 7, the stitches were removed and CT angiography was reviewed. Animal autopsies were performed 2 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: DSA and CT angiography were conducted in 4 beagles immediately after the experiments. The CT angiography reviewed on day 7 after surgery and the animal autopsy performed two weeks after surgery both revealed that the fenestrated stent grafts were anchored in the canine aortic arch, the openings were aligned against the branch vessels above the aortic arch, and in each branch vessel, the blood flow was smooth, without any obvious internal leakage phenomena. CONCLUSION: An ordinary straight-type coated vascular stent, fenestrated in vitro, followed by the performance of EVAR in the canine aortic arch for in vivo stent implantation, was technically feasible. When a branch coated vascular stent cannot meet the individual needs of the wound, this technology may provide a valuable strategy for clinical thoracic aortic trauma emergencies.

An MFC-based online monitoring and alert system for activated sludge process.

In this study, based on a simple, compact and submersible microbial fuel cell (MFC), a novel online monitoring and alert system with self-diagnosis function was established for the activated sludge (AS) process. Such a submersible MFC utilized organic substrates and oxygen in the AS reactor as the electron donor and acceptor respectively, and could provide an evaluation on the status of the AS reactor and thus give a reliable early warning of potential risks. In order to evaluate the reliability and sensitivity of this online monitoring and alert system, a series of tests were conducted to examine the response of this system to various shocks imposed on the AS reactor. The results indicate that this online monitoring and alert system was highly sensitive to the performance variations of the AS reactor. The stability, sensitivity and repeatability of this online system provide feasibility of being incorporated into current control systems of wastewater treatment plants to real-time monitor, diagnose, alert and control the AS process.

[Study on purification of total organic acid and chlorogenic acid in Herba Artemisiae scopariae with macroporous adsorption resin].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the technological parameters of the purification process for total organic acid and chlorogenic acid in Herba Artemisiae scopariae with macroporous adsorption resin. METHODS: Static and dynamic adsorption-desorption methods were adopted to choose the optimal type of resin. Then orthogonal design L9 (3(4)) and single factor experiment were used to select the optimum purification process conditions. RESULTS: The optimal purification process for total organic acid and chlorogenic acid with HPD200A macroporous adsorption resin were as follows: the diameter height ratio of the resin was 1:6, the sample concentration was 1 g/mL, the absorption velocity was 1 BV/h (1 BV represented one column volume), the ratio of sample to HPD200A macroporous adsorption resin was 1.5:1 (W/W), 3 BV of water was used as purificant and 2 BV of 90% ethanol was used as eluant. Under these conditions, the purity of total organic acid and chlorogenic acid was 588.74% and 567.89%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The established purification process for total organic acid and chlorogenic acid in Herba Artemisiae scopariae with HPD200A macroporous adsorption resin is simple and stable and can be used in industrial production.

[Observation on the therapeutic effect of scraping therapy on perimenopausal syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effects of scraping therapy on perimenopausal syndrome. METHODS: Twenty women with perimenopausal syndrome were treated with scraping therapy and the dorsal course of the Governor Vessell and the Urinary Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang were scraped, especially on the Back-shu points and Ashi points. The clinical symptoms were observed and compared with a modified Kupperman score before and after treatment. RESULTS: In all the 20 patients, 3 cases were cured, 6 cases were markedly effective, 9 cases were effective, 2 cases were ineffective, and the total effective rate was 90.0%. The Kupperman total score after treatment of (10.4 +/- 7.5) was significantly lower than the score before treatment of (25.0 +/- 5.3) (P < 0.001), in which, hot flushes and sweating, insomnia, fatigue, paresthesia, anxiety/irritability, hypaphrodisia, urinary system infection, tinnitus, dizziness, memory deterioration and headache were eased significantly (P < 0.001, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The scraping therapy has a good clinical effect on perimenopausal syndrome and can significantly improve the clinical symptoms.

[Effect of ACBP-S on cell cycle and apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of anti-cancer bioactive peptide-S (ACBP-S) on cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis in human stomach cancer cell line MGC-803 cells. METHODS: (1) The cultured MGC-803 cells were treated with ACBP-S at various concentrations for 24, 48, 72 h, respectively. The inhibition rate of proliferation of MGC-803 cells were evaluated by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). RT-PCR was used to assay the changes of p27 mRNA expression. Immunocytochemistry was used to detect the changes of expression of p27, PCNA, Bax, Bcl-2 proteins, respectively. (2) a nude mouse xenograft model with gastric carcinoma cell was established. ACPB-S was administered into the tail vein of the mice in a dose of 7 microg, every other day, and the mice were killed after two weeks. The tumors were taken off for further analysis. RESULTS: (1) ACBP-S at concentrations of 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0 microg/ml inhibit the growth of MGC-803 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The concentration of ACBP-S at 20.0 microg/ml showed an inhibition rate of (86.6 + 0.1)%. Typical apoptotic changes were observed under the transmission electron microscope. The result of FCM in the range of 5.0 and 20.0 microg/ml for 24 h showed higher early apoptosis rates, (5.7 +/- 0.2)% and (13.9 +/- 0.6)%, respectively, with s significant difference compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05). The ratio of G0/G1 was significantly increased with the increase of incubation time at 20 microg/ml. RT-PCR showed that the expression of p27 mRNA in MGC-803 cells was markedly increased after ACBP-S treatment. (2) After ACBP-S administration the tumor growth in nude mice was inhibited by 34.2%. More apoptotic and necrotic cells were observed in the mice of treatment group by histological examination with HE staining. The immunocytochemistry demonstrated that the expression of Bax protein was significantly increased and Bcl-2 and PCNA protein expressions were significantly decreased after ACBP-S treatment. CONCLUSION: ACBP-S has marked inhibiting effect upon the growth of MGC-803 cells inducing more apoptosis. The anti-cancer mechanism is probably related with its regulatory effects on cell cycle and apoptosis in the tumor cells.

[Determination of trace elements in traditional Chinese medicine from Changbai Mountain by ICP-MS].

The effects of different digestives for the fritillaria and atractylodes were compared. Many trace elements in the planted and wild fritillaria and atractylodes were determined by ICP-MS The results show that the RSD and recovery are better if the planted and wild fritillaria and atractylodes were digested with HNO3-H2O2. Among the many elements determined from the fritillaria and atractylodes, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg and Mn are the dominant chemicals. The content of Fe was higher in the wild fritillaria and atractylodes than that in the planted fritillaria and atractylodes, while the contents of heavy metal Pb and Cd were lower in the wild fritillaria and atractylodes than those in the planted fritillaria and atractylodes. The wild fritillaria and atractylodes contain Co, which was not determined in the planted fritillaria and atractylodes. The experimental results showed that the detection limits were lower than 0.086 ng x g(-1) with low RSD(n = 7, 4.85%) for most metal chemicals determined, and the standard recoveries (n = 7) ranged from 96.8 to 103.4%.

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of extracts from ultrasonic treatment of Satsuma Mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) peels.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was used to extract phenolic compounds from Satsuma mandarin ( Citrus unshiu Marc.) peels (SMP), and maceration extraction (ME) was used as a control. The effects of ultrasonic time (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min), temperature (15, 30, and 40 degrees C), and ultrasonic power (3.2, 8, 30, and 56 W) on phenolic compounds were investigated. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with a photodiode array (PDA) detector was used for the analysis of phenolic acids after alkaline hydrolysis (bound phenolic acids) and flavanone glycosides. The contents of seven phenolic acids (caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and vanillic acid) and two flavanone glycosides (narirutin and hesperidin) in extracts obtained by ultrasonic treatment were significantly higher than in extracts obtained by the maceration method. Moreover, the contents of extracts increased as both treatment time and temperature increased. Ultrasonic power had a positive effect on the contents of extracts. However, the phenolic acids may be degraded by ultrasound at higher temperature for a long time. For example, after ultrasonic treatment at 40 degrees C for 20 min, the contents of caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid decreased by 48.90, 44.20, 48.23, and 35.33%, respectively. The interaction of ultrasonic parameters probably has a complex effect on the extracts. A linear relationship was observed between Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values and total phenolic contents (TPC); the correlation coefficient, R(2), is 0.8288 at 15 degrees C, 0.7706 at 30 degrees C, and 0.8626 at 40 degrees C, respectively. The data indicated that SMPs were rich sources of antioxidants. Furthermore, UAE techniques should be carefully used to enhance the yields of phenolic acids from SMPs.