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Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the main cause of chronic liver disease. Baicalin (Bai), a bioactive molecule found in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, possesses antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. These activities suggest Bai could be a promising therapeutic agent against NAFLD; however, its specific effects and underlying mechanism are still not clear. This study aims to explore the effect of Bai to attenuate MAFLD and associated molecular mechanisms. Bai (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg) was orally administered to db/db mice with MAFLD for 4 weeks or db/m mice as the normal control. Bai markedly attenuated lipid accumulation, cirrhosis and hepatocytes apoptosis in the liver tissues of MAFLD mice, suggesting strong ability to attenuate MAFLD. Bai significantly reduced proinflammatory biomarkers and enhanced antioxidant enzymes, which appeared to be modulated by the upregulated p62-Keap1-Nrf2 signalling cascade; furthermore, cotreatment of Bai and all-trans-retinoic acid (Nrf2 inhibitor) demonstrated markedly weakened liver protective effects by Bai and its induced antioxidant and antiinflammatory responses. The present study supported the use of Bai in attenuating MAFLD as a promising therapeutic agent, and its strong mechanism of action in association with the upregulating the p62-keap1-Nrf2 pathway.
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.945210.].
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Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is the most prevalent form of chronic pain in active-duty military personnel worldwide. Electroacupuncture (EA) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) are the two most widely used treatment methods in the military, while evidence for their benefits is lacking. The aim of this randomized clinical trial is to investigate the effectiveness of EA vs. NMES in reducing pain intensity among active-duty navy personals with chronic LBP. Methods: The study is designed as a single-center, randomized controlled trial. The primary outcome is a positive categorical response for treatment success in the first-time follow-up, which is predesignated as a two-point or greater decrease in the NRS score and combined with a score > 3 on the treatment satisfaction scale. The secondary outcomes include pain intensity, rate of treatment success, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FABQ) score along with muscular performance. The first follow-up starts on the first day after completing the last treatment session, and then the 4-weeks and 12-weeks follow-up are applied via telephone visit. Results: Eighty-five subjects complete the treatment diagram and are included in the analysis. For the primary outcome, no difference has been found between EA and NMES, with 65.1% (28 in 43) individuals reporting a positive response to EA treatment, while 53.5% (23 in 43) in NMES. However, for longer follow-ups, superiority in positive response of EA has been found in 4-weeks (26 in 39, 66.7% vs. 16 in 40, 40%; P = 0.018) and 12-weeks (24 in 36, 66.7% vs. 12 in 36, 33.3%; P = 0.005) follow-up. In the regression analysis, baseline pain intensity and FABQ score are identified to be highly associated with positive treatment outcomes. Finally, the subgroup analysis suggests that EA treatment is associated with better long-term outcomes in patients with LBP with a severe pain score (NRS score >4, Figure 4B) and stronger fear-avoidance beliefs. Conclusion: Both the EA and NMES are associated with a positive response in treating military LBP, and the former offers lasting benefits in the later follow-ups. Thus, electroacupuncture is a more recommended treatment for military LBP. A lot of research is needed to verify an efficient and standardized treatment session, with more information and evidence about indications for these treatments. Trial registration: ChiCTR, (ChiCTR2100043726); registered February 27, 2021.
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BACKGROUND: Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is a highly prevalent symptom, which afflicts vast majority of patients who suffer from cancer. The current treatment options failed to achieve satisfactory effect and the side effects were prominent. Recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of animal demonstrate the benefit of acupuncture for CIBP. We sought to determine if the pooled data from available RCTs supports the use of acupuncture for CIBP. METHODS: A literature search for randomized controlled trials was conducted in six electronic databases from inception to May 31, 2019. Meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.3 software; the publication bias was assessed by Stata 12.0 software. We used random effects model for pooling data because heterogeneity is absolute among studies to some extent. RESULTS: Twenty-four trials were included in the review, of which 12 trials provided detailed data for meta-analyses. Preliminary evidence indicates that compared to wait list/sham group, acupuncture was effective on increasing paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL). Compared to medicine, acupuncture was less effective on PWT, but as effective as medicine on PWL. Acupuncture can reinforce medicine's effect on PWT and PWL. Compared to the control group, acupuncture was superior to increase body weight (BW), decrease spinal cord glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß). Furthermore, some studies showed acupuncture delay or partially reverse morphine tolerance. Three studies found acupuncture has no effect on PWT, but 2 of them found acupuncture could enhance small dose of Celebrex's effect on CIBP. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture was superior to wait list/sham acupuncture on increasing PWT and has no less effect on increasing PWL compared to medicine; acupuncture improved the efficacy of drugs, increased the CIBP animals' body weight, and decreased their spinal cord GFAP and IL-1ß. High-quality studies are necessary to confirm the results.