Efficacy and safety of electric acupuncture in treatment of intractable facial paralysis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Facial paralysis is a common clinical disease, it was named intractable facial paralysis when the clinical course more than 2 months. Intractable facial paralysis will produce anxiety and depression, which will seriously affect patients' life and work. Electric acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of intractable facial paralysis. However, the results of clinical studies on the efficacy and safety have been inconsistent. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of electric acupuncture for intractable facial paralysis patients by systematic review and meta-analysis, so as to provide clinical decision-making based on evidence-based medicine. METHODS: The following databases will be searched by electronic methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database, Wan-fang Data and Chinese Biomedical Database. All of them will be retrieved from the establishment date of the electronic database to March 2022, all included studies will be evaluated risk of bias by the Cochrane Handbook. The total effective rate will be the primary outcome. The systematic review will be conducted with the use of the RevMan5.3 software in this study. RESULTS: This study will obtain efficacy and safety of electric acupuncture for the treatment of intractable facial paralysis. DISCUSSION: This study will provide clinical decision-making based on evidence-based medicine that whether electric acupuncture could be used to treat intractable facial paralysis, and when and how it might be more effective and safety. It will help standardize electric acupuncture treatment strategies for intractable facial paralysis. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021278541.

Study for cerebral central network mechanism of acupuncture stimulation quantity based on changes of cerebral functional connection of fMRI.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is a major chronic noninfectious disease that seriously endangers health. Acupuncture is effective for ischemic stroke and less adverse reactions. However, there is not enough clinical trial data and solid evidence could confirm how acupuncture work to cerebral functional connectivity changes, and whether the changes is related to the different stimulation quantity. DESIGN: This is a multicenter, central-randomized, controlled, double-blind, noninferiority, 2 factors and 3 levels orthogonal clinical trial. A total of 100 participants with ischemic stroke aged from 40 to 80 were randomized into experimental group and control group, the experimental group was divided into 9 groups (A1-A9) according to different factors or levels, and each group have 10 participants. The whole study period is 17 days, including 1 week for baseline observation, 3 days treatment and observation, and 1 week follow-up. Primary outcome is the fMRI based on blood oxygenation level dependent. Secondary outcomes included National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, Modified Barthel Index, Brunnstrom stroke recovery, stroke Chinese medicine symptom. Clinical assessments will be evaluated at before and the 0 hour, 24 hours, 36 hours after treatment, and 1 week follow-up. The primary outcome of the postacupuncture effect were investigated by paired T-test, and the continuous outcome variables will be analyzed with univariate repetitive measurement deviation analysis. Adverse events will be noted and recorded for the safety evaluation. CONCLUSION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the central mechanism of acupuncture stimulation quantity using time and frequency as control conditions. This study will provide reasonable stimulation parameters and strong mechanism evidence of cerebral central network for the use of acupuncture for ischemic stroke. CHICTR REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR1900023169. Registered 15 May 2019.

[Accumulation law of epigoitrin in roots of Isatis indigotica of different breed types].

OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution law of epigoitrin in roots of Isatis indigotica of different breed types and provide a scientific basis for screening of high-quality Isatis indigotica breed. METHODS: Determined the contents of epigoitrin in tap root and lateral root of Chinese-cabbage-leaf Isatis, cabbage-leaf Isatis, mustard-leaf Isatis and tetraploid Isatis by HPLC. Also, compared the contents of epigoitin in xylem and phloem of Isatis indigotica. RESULTS: Contents of epigoitrin in the tap root and lateral root of Isatis indigotica of the different breed types were significant different. In four breed types of Isatis indigotica, contents of epigoitrin in the tap root and phloem were higher than those in the lateral root and xylem, respectively. CONCLUSION: Contents of epigoitrin in the lateral root of Isatis indigotica are higher than those of tap root and epigoitrin distributes mainly in phloem.

[Plant traits and quality evaluation of different cultivation forms of Isatis].

OBJECTIVE: To lay a foundation for the study on good variety selection of Isatis indigotica, comparison of plant traits and quality evaluation of Isatis germplasm resources from different production area was conducted. METHOD: Field cultivation and randomized block experiment were adopted to compare those plant traits of leaf, root, silique and seed of Isatis from different production area and the content of R,S-goitrin and polysaccharide in the root was determined. RESULT: Different cultivation forms of Isatis had significant difference from each other in leaf, root, silique and seed, content of R,S-goitrin and polysaccharide in the root were also different. R,S-goitrin content in Isatis of Chinese cabbage leaf type ( production area: Yunnan ) was comparative higher, 0.59% , while polysaccharide content in autotetraploid Isatis was comparative higher, 8.68%. CONCLUSION: According to the plant traits, Isatis were classified into three types: Chinese cabbage leaf type, cabbage leaf type and mustard leaf type, of which R,S-goitrin content in Chinese cabbage leaf type (production area: Yunnan) was comparative higher, while polysaccharide content in autotetraploid Isatis was comparative higher.

[Effects of NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratio in applied supplementary fertilizer on nitrogen metabolism, photosynthesis and growth of Isatis indigotica].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratios in the applied supplementary fertilizer on the growth, nitrogen metabolis related enzymes activity and photosynthetic characteristics of Isatis indigotica. METHOD: The sand culture experiment was conducted, and seedling of I. indigotica was fertilized with the mixed nutrition that containing the Hoagland's macro elements and the Aron's micro elements, the additional 63 mmol N was supplementary with the NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratio of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100. RESULT: The biomass of I. indigotica increased at first when the supplementary N of NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratio changed from 100:0 to 50:50 and decreased afterwards. The maximum value was at 50:50 and the minimum at 100: 0. With increasing the ratio of NO3(-)-N, the activity of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase increased and then decreased and the relationship between the activity and the ratio could be described with an approximate parabola curve. The net photosynthetic rate of I. indigotica was the highest at the NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratio of 75:25 and the lowest at 100:0. CONCLUSION: Increasing the NO3(-)-N ratio properly was beneficial to promote the growth and improve the activity of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase and net photosynthetic rate of I. indigotica.