Effect of liuzijue qigong on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUNDS: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable disease of airflow limitation that accounts for the third leading deaths of any disease process in the worldwide. Health benefits of liuzijue qigong (LQG) on patients with stable COPD has been assessed. This study was designed to perform a systemic review and meta-analysis of the effect of Liuzijue breathing exercise on patients with stable COPD. METHODS: Published articles from 1970 to December 2020 were conducted using electronic searches. Two independents reviewers conducted data extraction. The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. RESULTS: A total of 16 eligible trials with 1039 patients with stable COPD were identified. Compared with control group, the pool meta-analysis of LQG showed a significant improvement in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (MD = -0.16, 95% CI [0.09, 0.23], P < .00001), FEV1% (MD = 9.71, 95% CI [8.44, 10.98], P < .00001), the ratio of forced expiratory volume to forced vital capacity in the first second (FEV1/FVC [%]) (MD = 4.81, 95% CI [2.12, 7.51], P = .0005), 6 minutes walking distance (6MWD) (MD = 21.89, 95% CI [14.67, 29.11], P < .00001), health-related quality of life (SMD = -0.84, 95% CI [-1.12,-0.55], P < .00001) and modified medical research council dyspnea scale (mMRC) (MD = -0.73, 95% CI [-0.96, -0.50], P < .00001). The observed effect was more pronounced for short term and medium-term duration interventions of study. It also showed improvements in the secondary outcome measures by LQG. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, LQG can improve lung ventilation function, exercise endurance and health-related quality of life of patients with stable COPD. ETHIC AND DISSEMINATION: This study is a systematic review and it does not involve harming to the rights of participants. Ethical approval will not be require for this study. The research results may be published in a peer-reviewed journals.

[Clinical effect of "Jin's three-needle" therapy and motor relearning regimen on the upper limb motor function in patients with ischemic stroke].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect of "Jin's three-needle" therapy and motor relearning regime for the recovery of upper limb motor function in the patients with ischemic stroke. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with ischemic stroke were randomly divided into an experiment group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases). In the control group, the routine rehabilitation regimen was adopted. In the experimental group, on the base of the treatment regimen as the control group, the "Jin's three-needle" therapy was supplemented. The neurological function deficit score was used to assess the neurological function. The modified Fugel-Meyer assessment for upper extremities (FMA) and motor assessment scale (MAS) were adopted to assess the upper limb motor function in patients. The modified Barthel Index (MBI) was used to evaluate the activity of daily living (ADL) in patients. RESULTS: After treatment, the neurological function deficit score, the upper limb motor function (FMA and MAS) and ADL (MBI) were all improved obviously as compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). In the experimental group, the reducing range of neurological function deficit score (difference value) was larger than that in the control group (P<0.05). The increases of FMA score (upper arm function), the total score of MAS, the score for hand movement in MAS and the score for advanced hand activities of MAS, as well as MBI score in the experimental group were significantly larger than those in the control group successively (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: "Jin's three-needle" therapy combined with exercise relearning regimen effectively reduces the degree of neurological deficit and improve the upper limb motor function and ADL in patients with ischemic stroke.

Hypolipidemic effects of Myrica rubra extracts and main compounds in C57BL/6j mice.

The present study evaluated the antihyperlipidemic activity of myricetin, myricetrin, the alcohol fraction (AF) and the ethyl acetate fraction (EF) obtained from the bark of Myrica rubra (MR) in high-fat and high-cholesterol (HFHC) induced hyperlipidemic C57BL/6j mice. Mice were treated with myricetin, myricetrin, AF and EF with a dose of 130 mg per kg per day for 35 days. After treatment, serum parameters including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total bile acids (TBA), etc., were examined. The results revealed that EF showed the highest weight lowering activity (P < 0.01). All tested samples decreased the levels of the TC, TG, LDL-C, TBA and LPS (lipopolysaccharide) content in the serum of mice to different extents. Liver fat deposition was significantly reduced after myricetin, myricetrin, AF and EF therapy (P < 0.01). Additionally, the cell size of epididymal adipose tissue was also decreased in myricetin, AF and EF groups (P < 0.05). The antihyperlipidemic activity of these samples may be attributed to the inhibition of lipid synthesis via suppressing the expression of HMGCR (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase) and ACC1 (acetyl-CoA carboxylase), promoting the metabolism and excretion of lipids via up-regulating the expression of SREBP2 (sterol regulatory element binding proteins), LDLR (low density lipoprotein receptor), UCP2 (uncoupling protein 2) and CYP7A1 (cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase). These results may provide a powerful foundation for seeking and utilizing Myrica rubra bio-active compounds for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases.