A comprehensive meta-analysis of traditional Chinese and Western medicine for neck and low back pain.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the application of Chinese medicine in the treatment of neck and low back pain. The goal was to assess the efficacy, analgesic effect, and safety of Chinese medicine using Cochrane system evaluation standards and conduct a meta-analysis to provide high-quality, evidence-based medical data for clinical practice decision-making. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in Chinese and English databases, including CBM, CNKI, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. The search encompassed randomized controlled trials on the use of Chinese medicine for pain treatment, with a time range from the establishment of each database to October 1, 2021. We have added the referred literature from the online databases for this research. Two researchers independently reviewed the literature, gathered data, and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies using the Cochrane Assistance Network risk of bias tool. Safety, reaction rate, and VAS pain score were of interest. To evaluate Chinese medicine's curative and analgesic benefits for pain illnesses, RevMan 5.4 and Stata 15.1 were used to analyze selected literature using forest plots, funnel plots, Egger and HarbORd linear regression plots, and star charts. RESULTS: Chinese medicine treated pain in 57 investigations. The analysis yielded (1) a curative effect: Chinese medicine outperformed Western medicine, with no publication bias. The sensitivity analysis matched the meta-analysis that has been performed in this work, and it shows that Chinese medicine treated low back pain better than Western medicine. (2) Analgesic effect: Chinese medicine outperformed Western medicine in analgesia, although the literature is limited for such a claim. Chinese medicine was also more analgesic than Western medicine. (3) Safety: No major side effects were reported in 20 investigations on Chinese medicine's safety. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that Chinese medicine can achieve better clinical efficacy and analgesic effects when comparing Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of neck and low back pain. Furthermore, Chinese medicine demonstrated a favorable safety profile. However, further research is required to explore the use of Chinese medicine specifically for neck pain and to enhance the evidence base for clinical decision-making in pain management.

New macrocyclic diterpenoids from Euphorbia esula.

The structures of two new macrocyclic jatrophane diterpenoid esters from the whole herb of Euphorbia esula, were established as 11,14-epoxy-3beta,5alpha,7beta,8alpha,9alpha,15beta-hexaacetoxy-12-oxo-13alphaH-jatropha-6(17)-ene (1) and 1alpha,3beta-diacetoxy-5alpha,7beta-dibenzoyloxy-9,14-dioxo-11beta,12alpha-epoxy-2alpha,8alpha,15beta-trihydroxy-13betaH-jatropha-6(17)-ene (2) by a combination of 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques as well as UV, IR and mass spectral data. Bioassay evaluation of all isolates against the human tumor cell lines (B16, KB, SMMC and BGC) indicated that ester 2 was cytotoxic to B16 with the IC50 value being 1.81 microg/ml. In addition, the irritant activity assay indicated that both diterpenoids were inactive (ID(24)50 > 100 microg/ear).

[Effects of seeds, leaves and fruits of Ziziphus spinosa and jujuboside A on central nervous system function].

The seeds and leaves of Ziziphus Spinosa exert a similar inhibiting effect on central nervous system function, while the fruits have a synergism with pentobarbitol sodium and thiopental sodium on prolongation of sleep and sedation, also decreases coordinated action. Jujuboside A exerts no inhibiting effect, but a synergism with phenylalanine on central nervous system function.

Active complete in vitro replication of nodavirus RNA requires glycerophospholipid.

Flockhouse virus (FHV) is a member of the nodavirus group of positive-strand RNA viruses. In the absence of additional compounds, a template-dependent RNA-dependent RNA polymerase extracted from FHV-infected cells synthesizes complementary (-)-strand copies of added FHV RNA to yield a double-stranded RNA product. Upon addition of glycerophospholipid (GPL), this system reproducibly carries out complete highly active replication of added FHV RNA, producing newly synthesized (+)-strand RNA in predominantly single-stranded RNA form. This accounts for previously observed effects of Lipofectin (a mixture of GPL and cationic lipid) in the system. All tested neutral and negatively charged GPLs except phosphatidic acid support complete FHV RNA replication in this in vitro system, as do phospholipid extracts from uninfected and FHV-infected cells. Neither sphingomyelin, a membrane phospholipid that is not derived from glycerol, nor cholesterol supported FHV RNA replication. Testing of compounds derived from GPL shows that the ability of active GPL to support FHV (+)-strand RNA synthesis is dependent on the structures of both the head group and the acyl chains. Neither the phosphorylated head group nor the diacylglycerol lipid moiety alone supports RNA replication. The length and saturation of acyl chains strongly influence the ability of GPL to support RNA replication. Other characteristics of this in vitro RNA replication system and the possible role played by membranes and their components in FHV RNA replication are discussed.

Experimental and clinical investigation on oxiconazole.

A new antimycotic imicazole drug, oxiconazole, used both in vitro and in vivo in the treatment of 212 cases of tinea corporis, tinea cruris and tinea pedis is reported. In vitro, it shows marked antimycotic effect against 24 strains of pathogenic fungi except those of Wangiella dermatitides and 3 strains of Aspergilli. The minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) to Epidermophyton floccosum and Candida guilliermondi are 1 microgram/ml and 0.5 microgram/ml. The cure rate of 2% cream of oxiconazole in 124 cases of tinea corporis and tinea cruris is 90.3%, and in 88 cases of tinea pedis, 89.78%.

[Effects of Ziziphus spinosa Hu on serum lipoprotein and experimental atherosclerosis].

Rabbits of experimental group were fed synthetic food, cholesterol (0.4 g/day/rabbit) yolk powder (4 g/day/rabbit), and additionally pulp of Suanzao (10 g/kg/day). Three months later, compared with the results of the control group (TC 1334.8 +/- 327.8 mg; LDL 1261.9 +/- 356.6 mg and TG 270.8 +/- 66.9 mg), TC (574.6 +/- 271.8 mg), LDL (490.6 +/- 247.1 mg) and TG (89.7 +/- 7.8 mg) of the experimental group were significantly decreased, but in the experimental group HDL increased significantly (42.2 +/- 22.5 mg to 14.2 +/- 3.9 mg), and the AS degree of coronary artery was markedly reduced.

Sequence and organization of southern bean mosaic virus genomic RNA.

The genomic RNA sequence of the cowpea strain of southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV-C) has been determined. The genome is 4194 nucleotides in length and has four open reading frames. A 5' proximal open frame, from base 49 to base 603, corresponds to the length of the P4 proteins translated in cell-free extracts from full-length and smaller virion RNA. The largest open frame extends from base 570 to base 3437 and encodes the two largest proteins translated in cell-free extracts from full-length virion RNA. Segments of this open reading frame's predicted amino acid sequence resemble those of known viral RNA polymerases, ATP-binding proteins, and viral genome-linked proteins. A third open frame extends from base 1895 to base 2380 and has not been correlated with an in vitro translation product. The fourth open reading frame is located in the 3' terminal region of the genome extending from base 3217 to base 4053. This frame encodes the SBMV capsid protein which is translated from subgenomic, virion RNA.

Enkephalin involvement in acupuncture analgesia-radioimmunoassay.

Since there are several endogenous morphine-like substances differing in distribution and probably also in function, it seems necessary to study their roles in acupuncture analgesia separately. Therefore we set up a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for met- and leu-enkephalin, and employ it in determining the changes of enkephalin contents in the brain regions and CSF during acupuncture. The main results are as follows: (i) Two enkephalins increase markedly in hypothalamus and striatum during acupuncture analgesia. (ii) Prior intraventricular bacitracin enhances the acupuncture analgesia with concomitant increased contents of enkephalins in the brain and CSF. (iii) Cycloheximide, the protein-synthesis inhibitor, reduces the enkephalin-increasing effect of acupuncture, indicating that one of the mechanisms by which acupuncture elevates the enkephalin levels is the acceleration of biosynthesis. (iv) After surgical isolation of rat hypothalamus, the effect of electric acupuncture is attenuated. This indicates that hypothalamus takes part in acupuncture analgesia.