Effects of moxibustion on intestinal barrier function and TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway in obese rats. / è‰¾ç¸å¯¹è‚¥èƒ–å¤§é¼ è‚ é“å±éšœåŠŸèƒ½åŠTLR4/NF-κB p65信号通路的影响.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effects of moxibustion on intestinal barrier function and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65) signaling pathway in obese rats and explore the mechanism of moxibustion in the intervention of obesity. METHODS: Fifty-five Wistar rats of SPF grade were randomly divided into a normal group (10 rats) and a modeling group (45 rats). In the modeling group, the obesity model was established by feeding high-fat diet. Thirty successfully-modeled rats were randomized into a model group, a moxibustion group, and a placebo-control group, with 10 rats in each one. In the moxibustion group, moxibustion was applied at the site 3 cm to 5 cm far from the surface of "Zhongwan" (CV 12), with the temperature maintained at (46±1 ) ℃. In the placebo-control group, moxibustion was applied at the site 8 cm to 10 cm far from "Zhongwan" (CV 12), with the temperature maintained at (38±1) ℃. The intervention was delivered once daily for 8 weeks in the above two groups. The body mass and food intake of the rats were observed before and after intervention in each group. Using ELISA methool, the levels of serum triacylglycerol (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were detected and the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated. HE staining was used to observe the morphology of colon tissue. The mRNA expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), Occludin, Claudin-1, TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in the colon tissue was detected by quantitative real-time PCR; and the protein expression of ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-1, TLR4 and NF-κB p65 was detected by Western blot in the rats of each group. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the body mass, food intake, the level of HOMA-IR, and the serum levels of TC, TG and LPS were increased in the rats of the model group (P<0.01); those indexes in the moxibustion group were all reduced when compared with the model group and the placebo-control group respectively (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared with the normal group, a large number of epithelial cells in the mucosa of colon tissue was damaged, shed, and the inflammatory cells were infiltrated obviously in the interstitium in the rats of the model group. When compared with the model group, in the moxibustion group, the damage of the colon tissue was recovered to various degrees and there were few infiltrated inflammatory cells in the interstitium, while, the epithelial injury of the colon tissue was slightly recovered and the infiltrated inflammatory cells in the interstitium were still seen in the placebo-control group. The mRNA and protein expressions of ZO-1, Occludin and Caudin-1 were decreased in the model group compared with those in the normal group (P<0.01). When compared with the model group and the placebo-control group, the mRNA and protein expressions of these indexes were increased in the moxibustion group (P<0.01, P<0.05). In the model group, the mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 were increased when compared with those in the normal group (P<0.01), and the mRNA and protein expressions of these indexes were reduced in the moxibustion group when compared with those in the model group and the placebo-control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Moxibustion can reduce the body mass and food intake, regulate the blood lipid and improve insulin resistance in the rats of obesity. It may be related to alleviating inflammatory response through improving intestinal barrier function and modulating the intestinal TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway.

Influences of long-duration NO exposure on CO2 adsorption on coals: insights into oxy-coal burning flue gas storage in coal reservoirs.

Introducing oxy-coal burning flue gas into coal reservoirs has the advantages of mitigating emissions of CO2, NOx, and SO2, and producing in-situ coalbed methane (CBM). Given the characteristics of the geologic time scale for fluid sequestration, the long-duration NO exposure was conducted for various ranks of coal matrices to access the potential impacts of NO exposure on CO2 storage. Afterwards, the changes in critical physico-chemical properties and adsorbability of various ranks of coal matrices to CO2 because of long-duration NO exposure were revealed. Finally, the implications to implement oxy-coal burning flue gas sequestration in unmineable coal reservoirs with CBM production were indicated. The results demonstrate that the long-duration interaction with NO reduces the number of micro- and meso-pores of various ranks of coals, especially those with diametres below 4.00 nm. Moreover, the long-duration NO exposure reduces the oxygen-containing functional groups while significantly increasing the amine/amide-N for all the coals. The aforementioned alterations in the surface chemistry property imply that the coal matrix is capable of chemically adsorbing NO, thereby achieving its stable storage in target coal reservoirs. Given the electron donor-acceptor interactions between amine/amide-N and CO2, the NO exposure can elevate the CO2 storage capability of various ranks of coals under typical reservoir temperature and pressure. In summary, introducing oxy-coal burning flue gas into coal reservoirs is capable of stably storing critical gaseous pollutants and simultaneously enhancing the CO2 storage potential of coal reservoirs, thereby updating the existing oxy-coal burning technology and CO2 sequestration in unmineable coal reservoirs with the enhanced CBM recovery technology.

Acupuncture for cancer pain: a scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Background: Due to the effectiveness and safety, acupuncture, one of the traditional therapies of Chinese medicine, has been widely used in clinical practice globally. A few systematic review or meta-analyses have proved its effectiveness and safety towards patients with cancer pain, while there are no syntheses among those evidence. The aim of this scoping review is to summarize the evidence from systematic reviews of acupuncture for the treatment of cancer pain and evaluate the breadth and methodological quality of these evidence as well. Methods: The scoping review process was guided by the methodology framework of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA ScR) and "Arkseyand O'Malley six-stage framework". Electronic searches were carried out in several online databases from inception to Jan 2022. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that involve any type of acupuncture for patients with cancer pain will be included. A pair of reviewers independently screened full texts. Moreover, review characteristics were extracted, and methodological quality was assessed using the AMSTAR 2 tool. Results: Twenty-five systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included. Manual acupuncture is the most frequently included types of test group intervention (48%), followed by acupuncture + medicine (28%), and auricular acupuncture (12%). All the reviews have declared that acupuncture is an effective method for cancer pain treatment. Eleven reviews (44%) aiming at evaluating the safety also have confirmed that acupuncture is safe for treating cancer pain. However, most included studies were conducted in China. With certain geographical limitations, the findings were not representative within the region. The results of our review may owe to the synthesis of all kinds of cancer pain, and only 2 reviews described the type of cancer pain in detail. Conclusions: This scoping review synthesizes and evaluates existing evidence of acupuncture for cancer pain. From this scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, there are clear recommendations for future studies: expanding the region of research in the world and trying to conduct the study of different types of cancer pain in details as much as possible. Evidences of acupuncture for cancer pain can inform clinical decision-making. Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-1-0073/, identifier INPLASY202210073.

Residents, Employees and Visitors: Effects of Three Types of Ambient Population on Theft on Weekdays and Weekends in Beijing, China.

Objectives: The residential population of an area is an incomplete measure of the number of people that are momentarily present in the area, and of limited value as an indicator of exposure to the risk of crime. By accounting for the mobility of the population, measures of ambient population better reflect the momentary presence of people. They have therefore become an alternative indicator of exposure to the risk of crime. This study considers the heterogeneity of the ambient population by distinguishing residents, employees and visitors as different categories, and explores their differential impact on thefts, both on weekdays and weekends. Methods: We analyze one-year of police recorded thefts across 2104 1 km2 grid cells in a central area in Beijing, China. Controlling for the effects of attractiveness, accessibility, and guardianship, we estimate a series of negative binominal models to investigate the differential effects of the three groups (residents, employees and visitors) in the ambient population on crime frequencies, both on weekdays and during weekends and holidays. Results: Overall, larger ambient populations imply larger theft frequencies. The effect of visitors is stronger than the effects of residents and employees. The effects of residents and employees vary over the course of the week. On weekdays, the presence of residents is more important, while the reverse holds true during weekends and holidays. Discussion: The effects of ambient population on thefts vary by its composition in terms of social roles. The larger role of visitors is presumably because in addition to being potential victims, residents and employees may also exercise informal social control. In addition, they spend more time indoors than where risk of theft is lower, while visitors might spend more time outdoors and may also bring about greater anonymity and weaken informal social control.

Sciatic nerve schwannoma complicated by nerve bundle membrane effusion: Two case reports and a literature review.

Schwannoma is a benign tumor that originates from Schwann cells in the peripheral nerve tunica or bundle of nerves and grows along the longitudinal axis of the nerve. Schwannoma can occur in multiple anatomic locations but rarely in the sciatic nerve. To our knowledge, there are no previous reports in the literature related to schwannoma combined with effusion of the nerve bundle membranes. Here, we report two cases of sciatic nerve schwannoma combined with nerve bundle membrane effusion, and the relationship between them is uncertain. We have boldly speculated about this uncertain relationship by combining the two patients' imaging manifestations to help determine the mechanism of schwannoma or effusion generation as well as a clinical treatment.

Efficacy and Safety of Moxibustion for Menopausal Obesity: A Multicentre, Randomized, Controlled Trial Protocol.

Background. In the past, moxibustion has been widely used to treat endocrine system disorders, but evidence of its effectiveness is scarce at this point. The aim of this multicenter, randomized, controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treating menopausal obesity with moxibustion. Methods/Design. There are six centers taking part in this randomized, controlled, parallel trial. A total of 216 patients with menopausal obesity will be randomly divided into two equal groups: the "moxibustion for harmonization of Yin and Yang" group and the gentle moxibustion group. A 12-week study period with moxibustion will be preceded by a 1-week baseline, followed by a 12-week follow-up. We will conduct an interim analysis to determine whether or not the treatment is efficacious and safe after 216 participants have completed a 12-week treatment period. Evaluations will be conducted at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24. The main outcome is waist circumference (WC), and the rate of WC reduction will be compared to the baseline. An intention-to-treat analysis will be performed with a two-sided P value of <0.05 considered significant. Participants who withdraw from the trial will be analyzed according to the intention-to-treat formula (ITT). Discussion. These results will be used to support selecting the right moxibustion prescription and guiding the improvement of clinical efficacy. This trial will provide convincing evidence of moxibustion's effectiveness and safety in the treatment of obesity by "moxibustion for harmonization of Yin and Yang," which will be conducive to the promotion and clinical application of the theory of "moxibustion for harmonization of Yin and Yang." Trial Registration. This trial is registered with Clinical Trials.gov: NCT04943705 (registered on June 27, 2021).

Hybrid Nanostructure Catalyst with Low Loading of Pt for the High-Efficiency Catalytic Hydrogenation of Chloronitrobenzene.

Fabrication of low-loading, noble-metal, stable, and high-performance metal catalysts remains a thorny issue. Herein, we demonstrate the successful formation of a hybrid nanostructure Pt/TiO2/SBA-15 catalyst (denoted as HNSC-P/T/S; Pt, 0.09%; TiO2, 10%) with satisfactory activity in the hydrogenation of para-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB). The HNSC-P/T/S showed >99% conversion and a high selectivity of >98%, and the turnover frequency number (TOF) reached 66 766 h-1, which was impossible to achieve with Pt/TiO2 (denoted as P/T) or Pt/SBA-15 (denoted as P/S). The success of the catalytic activity of the HNSC-P/T/S mainly relies on its synergistic effect and special structure, which can fully develop the catalytic ability of Pt, thereby reducing the Pt loading in the noble-based catalyst. Furthermore, the HNSC-P/T/S could also achieve an excellent catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of other nitroarenes. Hence, this work proposes a direction to prepare a noble-based catalyst with a low loading of noble metals for diverse applications.

Impact of Early Oral Feeding on Nasogastric Tube Reinsertion After Elective Colorectal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Colorectal cancer is a common malignant tumor appearing in the gastrointestinal tract. Surgical resection is recognized as the best means to improve patient survival. However, it is controversial whether early oral feeding (EOF) after elective colorectal resection demonstrates safety and efficacy in concerned clinical outcomes. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CNKI from inception to September 2021. Two authors independently screened the retrieved records and extracted data. EOF was defined as feeding within 24 h after surgery, while traditional oral feeding (TOF) was defined as feeding that started after the gastrointestinal flatus or ileus was resolved. The primary outcome was nasogastric tube insertion, and the secondary outcomes were the length of hospital stay and total complications. Categorical data were combined using odds ratio (OR), and continuous data were combined using mean difference (MD). Results: We screened 10 studies from 34 records after full-text reading, with 1,199 patients included in the analysis. Nasogastric tube reinsertion (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.08 to 2.64, p=0.02) was more frequent in the EOF group, and older ages (>60 years) were associated with higher risk of nasogastric tube reinsertion (OR 2.05; 95% CI 1.05 to 3.99, p = 0.04). Reduced length of hospital stay (MD -1.76; 95% CI -2.32 to -1.21; p < 0.01) and the rate of total complications (OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.65, p < 0.01) were observed in EOF compared with TOF. Conclusions: EOF was safe and effective for patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery, but the higher rate of nasogastric tube reinsertion compared with TOF should not be ignored.

Effect of Acupoint Catgut Embedding for Middle-Aged Obesity: A Multicentre, Randomised, Sham-Controlled Trial.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) for obesity over a 16-week treatment period using sham stimulation as the control. Methods: A multicenter, randomised, parallel, sham-controlled trial was conducted from February 10, 2017, to May 15, 2018. Men with waistlines ≥85 cm and women with ≥80 cm at three sites were randomised to receive eight sessions (over 16 weeks) of ACE (n = 108) or sham ACE (n = 108) with skin penetration at sham acupoints. The catgut was embedded once every two weeks using two alternating sets of acupoints. The follow-up lasted for an additional 24 weeks. The primary outcome was the percentage waistline reduction from baseline to week 16. Results: We included 216 individuals in the intention-to-treat analysis. At 16 weeks, the rate of waistline reduction was 8.80% (95% confidence interval (CI), 7.93% to 9.66%) in the ACE group and 4.09% (95% CI, 3.18% to 5.00%) in the sham control group, with a between-group difference of 4.71% (95% CI, 3.47% to 5.95%; P < 0.0001). This difference persisted throughout the entire follow-up period (between-group difference after 24-week additional weeks, 4.94% (95% CI, 3.58% to 6.30%); P < 0.001). The subgroup analyses of waistline by sex (male/female) revealed treatment effects of 1.93 (95% CI, -0.37 to 4.23, P = 0.1) in the male group and 3.19 (95% CI, 1.99 to 4.39, P < 0.001) in the female group. The adverse event analysis suggested that ACE and laboratory tests confirmed the safety of ACE. Discussion. ACE for 16 weeks could decrease the waistline and weight and was safe for the treatment of obesity. Further research is needed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and sex differences. This trial is registered with NCT02936973.

Smaller particular matter, larger risk of female lung cancer incidence? Evidence from 436 Chinese counties.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have reported the effects of PM2.5 and PM10 on human health, however, it remains unclear whether particular matter with finer particle size has a greater effect. OBJECTIVES: This work aims to examine the varying associations of the incidence rate of female lung cancer with PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 in 436 Chinese cancer registries between 2014 and 2016. METHODS: The effects of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were estimated through three regression models, respectively. Mode l only included particular matter, while Model 2 and Model 3 further controlled for time and location factors, and socioeconomic covariates, respectively. Moreover, two sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate the robustness of three particular matte effects. Then, we examined the modifying role of urban-rural division on the effects of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. RESULTS: The change in the incidence rate of female lung cancer relative to its mean was 5.98% (95% CI: 3.40, 8.56%) for PM1, which was larger than the values of PM2.5 and PM10 at 3.75% (95% CI: 2.33, 5.17%) and 1.57% (95% CI: 0.73, 2.41%), respectively. The effects of three particular matters were not sensitive in the two sensitivity analyses. Moreover, urban-rural division positively modified the associations of the incidence rate of female lung cancer with PM1, PM2.5 and PM10. CONCLUSIONS: The effect on the incidence rate of female lung cancer was greater for PM1, followed by PM2.5 and PM10. There were positive modifying roles of urban-rural division on the effects of three particular matters. The finding supports the argument that finer particular matters are more harmful to human health, and also highlights the great significance to develop guidelines for PM1 control and prevention in Chinese setting.

Effects of moxibustion on reproduction and metabolism of polycystic ovary syndrome: a protocol for meta-analysis and systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age. Recently, moxibustion, as a complementary and alternative therapy, has been commonly used in assisted reproduction and improvement of metabolic abnormalities in patients with PCOS. Currently, intervention efficacy of the use of moxibustion in PCOS treatment still remains controversial due to lack of high-quality evidence. Consequently, this study protocol was designed to objectively review and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion treatment for PCOS. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Electronic searches will be carried out from inception to May 2021 in the online databases of The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Chinese Biomedical Literature, Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center and Clinical Trials will be used for searching ongoing trials. Randomised controlled trials and the first period in randomised cross-over trials involving any type of moxibustion for patients with PCOS will be included. Primary outcomes will be the ovulation rate, pregnancy rate and sex hormone levels, and secondary outcomes will be changes in clinical symptoms and metabolic indicators, total effective rate and the incidences of side effects and adverse events. Briefly, two reviewers will independently conduct study selection and data extraction, and the risk of bias will be assessed. Prior to the formal meta-analysis, the heterogeneity of included studies will be assessed. Review Manager Statistical Software (RevMan) V.5.3 will be used for data processing. Finally, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation method will be applied to evaluate the quality of evidence. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not necessary since this study is designed as a systematic review. This study will be disseminated by a peer-review journal or conference presentation.

Acupoint catgut embedding for the treatment of sciatica: A protocol for a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Sciatica is a common and frequent peripheral neuropathic pain disease, which causes a great burden on peoples life. Recently, acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) has been widely applied for treating sciatica in China, however, there is no enough evidence to prove the efficiency and safety of ACE for sciatica. Our study aims to evaluate the efficiency and safety of ACE for sciatica. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Searches of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Springer Medline, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan-Fang Data (WANFANG), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP databases) will be performed from inception to November 2020. The main outcomes are the pain intensity and the whole efficiency assessment. The secondary outcomes will include Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), life quality, physical examination, and adverse events. Two reviewers will separately conduct the study selection, data extraction and study quality assessments. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: This study will provide an evidence-based review of acupoint catgut embedding therapy for sciatica according to the pain intensity, the whole efficiency assessment, life quality, DOI index and adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review will present the current evidence for acupoint catgut embedding therapy for sciatica. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is unnecessary as this protocol is only for systematic review and does not involve privacy data. The findings of this study will be disseminated electronically through a peer-review publication or presented at a relevant conference. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020110087.

Acupoint catgut embedding for obesity: A protocol of systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease in which patients are overweight due to the excessive accumulation of fat in the body. As a subtype of acupuncture, catgut embedding at acupoints has increased in clinical application for obesity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupoint catgut embedding therapy for simple obesity. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Electronic searches of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Springer Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan-Fang Data (WANFANG), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP databases) will be performed. The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center and the ClinicalTrials.gov registry will also be searched for ongoing trials. Databases will be searched from inception to August 2020.Randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) will be included if acupoint catgut embedding was evaluated as the sole treatment (diet or exercise therapy as the control group will be allowed) for simple obesity. The primary outcomes will consist of the improvement rate and reduction in body weight (BW). The secondary outcomes will include body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fat percentage (F %) and adverse effects. Two reviewers will undertake the study selection, data extraction and assessments of study quality. After screening the studies, the quality of the included studies will be assessed according to the quality criteria specified by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (version 5.1.0). Meta-analysis will be performed by RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: According to the data of improvement rate and reduction in BW, BMI, WC, and F %, this study will provide an evidence-based review of acupoint catgut embedding therapy for simply. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review will present the current evidence for acupoint catgut embedding therapy for obesity. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not necessary since this protocol is only for systematic review and does not involve privacy data. The findings of this study will be disseminated electronically through a peer-review publication or presented at a relevant conference. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020110045.

Acupuncture and related therapies for stable angina pectoris: A protocol for network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Stable angina pectoris (SAP) is one of the important causes and harbingers of disability and mortality worldwide in the cardiovascular diseases. Acupuncture has been widely applied in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases in recent years. This systematic review protocol aims to analyze different acupuncture and related therapies to treat SAP, with a view to providing an evidence-based basis for clinical implementation of treatment for patients with SAP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and China Biology Medicine Database (CBM) will be searched from inception to November 2020. The outcome measures were angina attack frequency, ECG changes, angina pain intensity, performance on the Six-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT) and reported adverse events. Study inclusion, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. STATA 14.0 will be used to perform pairwise meta-analysis. STATA 13.0 and WinBUGS 1.4.3 will be used to perform pairwise meta-analysis and will be used to conduct network meta-analyses. RESULTS: The results of this review will generate a comprehensive review of current evidence and be published on a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSIONS: The result of this network meta-analysis is expected to provide a possible ranking for acupuncture treatment methods of stable angina pectoris and offer better options for patients with stable angina pectoris. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not necessary since this protocol is only for systematic review and does not involve privacy data or conduct an animal experiment. This protocol will be disseminated by a peer-review journal or conference presentation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020110035.

Clinical effect of catgut implantation at acupoints for the treatment of simple obesity: A multicentre randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Catgut implantation at acupoints (CIA) is a subtype of acupuncture that has been widely used to treat simple obesity, but evidence for its effectiveness remains scarce. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treating simple obesity with CIA. OBJECTIVE: This clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of CIA used for treatment of simple obesity. METHODS: This is a multicentre, randomized, parallel, sham-controlled clinical trial. A total of 216 patients with simple obesity will be recruited. They will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the CIA group or the sham control group. All treatments will be given once every 2 weeks. The primary outcome measure is the rate of waistline reduction. Secondary outcome measures are the rates of reduction of body measurements, including weight, body mass index (BMI), hipline, waist-hip-ratio (WHR) and body fat percentage (BFP), the changes in scores on scales, including the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life Questionnaire (IWQOL-Lite), Short Form 36 (SF-36), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and the Self-Esteem Scale (SES), Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, 12, 16, 28, and 40, respectively. All adverse events that occur during this study will be recorded. If any participant withdraws from the trial, an intention-to-treat analysis (ITT) will be performed. CONCLUSION: This is a randomized, sham-controlled trial of CIA treatment for simple obesity. The results of this trial will provide more evidence on whether CIA is efficacious and safe for treating obesity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02936973. Registered on October 18, 2016.

Genome-Wide Regulation of Electroacupuncture and Treadmill Exercise on Diet-Induced Obese Rats.

Acupuncture has been widely used for obesity treatment, but its mechanism is still unclear. To investigate the molecular mechanisms, we applied electroacupuncture (EA) at the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint and treadmill exercise (TE) in a diet-induced obese (DIO) rat model and used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify molecular consequences. Forty Sprague-Dawley male rats were selected and randomly divided into five groups: control (C), DIO model (M), EA, TE, and EA + TE groups. According to the results, acupuncture reduced body weight and the ratio of retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (retro-WAT) to body weight. Total RNA was extracted from the retro-WAT from five groups for RNA-seq. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) analysis showed that there were obvious differences among the four comparisons of C vs. M, M vs. EA, M vs. TE, and M vs. EA + TE, followed by 1383, 913, 3324, and 2794 DE genes. Gene ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were performed to further classify the DEGs. Several GO terms were commonly significantly enriched in both M vs. TE and M vs. EA, such as myofibril and muscle contraction. In addition, some pathways were regulated by EA and TE, such as the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor signaling pathway and calcium signaling pathway. This study is the first to compare and analyze the differences in gene expression profiles in the retro-WAT of rats in different groups, which provide a clue for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms of obesity treatment by EA and TE.

Neiguan (PC6)-based acupuncture pretreatment for myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury: A protocol for preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) is 1 of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide in the cardiovascular diseases. Acupuncture has been widely applied in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases in recent years. This systematic review protocol aims to provide the methods for evaluating the efficacy of Neiguan (PC6)-based acupuncture pretreatment in animal models of MIRI. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, as well as the Chinese databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, China Biology Medicine Database and WanFang Database will be searched from inception to November 2019. The outcome measures were myocardial infarct size, the level of ST-segment elevation, left ventricular ejection fraction, shortening fraction, arrhythmia score, cardiac enzymes, and cardiac troponin. Study inclusion, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for the data synthesis and the quality of each study will be assessed independently by using the Collaborative Approach To Meta-Analysis And Review Of Animal Data From Experimental Studies checklist with minor modification. RESULTS: This review will provide a high-quality synthesis of Neiguan (PC6)-based acupuncture pretreatment for MIRI in animal models CONCLUSIONS:: This systematic review will provide conclusive evidence for whether Neiguan (PC6)-based acupuncture pretreatment is an effective intervention in animal models of MIRI. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42020175144.

Pt nanoparticles anchored on rare metal oxide coated on SBA-15: a highly active catalyst for synergistic catalytic hydrogenation of benzaldehyde.

We report a novel hybrid nano-structure Pt catalyst, by coating rare metal oxide (CeO2 or La2O3) on the surface of SBA-15, then anchoring Pt nanoparticles on the CeO2/SBA-15 or La2O3/SBA-15 via a photochemical route. For the hydrogenation of benzaldehyde, the Pt/@-CeO2/SBA-15 and Pt/@-La2O3/SBA-15 catalysts demonstrated outstanding activity and excellent selectivity, much higher than that of Pt/CeO2, Pt/La2O3 and Pt/SBA-15. In particular, the TOF of Pt/@-La2O3/SBA-15 reached 2324 h-1, 2.3-fold higher than the atomically dispersed catalyst (Pd1/TiO2, 1002 h-1) in the literature. The superior catalytic performance was attributed to the special structure and the synergistic effect between the Pt nanoparticles and CeO2/SBA-15(La2O3/SBA-15). The content of metal oxide played an important role in the reaction, as only a suitable content of metal oxide could ensure that this hybrid structure would show the best performance.

[Effect of electroacupuncture combined with treadmill exercise on body weight and expression of PGC-1α， Irisin and AMPK in skeletal muscle of diet-induced obesity rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) plus treadmill exercise on the expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ coactivator 1α(PGC-1α), Irisin, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in skeletal muscle of diet-induced obesity (DIO) rats, so as to explore its mechanism underlying body reduction promotion. METHODS: Forty-two male SD rats were divided into normal diet (control, n＝10), high fat diet (model), EA, treadmill exercise and EA plus treadmill exercise (combination) groups (n＝8 in each of the latter 4 groups). The obesity model was established by feeding the rats with high fat diet. EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to bilateral "Zusanli" (ST36) and "Tianshu" (ST25) for 30 min, 5 times per week for a total of 8 weeks. Rats of the treadmill exercise group were forced to perform exercise on a treadmill (16 m/min) for 30 min, 5 times per week for a total of 8 weeks. Rats in the combination group received the above-mentioned two methods. During the treatment, rats in the control group were fed with normal fodder, rats in other groups were fed with high fat fodder, and their body weight was measured once a week. The expression levels of PGC-1α， fibronectin type Ⅲ domain containing 5 (FNDC5), AMPK mRNA and protein of skeletal muscle were measured by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot，respectively. RESULTS: After modeling, the body weight was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the expression levels of PGC-1α and FNDC5 mRNA and protein, AMPK mRNA and phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK) protein in the skeletal muscle were considerably decreased in the model group relevant to the control group (P<0.05). Following the treatment, the body weight was significantly down-regulated, while the expression levels of PGC-1α and FNDC5 mRNAs and proteins, AMPK mRNA and p-AMPK protein were obviously up-regulated in the EA, treadmill exercise and combination groups relevant to the model group (P<0.05). The therapeutic effect of EA plus treadmill exercise was significantly superior to those of both simple EA and simple treadmill exercise in down-regulating the body weight, as well as in up-regulating the expression of PGC-1α and FNDC5 mRNAs and proteins, AMPK mRNA, and p-AMPK protein (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Both EA and treadmill exercise can significantly increase the expression of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and p-AMPK in skeletal muscle of DIO rats, suggesting their efficacy in restoring fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle cells and improving mitochondrial function, which may contribute to their function in body reduction. The therapeutic effect of EA plus treadmill exercise is better than that of simple EA and simple treadmill exercise.