Core outcomes were rarely reported overall in systematic reviews on acupuncture for osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional meta-epidemiological study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify a comprehensive list of outcomes and explore the reporting rate of core outcome sets (COS) and related factors in systematic reviews (SRs) of acupuncture for osteoarthritis (OA). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Databases were searched for the relative SRs. Descriptive statistics were calculated as frequencies and percentages. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the factors affecting the reporting rate of COS. RESULTS: We included 59 SRs. Outcome measures reported in the SRs were classified into 11 domains and 67 unique outcomes. No SR completely reported COS. In COS released in 2016, 75% of outcomes (6/8) were only reported by ⩽5% SRs. In COS released in 2019, the reporting rate was very low (from 0% to 17%) for 73.3% of outcomes (11/15). SRs published in the most recent 5 years had a significantly greater possibility of reporting COS (odds ratio (OR) = 4.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.33 to 16.88, p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: Core outcomes were rarely reported in systematic reviews of acupuncture for OA, with considerable heterogeneity in the use of outcomes. The publication of COS in the COMET (Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials) database may help promote the reporting of COS. We encourage systematic reviewers to use relevant COS.

Subacute safety assessment of recombinant Lactococcus lactis on the gut microbiota of male Sprague-Dawley rats.

BACKGROUND: Lactococcus lactis strain pGSMT/MG1363 is a genetically modified microorganism (GMM) that constitutively expresses human metallothionein-I fusion protein to combine with intracellular lead. Unlike traditional probiotics, pGSMT/MG1363 lacks a history of safe use in food. Administration of microorganism could influence the gut microbial community and consequently confer health benefits or cause disadvantages to the host. To date, little has been done to assess the influence of recombinant strain pGSMT/MG1363 on the stability of gut microbiota. RESULTS: Liver, testis and kidney sections of male Sprague-Dawley rats orally administered pGSMT/MG1363 for 6 weeks showed normal structure and no pathological damage. There were no adverse effects on the analyzed serum biochemical parameters between the pGSMT/MG1363 group and the MG1363 group. Principal coordinate analysis showed that, compared with the MG1363 group, the 6-week-old fecal gut microbiota of rats fed with pGSMT/MG1363 was not significantly different (Adonis, P = 0.802). pGSMT/MG1363 treatment for 6 weeks did not significantly change the relative abundance of gut microbiota at the phylum and genus levels in comparison with MG1363 treatment. CONCLUSION: Compared to the non-GM strain MG1363 group, administration of the recombinant strain pGSMT/MG1363 for 6 weeks showed no adverse effects on the analyzed physiological parameters and gut microbial compositions of male Sprague-Dawley rats. The results suggested that, in terms of gut microbiota stability, pGSMT/MG1363 could be considered as safe as MG1363, at least for short-term intake. Further toxicological evaluations still need to be considered before drawing a definite conclusion concerning the safe use of pGSMT/MG1363. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.