Two-dimensional transition-metal halide CoBr3 with spin-polarized Dirac cone.

Recently, the discovery of two-dimensional transition-metal materials with non-trivial magnetic and electronic properties has spurred huge interest in investigating their applications in nanotechnology. Here, we report that the monolayer of CoBr3 possesses a quantum anomalous Hall insulating phase generated on the basis of first-principles calculations. We find that the CoBr3 monolayer is an intrinsic two-dimensional ferromagnetic material with a Curie temperature Tc = 264 K predicted from Monte Carlo simulations. The phonon spectra analysis indicates that the CoBr3 monolayer is dynamically stable. Taking into account spin-orbit coupling, this makes the electronic structure of the CoBr3 monolayer topologically non-trivial with a global band gap of 8.7 meV. The anomalous Hall conductivity calculation shows a Chern number C = 2, meaning the presence of a two edge state in nanoribbons of finite width. These findings not only add an experimentally feasible member to the quantum anomalous Hall insulator family, but also pave the way for highly promising application potentials in nanoelectronics and spintronics.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Cells with 4-1BB Co-Stimulatory Domain Present a Superior Treatment Outcome than Those with CD28 Domain Based on Bioinformatics.

BACKGROUND: The second-generation CD19-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T co-stimulatory domain that is commonly used in clinical practice is CD28 or 4-1BB. Previous studies have shown that the persistence of CAR-T in the 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain appears to be longer. METHODS: The expression profile data of GSE65856 were obtained from GEO database. After data preprocessing, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the mock CAR versus CD19-28z CAR T cells and mock CAR versus CD19-BBz CAR T cells were identified using the limma package. Subsequently, functional enrichment analysis of DEGs was performed using the DAVID tool. Then, the protein-protein international (PPI) network of these DEGs was visualized by Cytoscape, and the miRNA-target gene-disease regulatory networks were predicted using Webgestal. RESULTS: A total of 18 common DEGs, 6 CD19-28z specific DEGs and 206 CD19-BBz specific DEGs were identified. Among CD19-28z specific DEGs, down-regulated PAX5 might be an important node in the PPI network and could be targeted by miR-496. In CD19-BBz group, JUN was a hub node in the PPI network and involved in the regulations of miR520D - early growth response gene 3 (EGR3)-JUN and mi-R489-AT-rich interaction domain 5A (ARID5A)-JUN networks. CONCLUSION: The 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain might play in important role in the treatment of CAR-T via miR-520D-EGR3-JUN and miR489-ARID5A-JUN regulation network, while CD28 had a negative effect on CAR-T treatment.

Study on epidemiology of cognitive dysfunction after stroke in the population over the age of 45 in Inner Mongolia.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence of different degrees vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) in stroke and the characteristics of demography distribution in Inner Mongolia. In order to provide reference data and theoretical guidance for the prevention and treatment of VCI after stroke in the area. METHODS: Stratified multi-stage random sampling was used to extract six regions of Inner Mongolia as the first sampling cluster; and then the corresponding banners (counties) were selected randomly as the secondary sampling cluster; according to the number of patient required to investigation, the corresponding number of communities was randomly selected from the secondary sampling cluster. According to the diagnostic criteria of 'Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of vascular cognitive impairment' and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke convened an International Workshop with support from the Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Neurosciences (NINDS-AIREN), we screened all stroke patients aged 45 or older from each community, a total of 444 patients participated in the questionnaire and various scale assessments. RESULTS: The prevalence of VCI, vascular cognitive impairment no dementia and vascular dementia was 80.41%, 34.46% and 45.95% respectively. The prevalence of VCI in stroke was significantly different in different nationality, age and education level (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference in gender, occupation, marital status and family structure (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of VCI after stroke was higher in Inner Mongolia, and VCI had a relatively high morbidity in old age people and person with less education in Chinese Han population.

A dual-label time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay for the simultaneous determination of ferritin and ß2 -microglobulin.

BACKGROUND: Lymphocytic leukemia is a kind of primary malignant tumor of hematopoietic tissue. The aim was to establish a dual-label time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) for the simultaneous determination of ferritin (FER) and ß2 -microglobulin (ß2 -MG) for the early screening and follow-up surveillance of lymphocytic leukemia. METHODS: The sandwich immunoassay was used to detect the concentration of FER, and the competitive immunoassay was used to detect the concentration of ß2 -MG in serum. FER in serum was captured by anti- FER antibody immobilized on microtiter wells, and then banded together with another anti- FER labeled with europium(III) Eu3+ chelate, followed by fluorescence measurement using time-resolved fluorometry (TRF). Sm3+ labeled ß2 -MG and ß2 -MG samples were added to compete with a certain amount of anti-ß2 -MG antibody, followed by fluorescence measurement using TRF. The performance of this dual-label TRFIA was evaluated using the clinical blood and compared with the commercial assays. RESULTS: The linear correlation coefficient (R2 ) of the FER and ß2 -MG standard curves were 0.9914 and 0.9927, respectively. The sensitivity for FER detection was 8 ng/mL (dynamic range 0-1000 ng/mL), the average recovery was 100.51%; The sensitivity for ß2 -MG detection was 1 ng/mL (dynamic range 0-1000 ng/mL), the average recovery was 101.02%. High correlation coefficients (R2 ) were obtained between the commercial assays (R2 =.9966 for FER, and R2 =.9897 for ß2 -MG). CONCLUSION: The present dual-label TRFIA has high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in clinical sample analysis. It is an effective detection method for the early screening and follow-up surveillance of the acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Scientific Collaboration in Chinese Nursing Research: A Social Network Analysis Study.

Collaboration has become very important in research and in technological progress. Coauthorship networks in different fields have been intensively studied as an important type of collaboration in recent years. Yet there are few published reports about collaboration in the field of nursing. This article aimed to reveal the status and identify the key features of collaboration in the field of nursing in China. Using data from the top 10 nursing journals in China from 2003 to 2013, we constructed a nursing scientific coauthorship network using social network analysis. We found that coauthorship was a common phenomenon in the Chinese nursing field. A coauthorship network with 228 subnetworks formed by 1428 nodes was constructed. The network was relatively loose, and most subnetworks were of small scales. Scholars from Shanghai and from military medical system were at the center of the Chinese nursing scientific coauthorship network. We identified the authors' positions and influences according to the research output and centralities of each author. We also analyzed the microstructure and the evolution over time of the maximum subnetwork.

[Effect of Buyang Huanwu decoction and its simple prescription (Naojian tablet) on CDK4/Cyclin D1 expression of rats with cerebral ischemia].

To evaluate the regulating effect of Buyang Huanwu decoction and its simple prescription (Naojian tablet) on CDK4/Cyclin D1 expression in hippocampus tissues of rats with cerebral ischemia, SD rats were divided into the sham-operation group, the model group, the Buyang Huanwu decoction group (ig, 3.15 g · kg⁻¹) and the simple prescription group (ig, 2.41 g · kg⁻¹). Each group was further divided into five subgroups based on time points after the administration, i. e. 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d and 28 d, respectively. CDK4/Cyclin D1 expressions of the group at different time points were examined by using immunohistochemistry and real-time qPCR. According to the results, the cerebral ischemia model group showed higher CDK4/Cyclin D1 expression than the sham-operation groups (P < 0.05), suggesting that the cell cycle signal pathway would be activated by the cerebral ischemic injury. Both Buyang Huanwu decoction and simple prescription groups showed significantly lower cyclin expression than the model group at 3 d, 7 d, 14 d, 28 d (P < 0.05), indicating both Buyang Huanwu decoction and its simple prescription could play the neuroprotective effect through the cell cycle signal pathway.

The clinical efficacy and safety of different biliary drainage in malignant obstructive jaundice: a meta-analysis.

Background: Currently, percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage (PTCD) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are commonly employed in clinical practice to alleviate malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ). Nevertheless, there lacks a consensus regarding the superiority of either method in terms of efficacy and safety. Aim: To conduct a systematic evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of PTCD and ERCP in treating MOJ, and to compare the therapeutic outcomes and safety profiles of these two procedures. Methods: CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the use of PTCD or ERCP for MOJ. The search period was from the establishment of the databases to July 2023. After quality assessment and data extraction from the included studies, Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.3 software. Results: A total of 21 RCTs involving 1,693 patients were included. Meta-analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in the surgical success rate between the two groups for patients with low biliary obstruction (P=0.81). For patients with high biliary obstruction, the surgical success rate of the PTCD group was higher than that of the ERCP group (P < 0.0001), and the overall surgical success rate of the PTCD group was also higher than that of the ERCP group (P = 0.008). For patients with low biliary obstruction, the rate of jaundice relief (P < 0.00001) and the clinical efficacy (P = 0.0005) were better in the ERCP group, while for patients with high biliary obstruction, the rate of jaundice relief (P < 0.00001) and the clinical efficacy (P = 0.003) were better in the PTCD group. There was no significant difference in the overall jaundice remission rate and clinical efficacy between the two groups (P = 0.77, 0.53). There was no significant difference in the reduction of ALT, TBIL, and DBIL before and after surgery and the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Both PTCD and ERCP can efficiently alleviate biliary obstruction and enhance liver function. ERCP is effective in treating low biliary obstruction, while PTCD is more advantageous in treating high biliary obstruction.

Astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p mitigates cerebral ischemic neuroinflammation by modulating NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of astrocyte-derived exosomes and their microRNAs (miRNAs) in modulating neuronal pyroptosis during cerebral ischemia. Methods: Astrocyte-derived exosomes were studied for treating cerebral ischemia in both in vitro and in vivo models. The effects of astrocyte-derived exosomes on neuroinflammation were investigated by analyzing exosome uptake, nerve damage, and pyroptosis protein expression. High throughput sequencing was used to identify astrocyte-derived exosomal miRNAs linked to pyroptosis, followed by validation via qRT‒PCR. The relationship between these miRNAs and NLRP3 was studied using a dual luciferase reporter assay. This study used miR-378a-5p overexpression and knockdown to manipulate OGD injury in nerve cells. The impact of astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p on the regulation of cerebral ischemic neuroinflammation was assessed through analysis of nerve injury and pyroptosis protein expression. Results: Our findings demonstrated that astrocyte-derived exosomes were internalized by neurons both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, Astrocyte-derived exosomes displayed a neuroprotective effect against OGD-induced neuronal injury and brain injury in the ischemic cortical region of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats while also reducing pyroptosis. Further investigations revealed the involvement of astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p in regulating pyroptosis by inhibiting NLRP3. The overexpression of miR-378a-5p mitigated neuronal damage, whereas the knockdown of miR-378a-5p increased NLRP3 expression and exacerbated pyroptosis, thus reversing this neuroprotective effect. Conclusion: Astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p has a neuroprotective effect on cerebral ischemia by suppressing neuroinflammation associated with NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.Further research is required to comprehensively elucidate the signaling pathways by which astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p modulates neuronal pyroptosis.

Glycosides of Buyang Huanwu decoction inhibits inflammation associated with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion via the PINK1/Parkin mitophagy pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: A classic stroke formula is Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD), Glycosides are the pharmacological components found in BYHWD, which are utilized for the prevention and management of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR), as demonstrated in a previous study. Its neuroprotective properties are closely related to its ability to modulate inflammation, but its mechanism is as yet unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: A research was undertaken to investigate the impact of glycosides on the inflammation of CIR through the PTEN-induced putative kinase-1 (PINK1)/Parkin mitophagy pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analyzing glycosides containing serum components was performed with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Glycosides were applied to rat of Middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model and primary neural cell of Oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model. The neuroprotective effect and the regulation of mitophagy of glycosides were evaluated through neural damage and PINK1/Parkin mitophagy activation. Moreover, the assessment of the relationship between glycosides regulation of mitophagy and its anti-inflammatory effects subsequent to mitophagy blockade was conducted by examining neural damage, PINK1/Parkin mitophagy activation, and levels of pyroptosis. RESULTS: (1) It was observed that the administration of glycosides resulted in a decrease in neurological function scores, a reduction in cerebral infarction volume, an increase in mitochondrial autophagosome, and the maintenance of a high expression status of light chain 3 (LC3) II/LC3Ⅰ protein. Additionally, there was a significant inhibition of p62 protein expression and an enhancement of PINK1 and Parkin protein expression. Furthermore, it was found that the effect of glycosides at a dosage of 0.128 g · kg-1 was significantly superior to that of glycosides at a dosage of 0.064 g · kg-1. Notably, the neuroprotective effect and inhibition of pyroptosis protein of glycosides at a dosage of 0.128 g · kg-1 were attenuated when mitochondrial autophagy was blocked. (2) Glycosides repaired cellular morphological damage, enhanced cell survival, and reduced Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, with glycosides (2.36 µg·mL-1 and 4.72 µg·mL-1) neuronal protection being the strongest. Glycosides (4.72 µg·mL-1) maintained LC3II/LC3Ⅰ protein high expression state, inhibited p62 protein expression, and promoted PINK1 and Parkin protein expression, which was stronger than glycosides (2.36 µg·mL-1). The blockade of mitophagy resulted in a reduction of neuroprotection and inhibition of pyroptosis protein exerted by glycosides. CONCLUSION: Glycosides demonstrate the ability to hinder inflammation through the activation of the PINK1/Parkin mitophagy pathway, thereby leading to subsequent neuroprotective effects on CIR.

Comparative study of different dosages of grain-sized moxibustion on uterine artery blood flow in patients with cold and dampness primary dysmenorrhea. / ä¸åŒå‰‚é‡éº¦ç²’ç¸å¯¹å¯’æ¹¿å‡æ»žåž‹åŽŸå‘æ€§ç—›ç»æ‚£è€ å­å®«åŠ¨è„‰è¡€æµå½±å“çš„æ¯”è¾ƒç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the differences in the effects of different dosages of grain-sized moxibustion on uterine artery blood flow in patients with cold and dampness primary dysmenorrhea (PD). METHODS: A total of 60 patients with PD were randomly divided into 3 groups with 20 cases in each group. Acupoints Sanyinjiao (SP6), Diji (SP8) and Xuehai (SP10) were selected in all the 3 groups, and different dosages of grain-sized moxibustion were used (3 moxa cones, 6 moxa cones, 9 moxa cones) respectively. Treatment started 7 days before menstruation for 3 times, lasting for a total of 3 menstrual cycles. The values of uterine artery blood flow parameters including pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and systolic/diastolic ratio (S/D) were recorded before and after treatment. The visual analog scale (VAS) score and cox menstrual symptom scale (CMSS) score (including severity ［CMSS-S］ and time of duration ［CMSS-T］) were evaluated before treatment, at the end of each menstrual cycle, and one menstrual cycle after treatment. RESULTS: The values of uterine artery blood flow parameters (PI, RI, S/D) after treatment in the 9 moxa cones group were lower than those before treatment, as well as lower than those in the 3 and 6 moxa cones groups after treatment (P<0.05). The VAS scores of the 3 moxa cones group were lower than those before treatment in the first and second cycle (P<0.05). The VAS scores of the 6 and 9 moxa cones groups were lower than those before treatment at each observation point (P<0.05), and were lower than those of the 3 moxa cones group in the third cycle of treatment and follow-up period (P<0.05). And the VAS score of the 9 moxa cones group was lower than that of the 6 moxa cones group during the follow-up period (P<0.05). Compared with the scores before treatment, the CMSS-T scores at each observation point after treatment were lower in the 9 moxa cones group (P<0.05)；the CMSS-T scores in the second and third cycle after treatment, and follow-up period were lower in the 6 moxa cones group (P<0.05), with the CMSS-S scores in the second and third cycle after treatment, and follow-up period lower in the 6 and 9 moxa cones groups (P<0.05). The CMSS-T and CMSS-S scores of the 6 and 9 moxa cones groups were lower than those of the 3 moxa cones group in the third cycle and follow-up period (P<0.05). The CMSS-T and CMSS-S scores of the 9 moxa cones group were lower than those of the 6 moxa cones group during the follow-up period (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Grain-Sized moxibustion has dose-effect relationship in the treatment of PD. Compared with 3 and 6 moxa cones groups, 9 moxa cones group has advantages in improving uterine artery blood flow parameters and alleviating dysmenorrhea symptoms in PD patients.

Mechanisms of electroacupuncture relieves uterine smooth muscle spasm in dysmenorrhea rats based on Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. / 基于Rho/ROCKä¿¡å·é€šè·¯æŽ¢è®¨ç”µé’ˆä»»è„‰ã€ç£è„‰ç»ç©´ç¼“è§£ç±»ç—›ç»æ¨¡åž‹å¤§é¼ å­å®«å¹³æ»‘è‚Œç—‰æŒ›çš„æœºåˆ¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on Rho/Rho-associated coiled-coil-forming kinases (ROCK) signaling pathway of uterus tissue in rats with dysmenorrhea, so as to explore the underlying mechanism of EA treating primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and uterine smooth muscle spasm, and to observe whether there is a difference in the effect of meridian acupoints in Conception Vessel (CV) and Governer Vessel (GV). METHODS: Sixty female SD rats were randomly divided into saline, model, CV, GV, and non-acupoint groups, with 12 rats in each group. The dysmenorrhea model was established by subcutaneous injection of estradiol diphenhydrate combined with intraperitoneal injection of oxytocin (OT). EA (2 Hz) was applied to "Qihai" (CV6) and "Zhongji" (CV3) for CV group, "Mingmen" (GV4) and "Yaoshu" (GV2) for GV group, "non-acupoint 1" and "non-acupoint 3" on the left side for non-acupoint group, and manual acupuncture was applied to "Guanyuan" (CV4) for CV group, "Yaoyangguan" (GV3) for GV group, "non-acupoint 2" on the left side for non-acupoint group. The treatment was conducted for 20 min each time, once daily for 10 days. The writhing score was evaluated. The smooth myoelectric signals of rats' uterus in vivo were recorded by multi-channel physiological recorder. The uterine histopathological changes were observed by HE staining. The contents of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), OT and calcium ion (Ca2+) in uterine tissue of rats were detected by ELISA. The protein and mRNA expression levels of smooth muscle 22-α (SM22-α), RhoA and ROCKⅡ in uterine tissue were detected by Western blot and fluorescence quantitative PCR, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the saline group, the writhing score of rats in the model group was increased (P<0.01), the amplitude voltage of uterine smooth muscle in vivo was elevated (P<0.01), the contents of PGF2α, OT and Ca2+, the protein and mRNA expression of SM22-α, RhoA and ROCK Ⅱ in uterine tissue were all increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model and the non-acupoint groups, the writhing scores of the CV and the GV groups were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), the amplitude voltage of uterine smooth muscle was decreased (P<0.01), the contents of PGF2α, OT and Ca2+ in uterine tissue were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the protein expression and mRNA expression of SM22-α, RhoA and ROCKⅡ in uterine tissue were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05). HE staining showed extensive exfoliation of uterine intima with severe edema and increased glandular secretion in the model group, which was alleviated in the CV and GV groups. CONCLUSIONS: EA at acupoints of CV and GV can significantly reduce the writhing score, uterine smooth muscle amplitude voltage, pathological injury degree of uterus, and relieve spasm of uterine smooth muscle in dysmenorrhea rats, which may be related to its effect in regulating PGF2α and OT contents, inhibiting the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway, and reducing the SM22-α, RhoA, ROCKⅡ protein and mRNA expression, and Ca2+ content in uterine tissue.

Glycosides of Buyang Huanwu decoction inhibits pyroptosis associated with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion through Nrf2-mediated antioxidant signaling pathway both in vivo and in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Glycosides are the pharmacodynamic substances of Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) and they exert a protective effect in the brain by inhibiting neuronal pyroptosis of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR). However, the mechanism by which glycosides regulate neuronal pyroptosis of CIR is still unclear. PURPOSE: A significant part of this study aimed to demonstrate whether glycosides have an anti-pyroptotic effect on CIR by nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2)-mediated antioxidative mechanism. METHODS: Rats were used in vivo models of middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R). Neuroprotective effect of glycosides after Nrf2 inhibiting was observed by nerve function score, Nissl staining, Nrf2 fluorescence staining and pyroptotic proteins detection. SH-SY5Y cells were used in vitro models of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R). Glycosides was evaluated for their effects by measuring cell morphology, survival rate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) rate and expression of pyroptotic proteins. Nrf2 si-RNA 54-1 interference with lentivirus was used to create silenced Nrf2 SH-SY5Y cells (si-Nrf2-SH-SY5Y). Glycosides were evaluated on si-Con-SH-SY5Y and si-Nrf2-SH-SY5Y cells based on the expression of Nrf2 signaling pathway, pyroptotic proteins and cell damage manifestation. RESULTS: In vivo, glycosides significantly promoted the fluorescence level of nuclear Nrf2, added more Nissl bodies, reduced neurological function scores and inhibited the pyroptotic proteins level. In vitro, glycosides significantly repaired the morphological damage of cells, promoted the survival rate, reduced the LDH rate, inhibited the pyroptosis. Moreover, antioxidant activity of glycosides was enhanced via Nrf2 activation. Both Nrf2 blocking in vivo and Nrf2 silencing in vitro significantly weakened the pyroptosis inhibitory and neuroprotective effects of glycosides. CONCLUSION: These results suggested for the first time that glycosides inhibited neuronal pyroptosis by regulating the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant stress pathway, thereby exerting brain protection of CIR. As a result of this study, This study improved understanding of the pharmacodynamics and mechanism of BYHWD, as well as providing a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment strategy for CIR .

[The skin surface microcirculation of conception vessel, governor vessel and thoroughfare vessel in patients with primary dysmenorrhea].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the skin surface microcirculation of acupoints of conception vessel, governor vessel and thoroughfare vessel in patients with primary dysmenorrhea using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), and provide acupoint selection basis of acupuncture-moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea. METHODS: Ninety-nine healthy female college students with regular menstrual cycles (normal group) and 94 female college students with primary dysmenorrhea (dysmenorrhea group) were recruited. Before menstrual period, on the first day of menstruation, and on the third day after menstruation, LSCI was used to observe the surface microcirculation at the abdominal acupoints of conception vessel, i. e. Yinjiao (CV 7), Qihai (CV 6), Shimen (CV 5), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongji (CV 3) and Qugou (CV 2), acupoints of thoroughfare vessel, i. e. Huangshu (KI 16), Zhongzhu (KI 15), Siman (KI 14), Qixue (KI 13), Dahe (KI 12), Henggu (KI 11) and acupoints of lumbosacral region of governor vessel, i. e. Xuanshu (GV 5), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Yaoshu (GV 2) as well as two non-acupoints. RESULTS: Before menstrual period, there was no significant difference in the surface blood perfusion of the acupoints between the dysmenorrhea group and the normal group (P>0.05). On the first day of menstruation, the surface blood perfusion of Xuanshu (GV 5), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3) and right Huangshu (KI 16) in the dysmenorrhea group was higher than that in the normal group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On the third day after menstruation, the surface blood perfusion of the right Henggu (KI 11) in the dysmenorrhea group was lower than that in the normal group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In patients with primary dysmenorrhea, on the first day of menstruation, the surface blood perfusion of Xuanshu (GV 5), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3) of governor vessel, and the right Huangshu (KI 16) of thoroughfare vessel is increased, while on the third day after menstruation, the surface blood perfusion of the right Henggu (KI 11) of thoroughfare vessel is decreased. These findings might provide a basis for acupoint selection in the acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.

An evidence-based evaluation of Buyang Huanwu decoction for the treatment of the sequelae of stroke: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Buyang Huanwu decoction (BYHWD) is a famous traditional Chinese formula that has been widely prescribed for sequelae of stroke in China. However, the efficacy and safety of BYHWD in treating sequelae of stroke have never been systematically evaluated. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of BYHWD in the treatment of sequelae of stroke. STUDY DESIGN: A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA)-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Five common electronic databases were searched for relevant RCTs from their inception until May 20, 2022. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality and the risk of bias of the included RCTs. Review Manager 5.4 was used to analyse all the data obtained. The clinical effective rate (CER) was the primary outcome, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scores were the secondary outcomes. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence for each outcome. RESULTS: Thirty-two clinical studies that recruited 2,527 eligible patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis suggested that compared with conventional treatment alone, the addition of BYHWD significantly improved the CER (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.20-1.29, p < 0.00001), decreased the NIHSS score (MD = -5.42, 95% CI: -5.87-4.97, p < 0.00001), and increased the FMA score (MD = 17.28, 95% CI: 15.12-19.45, p < 0.00001). There were no reported adverse events in the included studies. Most results were robust, and the quality of evidence was moderate. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first meta-analysis of RCTs evaluating the effects of BYHWD on sequelae of stroke. The addition of BYHWD to conventional treatment for sequelae of stroke significantly improved the CER and promoted neurological rehabilitation in patients, and there were no reported adverse events associated with this combination therapy. The findings of our study support the use of BYHWD as an adjunct treatment to conventional treatment in this clinical population. However, due to the limitations of the included clinical trials, high-quality clinical trials with longer follow-ups are needed to assess the long-term effectiveness and safety of BYHWD for treating the sequelae of stroke.

[Clinical observation on different frequency of auricular bloodletting combined with auricular point sticking for acne vulgaris].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of different treatment frequency of auricular bloodletting combined with auricular point sticking for acne vulgaris. METHODS: A total of 90 patients with acne vulgaris were randomized into a treatment group 1 (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a treatment group 2 (30 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a treatment group 3 (30 cases, 5 cases dropped off). Combination therapy of auricular bloodletting and auricular point sticking at Fei (CO14), Shenmen (TF4), Neifenmi (CO18) and Shenshangxian (TG2p) were given once a week, twice a week and 3 times a week in the treatment group 1, the treatment group 2 and the treatment group 3 respectively, 4 weeks were as one course and totally 3 courses were required in the 3 groups. Before treatment and after 1, 2, 3 courses of treatment, the scores of global acne grading system (GAGS), skin lesion and quality of life-acne (QoL-Acne) were observed, the clinical efficacy was evaluated after 3 courses of treatment and the recurrence rate was evaluated in follow-up of 1 month after treatment in the 3 groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the scores of GAGS and skin lesion were decreased at each time point in the 3 groups (P<0.05), the QoL-Acne scores were increased after 1 course of treatment in the treatment group 3 and after 2, 3 courses of treatment in the 3 groups (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in scores of GAGS, skin lesion and QoL-Acne among the 3 groups (P>0.05). There were no statistical differences in effective rate and recurrence rate among the 3 groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Different frequency of auricular bloodletting combined with auricular point sticking have similar efficacy in treating acne vulgaris, all can improve the skin lesion and quality of life in patients with acne vulgaris, and have a cumulative effect and good long-term curative effect.

Natural population cohort study on long-lived adults: West China longevity and ageing procedure (WCLAP).

PURPOSE: The West China longevity and ageing procedure (WCLAP) cohort study aims to provide guidance for older adults in western China with the aim of improving quality of life, reducing the burden of family care, summarising the characteristics of longevity lifestyles, building a Chinese-longevity-population biobank and exploring the mechanisms underlying population ageing. PARTICIPANTS: Since the establishment of the WCLAP research baseline in 2018, a population of 1537 adults aged 80 years and above, living in the community, have been enrolled in the programme as research participants. Of these, 231 are aged 100 years and above. Participants are followed up every year. FINDING TO DATA: WCLAP data are collected in five hospital research subcentres strategically located adjacent to the national 'Longevity Townships' of Chengdu Ziyang, Leshan, Yibin and Pengshan. Data collection included a comprehensive assessment of the participant's health (including physical, psychological, social and common chronic disease assessments), instrumental tests (body composition and muscle percentage) and the collection of biomedical-biobank samples (include blood, urine, faeces, hair and urine). FUTURE PLANS: Through the annual cohort follow-up, survival-related information is collected at a group level. Analysis of biological samples facilitates biological characterisation at the microscopic level through proteomics, metabolomics, genomics and other techniques. Baseline data, group-level follow-up data and microbiological examination data are integrated together to provide an evaluation tool, exploring sarcopenia, disability, dementia, caregiver burden, ageing biomarkers and other influencing factors. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: 2018-463; ChiCTR1900020754.

Acupuncture for the Treatment of Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Acupuncture is a promising therapy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but the use of subjective scales as an assessment is accompanied by high placebo response rates. Objectives: To preliminarily test the feasibility of using US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-recommended end points to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of IBS. Design, Setting, and Participants: This pilot, multicenter randomized clinical trial was conducted in 4 tertiary hospitals in China from July 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, and 14-week data collection was completed in March 2021. Individuals with a diagnosis of IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D) were randomized to 1 of 3 groups, including 2 acupuncture groups (specific acupoints [SA] and nonspecific acupoints [NSA]) and a sham acupuncture group (non-acupoints [NA]) with a 1:1:1 ratio. Interventions: Patients in all groups received twelve 30-minute sessions over 4 consecutive weeks at 3 sessions per week (ideally every other day). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the response rate at week 4, which was defined as the proportion of patients whose worst abdominal pain score (score range, 0-10, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating unbearable severe pain) decreased by at least 30% and the number of type 6 or 7 stool days decreased by 50% or greater. Results: Ninety patients (54 male [60.0%]; mean [SD] age, 34.5 [11.3] years) were enrolled, with 30 patients in each group. There were substantial improvements in the primary outcomes for all groups (composite response rates of 46.7% [95% CI, 28.8%-65.4%] in the SA group, 46.7% [95% CI, 28.8%-65.4%] in the NSA group, and 26.7% [95% CI, 13.0%-46.2%] in the NA group), although the difference between them was not statistically significant (P = .18). The response rates of adequate relief at week 4 were 64.3% (95% CI, 44.1%-80.7%) in the SA group, 62.1% (95% CI, 42.4%-78.7%) in the NSA group, and 55.2% (95% CI, 36.0%-73.0%) in the NA group (P = .76). Adverse events were reported in 2 patients (6.7%) in the SA group and 3 patients (10%) in NSA or NA group. Conclusions and Relevance: In this pilot randomized clinical trial, acupuncture in both the SA and NSA groups showed clinically meaningful improvement in IBS-D symptoms, although there were no significant differences among the 3 groups. These findings suggest that acupuncture is feasible and safe; a larger, sufficiently powered trial is needed to accurately assess efficacy. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2000030670.

Effect of Auricular Acupoint Bloodletting plus Auricular Acupressure on Sleep Quality and Neuroendocrine Level in College Students with Primary Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of auricular acupoint bloodletting (AB) and auricular acupressure (AA) on sleep quality and the levels of melatonin (MT), glutamic acid (Glu), and γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA) in college students with primary insomnia, and to explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: Totally 74 college students at Hebei University of Chinese Medicine with primary insomnia were selected from October 2019 to October 2020. All patients were assigned to AB+AA group (37 cases, received combination of AB and AA) and AA group (37 cases, received only AA on the same acupoints) by a random number table. Each group was treated twice a week for 4 weeks. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome score, total effective rate, serum concentrations of MT, Glu, and GABA, and Glu/GABA ratio were compared between the two groups after treatment and at follow-up. The safety of therapy was also evaluated. RESULTS: After 4-week treatment, the total scores of PSQI, each PSQI component score, and the CM syndrome scores in both groups all decreased (P<0.05); the serum MT concentrations in both groups all increased (P<0.05). The concentrations of Glu and GABA in the AB+AA group were significantly higher than those in the AA group after treatment (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the ratio of Glu/GABA in both groups before and after treatment (P>0.05). At follow-up, the CM syndrome score in the AB+AA group was significantly lower than that in the AA group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in total effective rates and adverse events (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both AB+AA and AA can relieve insomnia symptoms, but a stronger long-term effect were observed for AB+AA. AB+AA can promote the secretion of MT, increase the levels of Glu and GABA more effective than AA, and regulate their imbalance, and thus it may be benificial for treating insomnia.

Effect of acupuncture for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is the most common subtype of IBS. Acupuncture is commonly used to treat IBS-D, but its effect is uncertain because of the poor quality of prior studies. This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for IBS-D through comparisons with sham acupuncture. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a large-scale, multi-center, randomized, two-arm interventional clinical trial. Participants will take part in a total of 20 weeks of study, which contained 3 phases: 2-week screening, 6-week treatment, and 12-week follow-up. Based on the composite response rate of the primary endpoint in our pilot study (a sham acupuncture response rate of 27% and a true acupuncture of approximately 45%), 280 randomly allocated participants were planned. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to the true acupuncture group and sham acupuncture group according to a ratio of 1:1, and a total of 15 sessions of treatment overall 6-week treatment period will be brought. The primary endpoint is a composite response rate at week 6, and the responder is defined as who responses in both abdominal pain intensity and stool consistency. Furthermore, composite response rates at other weeks, IBS Symptom Severity Scale, IBS Quality of Life, Adequate Relief scale, and individual IBS symptoms (abdominal pain, bloating, stool frequency) are chosen as secondary endpoints. DISCUSSION: This trial may provide high-quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of IBS-D. The results of this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2100044762. Registered on 26 March 2021.

[Effects of Atrolnc-1 on immobilization induced muscular atrophy in mice hindlimbs].

Objective: To investigate the effects of Atrolnc-1 on immobilization induced muscular atrophy in mice hindlimbs. Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group and immobilization group (n=10 per group). The control group did not receive any treatment. The right hindlimb of the Iimmobilization group was fixed by self-made plastic tube. After 2 weeks' immobilization, the gastrocnemius muscle was separated. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the morphological changes and the cross-sectional area was calculated. The expressions of Atrogin-1 and atrophy-specific long non-coding RNA Atrolnc-1 were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR). Western blot (WB) was used to detect the expressions of muscular atrophy fbox-1 protein (MAFbx/Atrogin-1), muscle ring finger1 (MuRF-1) in whole cell and phosphonated of nuclear factor kappaB (p-NF-κB) in cytoplasm and nucleus. Results: The gastrocnemius muscle was atrophy after 2 weeks' immobilization. Compared with the control group, the wet weight of gastrocnemius muscle was decreased (P＞0.05) and the permillage of wet weight/weight of gastrocnemius muscle was decreased significantly (P＜0.05). HE staining showed that the number of muscle fibers in the immobilization group were reduced, the muscle fibers were dissolved and arranged disorderly and the interstitial inflammatory cells were infiltrated; the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers was decreased (P＜0.01).The expression level of atrolnc-1 was increased in immobilization group (P＜0.01). The expression level of p-NF-κB in cytoplasm was decreased (P＜0.01), while the expression level of p-NF-κB was increased in nucleus ( P＜0.01). Besides, the expressions of atrogin-1 (P＜0.01) and MuRF-1 (P＜0.01) were increased. Conclusion: Immobilization induced gastrocnemius atrophy in mice may be related to the activation of NF-κB by Atrolnc-1 and then promote MuRF-1 expression.