Supplements for cognitive ability in patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease: a protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Considering the increasing incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) worldwide, there is an urgent need to identify efficacious, safe and convenient treatments. Numerous investigations have been conducted on the use of supplements in this domain, with oral supplementation emerging as a viable therapeutic approach for AD or MCI. Nevertheless, given the multitude of available supplements, it becomes imperative to identify the optimal treatment regimen. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Eight academic databases and three clinical trial registries will be searched from their inception to 1 June 2023. To identify randomised controlled trials investigating the effects of supplements on patients with AD or MCI, two independent reviewers (X-YZ and Y-QL) will extract relevant information from eligible articles, while the risk of bias in the included studies will be assessed using the Rob 2.0 tool developed by the Cochrane Collaboration. The primary outcome of interest is the overall cognitive function. Pair-wise meta-analysis will be conducted using RevMan V.5.3, while network meta-analysis will be carried out using Stata 17.0 and ADDIS 1.16.8. Heterogeneity test, data synthesis and subgroup analysis will be performed if necessary. The GRADE system will be employed to assess the quality of evidence. This study is scheduled to commence on 1 June 2023 and conclude on 1 October 2023. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval is not required for systematic review and network meta-analysis. The results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal or at a conference. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO (CRD42023414700).

Brief discussion of the differences in the acupoint location between Meridians and Acupoints and Acupuncture and Moxibustion. / æµ è®®ã€Šç»ç»œè §ç©´å­¦ã€‹å’Œã€Šé’ˆç¸å­¦ã€‹"十四五"规划教材经穴定位差异.

There are the differences in the location of some acupoints between textbooks Meridians and Acupoints and Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Both of the textbooks are in the category of the "14th Five-Year Plan". The differences in acupoint location have brought some confusion for students, full-time teachers and researchers in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. In the paper, based on GB/T 12346-2021： Nomenclature and Location of Meridian Points, published in2021, and in reference with GB/T 12346-2006： Nomenclature and Location of Acupuncture Points, published in 2006, the discrepancy in the acupoint location was systematically collated in the aspects of the expression style and layout, text expression and potential difference of location between these two textbooks, published by China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Medical Publishing House and China Science Publishing. Based on the historical evolution and the academic controversy of acupoint positioning, the reasons of the differences in acupoint location were analyzed, the potential influences on the teaching, examination, competition and research of Chinese medicine acupuncture were explored, and the suggestions for solution were proposed.

Research status and trends of physical activity on depression or anxiety: a bibliometric analysis.

Background: Anxiety and depression are prevalent mental disorders. As modern society continues to face mounting pressures, the incidence of anxiety and depression is on the rise. In recent years, there has been an increasing breadth of research exploring the relationship between anxiety, depression, and physical activity (PA). However, the current research progress and future development trends are unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore the research hotspots and development trends in this field, and to provide guidance for future studies and to provide some reference for clinicians. Methods: We searched the relevant literature of Web of Science Core Collection from the establishment of the database to August 15, 2023. CiteSpace, VOSviewer and Bibliometrix Packages based on the R language were used to analyze the number of publications, countries, institutions, journals, authors, references, and keywords. Results: A total of 1,591 studies were included in the analysis, and the research in the field of PA on anxiety or depression has consistently expanded. The USA (304 publications), Harvard University (93 publications), and the journal of affective disorders (97 publications) were the countries, institutions, and journals that published the highest number of articles, respectively. According to the keywords, students and pregnant women, adult neurogenesis, and Tai Chi were the groups of concern, physiological and pathological mechanisms, and the type of PA of interest, respectively. Conclusion: The study of PA on anxiety or depression is experiencing ongoing expansion. Clinicians can consider advising patients to take mind-body exercise to improve mood. In addition, future researchers can explore the mind-body exercise and its impact on anxiety or depression, PA and anxiety or depression in specific populations, and adult neurogenesis of various exercise in anxiety or depression.

The effect of acupuncture on oxidative stress in animal models of vascular dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence showed that acupuncture may improve cognitive function by reducing oxidative stress, key to the pathogenesis in vascular dementia (VaD), but this is yet to be systematically analysed. This study aimed to summarize and evaluate the effect of acupuncture on oxidative stress in animal models of VaD. METHOD: Eight databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, CNKI, Wan Fang, CBM, and VIP were searched since their establishment until April 2023, for studies that reported the effect of acupuncture on oxidative stress in VaD animal models. Relevant literature was screened, and information was extracted by two reviewers. The primary outcomes were the levels of oxidative stress indicators. The methodological quality was assessed via the SYRCLE Risk of Bias Tool. Statistical analyses were performed using the RevMan and Stata software. RESULTS: In total, 22 studies with 747 animals were included. The methodology of most studies had flaws or uncertainties. The meta-analysis indicated that, overall, acupuncture significantly reduced the expression of pro-oxidants including reactive oxygen species (standardized mean differences [SMDs] = -4.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -6.26, -2.31), malondialdehyde (SMD = -2.27, 95% CI: -3.07, -1.47), nitric oxide (SMD = -0.85, 95% CI: -1.50, -0.20), and nitric oxide synthase (SMD = -1.01, 95% CI: -1.69, -0.34) and enhanced the levels of anti-oxidants including super oxide dismutase (SMD = 2.80, 95% CI: 1.98, 3.61), glutathione peroxidase (SMD = 1.32, 95% CI: -0.11, 2.76), and catalase (SMD = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.05, 2.58) in VaD animal models. In subgroup analyses, acupuncture showed significant effects on most variables. Only partial modelling methods and treatment duration could interpret the heterogeneity of some outcomes. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture may inhibit oxidative stress to improve cognitive deficits in animal models of VaD. Nevertheless, the methodological quality is unsatisfactory. More high-quality research with a rigorous design and further experimental researches and clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023411720).

[Clinical symptoms and distribution characteristics traditional Chinese medicine syndromes of pulmonary nodules].

A cross-sectional study method combined with two types of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome differentiation methods was adopted to investigate the clinical symptoms and distribution characteristics of TCM syndromes in patients with pulmonary nodules from the perspectives of number, size, nature, and stability of pulmonary nodules by using the χ~2 test, systematic clustering and Apriori algorithm correlation analysis. The common clinical symptoms of pulmonary nodules were fatigue(77.35%) and irritability(75.40%), and 40 symptoms were clustered into 3 groups(digestive system symptoms, respiratory system symptoms, and emotional and systemic symptoms) and 8 major symptom categories. The proportion of cold and heat in complexity syndrome(63.43%) was higher based on cold-heat syndrome differentiation. The top two syndromes were Qi deficiency syndrome(88.03%) and Qi depression syndrome(83.17%) based on disease syndrome differentiation. Yang deficiency syndrome(60.52%) was more than Yin deficiency syndrome(50.16%). There were higher proportions of phlegm syndrome(78.67%) and Yang deficiency syndrome(69.33%) of so-litary pulmonary nodules in terms of the number of pulmonary nodules. In terms of size, the proportion of phlegm syndrome decreased as the mean diameter of pulmonary nodules increased, while the proportions of Yang deficiency syndrome and blood stasis syndrome increased. The distribution of Qi depression syndrome was more in those with mean diameter<10 mm(85.02%, P=0.044) and cold syndrome was more in those with mean diameter ≥10 mm(16.67%, P=0.024). In terms of the nature of pulmonary nodules, the proportions of Qi depression syndrome and heat syndrome decreased with the increase in solid components of pulmonary nodules, while the proportions of Yin deficiency syndrome and cold and heat in complexity syndrome increased. The blood stasis syndrome accounted for a higher proportion of pulmonary nodules with solid components. In terms of the stability of pulmonary nodules, dampness syndrome(72.97%), blood stasis syndrome(37.84%), and cold and heat in complexity syndrome(70.27%) accounted for higher proportions. In addition, patients with new nodules presented higher proportions in Qi inversion syndrome(52.00%, P=0.007) and cold and heat in complexity syndrome(66.00%, P=0.008). Meanwhile, 11 syndromes were associated and 4 common compound syndromes were obtained(Qi deficiency and depression syndrome, Qi depression and phlegm coagulation syndrome, Qi deficiency and phlegm coagulation syndrome, and Qi deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome). Qi deficiency syndrome and Qi depression syndrome could be associated with other syndromes. The results show that the main clinical symptoms of pulmonary nodules are fatigue and irritability. The main TCM syndromes of pulmonary nodules are Qi deficiency syndrome, Qi depression syndrome, Yang deficiency syndrome, and cold and heat in complexity syndrome. The distribution of TCM syndromes is significantly correlated with the size of pulmonary nodules and the presence or absence of new nodules. The common compound syndromes are Qi deficiency and depression syndrome, Qi depression and phlegm coagulation syndrome, Qi deficiency and phlegm coagulation syndrome, and Qi deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome.

[Cognitive differences between Taoism and medical science in the location of "Jiaji"].

The differences in the cognition on the location of "Jiaji" between Taoism and medical science are summarized through literature searching. In the medical field, "Jiaji" is generally described as "Jiaji Xue (point)", which is considered as EX-B 2, while, in Taoism, it is expressed as "Jiaji Guan (pass)", focusing on the crucial parts of the body. Medical scholars lay their attention to the distance of "Jiaji" lateral to the spine, in which "Jia" (place on both sides) is mostly considered. In comparison, the Taoists emphasize the central axis on the back of human body expressed as "Jiaji Gu (bone)" and "Jiaji Sanguan (three crucial parts)", in which, "Ji (spine)" is the key. Due to the therapeutic purposes of acupuncture, medical scholars focus on the communication of "Jiaji" with the body surface ultimately. Based on the inner perspective of Taoism, "Jiaji" is connoted to be the three-dimensional structural space located deeply inside of the body. The cognitive differences in the location of "Jiaji" between Taoism and medical science reflect the discrepancy in the cognitive dimensions and approaches to the human body between them, which provide the references for the textual research of "Jiaji" in traditional Chinese medicine.

Acupoint Thread Embedding Combined With Wenshen Bugu Decoction for the Treatment of Aromatase Inhibitor-Associated Musculoskeletal Symptom Among Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients: Study Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are recommended as the preferred therapy for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. As a result, aromatase inhibitor-associated musculoskeletal symptom (AIMSS) have become a major problem leading to therapy discontinuation and decreased quality of life in patients receiving adjuvant AIs treatment. Multiple therapies have been attempted, but have yielded limited clinical results. This study will be performed to determine whether acupoint thread embedding (ATE) combined with Wenshen Bugu Decoction can effectively treat AIMSS, so as to improve the AIs medication compliance of postmenopausal breast cancer patients. METHODS: This study will utilize a randomized, 2 parallel groups controlled trial design. A total of 128 eligible postmenopausal breast cancer women with AIMSS will be randomized to receive a 12-week treatment with Wenshen Bugu Decoction alone (control group) or in combination with ATE (treatment group) in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome will be the 12 week Brief Pain Inventory Worst Pain (BPI-WP) score. The secondary outcome measures will include response rate, Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BFI-SF), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Endocrine Symptom (FACT-ES), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B), bone marrow density (BMD), blood markers of bone metabolite, Morisky medication adherence scale-8 (MMAS-8), credibility and expectancy, and survival outcomes. DISCUSSION: This trial may provide clinical evidence that ATE combined with Wenshen Bugu Decoction can be beneficial for treating AIMSS among postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. Our findings will be helpful to enhance the quality of life and reduce the occurrence of AIs withdrawal.

Methamphetamine: Mechanism of Action and Chinese Herbal Medicine Treatment for Its Addiction.

With the proliferation of synthetic drugs, research on the mechanism of action of addictive drugs and treatment methods is of great significance. Among them, methamphetamine (METH) is the most representative amphetamine synthetic drug, and the treatment of METH addiction has become an urgent medical and social problem. In recent years, the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicines on METH addiction have gained widespread attention because of their non-addictiveness, multiple targets, low side effects, low cost, and other characteristics. Previous studies have identified a variety of Chinese herbal medicines with effects on METH addiction. Based on the research on METH in recent years, this article summarizes the mechanism of action of METH as the starting point and briefly reviews the Chinese herbal medicine-based treatment of METH.

The Evolution of Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Technology and Application: Progress and Perspectives.

As an emerging sequencing technology, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) has become a powerful tool for describing cell subpopulation classification and cell heterogeneity by achieving high-throughput and multidimensional analysis of individual cells and circumventing the shortcomings of traditional sequencing for detecting the average transcript level of cell populations. It has been applied to life science and medicine research fields such as tracking dynamic cell differentiation, revealing sensitive effector cells, and key molecular events of diseases. This review focuses on the recent technological innovations in scRNA-Seq, highlighting the latest research results with scRNA-Seq as the core technology in frontier research areas such as embryology, histology, oncology, and immunology. In addition, this review outlines the prospects for its innovative application in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research and discusses the key issues currently being addressed by scRNA-Seq and its great potential for exploring disease diagnostic targets and uncovering drug therapeutic targets in combination with multiomics technologies.

The Pretreatment of Xiaoqinglong Decoction Alleviates Inflammation and Oxidative Damage and Up-Regulates Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Septic Acute Lung Injury Rats.

Xiaoqinglong decoction (XQLD), a classic prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has already been used clinically to cure acute lung injury (ALI), but its mechanism remains unclear. This subject aimed to explore the preventive role of XQLD in septic ALI rats besides its effects on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2 and its downstream factors. After, respectively, administrated with different concentrations of XQLD (6.25 g/kg/d, 12.5 g/kg/d, 25 g/kg/d) for 5 days and dexamethasone (DEX, 1 mg/kg) for 0.5 h, the rat models of ALI were established by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg) for 24 h. All rats were evaluated by lung function test, arterial blood gas analysis, morphological observation, lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, and the lung injury score. The levels of malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and angiotensin (Ang) (1-7) in the lung were measured through biochemical and ELISA kits. The expressions of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2, mitochondrial assembly receptor (MasR), and nuclear factor (NF)-κB in lung tissue were detected by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Positive reaction cells of MasR were observed by immunohistochemistry. The results show that XQLD significantly ameliorated septic lung injury including edema and hemorrhage, as well as improved pulmonary function and arterial blood gas. Furthermore, XQLD markedly decreased the levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, MDA, and NF-κB while increased the levels of SOD, Ang (1-7), ACE2, and MasR in septic ALI rats. Pearson correlation showed that the expressions of ACE2 were inversely related to IL-1ß, TNF-α, MDA, and NF-κB and positively correlated with SOD contents. Our data indicated that XQLD pretreatment alleviated inflammation and oxidative damage in septic ALI rats, which might be related to the up-regulation of ACE2-Ang (1-7)-MasR axis and inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.

[Compatibility mechanism of Gegen Qinlian Decoction in treatment of ulcerative colitis based on network pharmacology].

Gegen Qinlian Decoction(GQD) is commonly used for the clinical treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC) and other diseases, but its compatibility mechanism has not been elucidated systematically. In this study, the compatibility mechanism of GQD against UC was revealed based on the blood components in the mouse model of UC by network pharmacology. The targets of blood components of GQD were collected to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network. The key targets were screened out according to the topological parameters of the network, and 16 core components were identified, such as puerarin, chrysin, berberine, and liquiritigenin, based on the key targets in the blood components. Functional enrichment analysis was performed on the key targets, and the regulatory network of the prescription was constructed, which elucidated the compatibility mechanism of the Chinese herbal drugs in the prescription at both target and pathway levels. The results showed that all the Chinese herbal drugs in GQD had heat-clearing and toxin-removing effects, and the four Chinese herbal drugs synergistically exerted their effects by co-regulating protooncogenes, such as FOS and JUN, and characteristically regulating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) and interleukin-6(IL-6). The pathway analysis revealed that GQD exerted heat-clearing and toxin-removing effects mainly by regulating the inflammatory response-related signaling pathways, such as Toll-like receptor, tumor necrosis factor(TNF), and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK). Furthermore, the study revealed the synergistic effects of Chinese herbal drugs in GQD based on the TNF signaling pathway. The results showed that the sovereign drug Puerariae Lobatae Radix played a primary role in the regulation of targets in the TNF signaling pathway, the minister drugs Scutellariae Radix and Coptidis Rhizoma showed the synergistic effects with Puerariae Lobatae Radix, and the assistant and guiding drug Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma supported Puerariae Lobatae Radix in the key target NF-κB and the process of cell adhesion. The drugs in GQD showed good characteristics of compatibility in the TNF signaling pathway. This study is expected to provide the basis for the further exploration of the compatibility mechanism of GQD.

Recurrence of infectious mononucleosis in adults after remission for 3 years: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is a disease caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV infection is common in children; however, it can cause IM in adults. Studies on recurrence of IM in adults after remission are limited. CASE SUMMARY: We report a 28-year-old man who presented with IM-like symptoms with mild liver damage after initial remission of IM for 3 years. He was first diagnosed with IM and treated in 2015. Follow-up tests in 2016 and 2017 did not show any abnormalities. In November 2018, he presented with swelling of the tonsils. He was misdiagnosed with acute suppurative tonsillitis and treated for 5 d. No signs of improvement were observed. He was readmitted with recurrent fever, pharyngalgia, fatigue, and systemic muscle pain. Examinations revealed enlargement of the tonsils and cervical lymph nodes. Blood tests revealed elevated transaminase levels. Anti-EBV test was positive, indicating virus reactivation. IM recurrence was confirmed on the basis of laboratory tests and clinical manifestations. He was treated with antiviral, anti-infective, and hepatoprotective drugs and vitamin supplements. His condition improved and no abnormalities were observed during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Recurrence of IM after remission is possible in adults; therefore, long-term follow-up and monitoring are essential.

Randomized Controlled Trials of Zhigancao Decoction Combined With Metoprolol in the Treatment of Arrhythmia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Cardiac arrhythmia remains a major public health problem worldwide. Combinations of traditional medicine (TM) and conventional medicine (CM) have been used for arrhythmia treatment, yet the effectiveness and safety of many TM preparations can be controversial. We analyzed the safety and effectiveness of Zhigancao decoction (ZGCD) combined with metoprolol for arrhythmia treatment. Methods: Systematic searches for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were conducted in eight databases (January 2010-September 2020) without language restrictions. According to the Cochrane system evaluation method, the overall effectiveness and safety were evaluated by meta-analysis using Review Manager software (version 5.3), and publication bias was qualitatively analyzed using STATA 12.0. Results: A total of 39 RCTs were incorporated, including 4,260 patients with arrhythmia, with 2,133 patients in the experimental group (ZGCD + metoprolol, ZGCD + BB) and 2,127 patients in the control group (metoprolol only, BB). Meta-analysis revealed that compared with BB, ZGCD + BB could significantly increase the total efficacy (OR = 4.74, 95% CI: 3.78-5.94, P < 0.01) and lower the incidences of arrhythmia (MD = -3.39, 95% CI: -4.09 to -2.68, P < 0.01). Moreover, mean HR reductions were reported in patients receiving ZGCD + BB the ZGCD + BB group (MD = -8.48, 95% CI: -10.98 to -5.97, P < 0.01) and a decrease in TCM symptoms were reported also (MD = -2.92, 95% CI: -3.08 to -2.76, P < 0.01). The incidence of adverse events was lower in patients treated with ZGCD + BB (RR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.26-0.51, P < 0.01). These results appeared consistent across common arrhythmias. Nevertheless, the majority of included studies were unable to be formally assessed for bias, and funnel-plot analysis implied a moderate risk of publication bias. Conclusion: ZGCD + BB appeared to demonstrate good efficacy and fewer adverse reactions compared to BB in the treatment of arrhythmia, and this may represent a useful complementary therapy. However, our findings must be cautiously evaluated because of the small sample size and low quality of the clinic trials cited in the review. Rigorous and large-scale RCTs are warranted in the future to confirm these results. Systematic Review Registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-10-0045/.

Natural soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors from Alisma orientale and their potential mechanism with soluble epoxide hydrolase.

Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is considered to be an effective treatment for inflammation-related diseases, and small molecules origin from natural products show promising activity against sEH. Two undescribed protostanes, 3ß-hydroxy-25-anhydro-alisol F (1) and 3ß-hydroxy-alisol G (2) were isolated from Alisma orientale and identified as new sEH inhibitors with IC50 values of 10.06 and 30.45 µM, respectively. Potential lead compound 1 was determined as an uncompetitive inhibitor against sEH, which had a Ki value of 5.13 µM. In-depth molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that amino acid residue Ser374 plays an important role in the inhibition of 1, which also provides an idea for the development of sEH inhibitors based on protostane-type triterpenoids.

[Research progress on bidirectional effect of microRNA on Alzheimer's disease and intervention with traditional Chinese medicine].

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease with recent memory impairment as the main clinical manifestation and senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles as the main pathological changes. In recent years, the effect of microRNAs on AD has attracted widespread attention. Patients with AD have abnormal expression of miRNA, which is closed related to regulation of AD pathophysiology-related genes. Therefore, this paper first elaborated neuroprotective and toxic effects of microRNA in AD, and then explored relevant traditional Chinese medicines that can regulate miRNA in the treatment of AD, so as to provide basis for revealing the pathogenesis relationship between miRNA and AD and provide ideas for further development of anti-AD traditional Chinese medicine.

Efficacy of Acupuncture Treatment of Migraine Delivered by Senior or Junior Acupuncturists: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Acupuncture is an efficacious and safe treatment choice for migraine prevention. Results from clinical trials have shown that non-specific effects play an important role in acupuncture's efficacy. To date, however, there is no evidence available quantitatively evaluating the effect of non-specific effects, such as patients' expectations and beliefs for acupuncturists, on acupuncture efficacy, necessitating further exploration. METHODS: A total of 156 patients with migraine without aura (MwoA) will be randomized to either junior or senior acupuncturist group, at a ratio of 1:1. The study will last 24 weeks, for each patient, comprising baseline, treatment, and follow-up phases lasting 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively. All patients will undergo 12 sections of acupuncture treatment delivered by either a junior or senior acupuncturist following the same acupuncture prescription and manipulation. The primary outcomes will be changes in the number of migraine days and frequency of attacks per 4 weeks cycle, relative to the baseline. Secondary outcomes will include severity of headache pain, quality of life, anxiety/depression levels, and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) per 4 weeks cycle, compared to the baseline, as well as adverse events and rate of positive response to treatment. Prior to randomization of patients into junior or senior acupuncturist groups, the Acupuncture Expectations Evaluation Scale (AES) will be used to evaluate their expectations and belief with regards to acupuncture efficacy delivered by senior or junior acupuncturists. DISCUSSION: Results from this clinical randomized controlled trial will help to quantitatively evaluate the extent of the effect of acupuncture treatment delivered by a senior or junior acupuncturist (high relative to low expectations) in migraine patients. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial has been approved by the Institutional Review Boards and Ethics Committees of Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Approval No. 2020KL-058).

The inhibition effect of uncarialin A on voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel subunit alpha-1C: Inhibition potential and molecular stimulation.

Cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and cardiac failure, have become the most major and global cause for threatening human health in recent years. Uncaria rhynchophylla as a traditional Chinese medicine is widely used to treat hypertension for a long history, whereas its medicinal effective components and potential action mechanism are uncertain. Therefore, twenty-four alkaloids (1-24) isolated from U. rhynchophylla were assayed for their relaxant effects against phenylephrine (Phe)-induced contraction of rat mesenteric arteries. Among them, we surprisingly found that uncarialin A (21) exhibited most potent relaxation effect against Phe-induced contraction (IC50 = 0.18 µM) in the manner of independent on endothelium-derived vasorelaxing factors and endothelium. All the experiments including measurement of Ca2+ in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by fluorescence microscopy, whole-cell path clamp, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics, demonstrated that uncarialin A (21) could significantly inhibit L-type calcium channel subunit alpha-1C (Cav1.2) via the hydrogen bond interaction with amino acid residue Met1186, allowing the inhibition of Ca2+ inward current. Our results suggested that uncarialin A (21) could be served as a potential L-type Cav1.2 blocker in the effective treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Demethylbellidifolin isolated from Swertia bimaculate against human carboxylesterase 2: Kinetics and interaction mechanism merged with docking simulations.

In this study, forty-nine kinds of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against human carboxylesterase 2 (HCE 2) using a human liver microsome (HLM) system. Swertia bimaculata showed significant inhibition on HCE 2 at 10 µg/mL among forty-nine kinds of TCMs. The extract of Swertia bimaculata was separated by preparative HPLC to afford demethylbellidifolin (1) identified by MS, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectra. Demethylbellidifolin (1) was assayed for its inhibitory HCE 2 effect by HCE 2-mediated DDAB hydrolysis, and its potential IC50 value was 3.12 ±â€¯0.64 µM. Demethylbellidifolin (1) was assigned as a mixed-type competitive inhibitor with the inhibiton constant Ki value of 6.87 µM by Lineweaver-Burk and slope plots. Living cell imaging was conducted to corroborate its inhibitory HCE 2 activity. Molecular docking indicated potential interactions of demethylbellidifolin (1) with HCE 2 through two hydrogen bonds of the C-3 and C-5 hydroxy groups with amino acid residues Glu227 and Ser228 in the catalytic cavity, respectively.

Effect of exogenous phytohormones treatment on glycyrrhizic acid accumulation and preliminary exploration of the chemical control network based on glycyrrhizic acid in root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis

ABSTRACT One-year-old Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC, Fabaceae, was treated with three exogenous phytohormones in June and July, namely gibberellin, auxin (indole-3-acetic acid), methyl jasmonate at different concentrations. Control plants were treated with water. Roots of controls and hormones-treated G. uralensis plants were harvested at different times, and the contents of seven main chemical components were determined. Root glycyrrhizic acid content of plants treated in June increased significantly compared with controls, and the difference was significant. As for plants treated in July, root glycyrrhizic acid content increased in which sprayed with appropriate concentrations of hormones, but the effects of hormones were more evident in plants treated in June coincided with the vigorous growth period than those treated in July. Gibberellin at 40 mg/l and auxin at 40 mg/l applied in the two treatment periods significantly promoted the accumulation of glycyrrhizic acid in G. uralensis root. Treatment with methyl jasmonate at 100 and 25 mg/l in June and July, respectively, also increased glycyrrhizic acid content significantly. The determination of major active compositions indicated that liquiritin, isoliquiritin, isoliquiritin apioside and liquiritin apioside contents were positively related to glycyrrhizic acid content. The study preliminarily found phytohormones and the main chemical components associated with glycyrrhizic acid content, and these discoveries could provide a basis for establishing a chemical control network with glycyrrhizic acid as the core, confirming the secondary product metabolic pathways in the network and completely uncovering synthesis mechanism underlying glycyrrhizic acid-combined functional gene polymorphism.

Sequence mining and transcript profiling to explore differentially expressed genes associated with lipid biosynthesis during soybean seed development.

BACKGROUND: Soybean (Glycine max L.) is one of the most important oil crops in the world. It is desirable to increase oil yields from soybean, and so this has been a major goal of oilseed engineering. However, it is still uncertain how many genes and which genes are involved in lipid biosynthesis. RESULTS: Here, we evaluated changes in gene expression over the course of seed development using Illumina (formerly Solexa) RNA-sequencing. Tissues at 15 days after flowering (DAF) served as the control, and a total of 11592, 16594, and 16255 differentially expressed unigenes were identified at 35, 55, and 65 DAF, respectively. Gene Ontology analyses detected 113 co-expressed unigenes associated with lipid biosynthesis. Of these, 15 showed significant changes in expression levels (log2fold values ≥ 1) during seed development. Pathway analysis revealed 24 co-expressed transcripts involved in lipid biosynthesis and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways. We selected 12 differentially expressed genes and analyzed their expressions using qRT-PCR. The results were consistent with those obtained from Solexa sequencing. CONCLUSION: These results provide a comprehensive molecular biology background for research on soybean seed development, particularly with respect to the process of oil accumulation. All of the genes identified in our research have significance for breeding soybeans with increased oil contents.