Best acupuncture method for mammary gland hyperplasia: Evaluation of randomized controlled trials and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of different acupuncture treatments for mammary gland hyperplasia (MGH) using a network meta-analysis. Methods: Several databases were searched without language restrictions from 2000 to February 2023, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China Science and Technology Journal Database, China Biology Medicine Database, Wanfang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, and other professional websites and gray literature. Inclusion criteria were adult women diagnosed with MGH; intervention measures included acupuncture and related therapies; the control group was treated with simple drugs; and the research type was a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The primary outcomes were treatment effectiveness and estradiol and progesterone levels. Secondary outcomes were breast lump size and visual analog scale (VAS) score of breast pain. Exclusion criteria were studies unrelated to MGH, incorrect study populations, control measures or interventions, incomplete data, non-RCTs, case reports, and animal experiments. Cochrane tools were used to assess the risk of bias. The R software (x64 version 4.2.1), Review Manager 5.3 software and STATA 16.0 software were used for data analysis. Results: Following a rigorous screening process, data extraction, and quality assessment, 48 eligible RCTs encompassing 4,500 patients with MGH and 16 interventions were included. The results indicated that acupuncture, alone or in combination with traditional Chinese or Western medicine, had better therapeutic effects than conventional therapy. In terms of effectiveness, warm needle acupuncture was the best choice (94.6%). Bloodletting pricking was the most effective method (85.7%) for lowering progesterone levels. Bloodletting pricking was the most effective method (98.3%) for lowering estradiol levels. Manual acupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine was the most effective (74.5%) treatment to improve the size of the breast lump. Warm needle acupuncture was the most effective (69.8%) in improving the VAS score. Conclusion: Acupuncture therapy was more effective in treating MGH than drug therapy alone, and warm needle acupuncture and bloodletting pricking were the two best options. However, larger sample sizes and high-quality RCTs are required.

Popularity of Traditional Chinese Medicine Use Among Breast Cancer Patients in North China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in breast cancer treatment is controversial. The aim of this study is to explore the popularity of TCM among the breast cancer patients who have been treated with Western medicine (WM) in north China. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted. We consecutively recruited 691 breast cancer patients who were diagnosed in Shanxi Bethune Hospital between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2020 and completed follow-up between June and August 2022. A self-designed questionnaire was used for data collection. Participants were asked about TCM use by phone. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed as appropriate. Results: At median follow-up of 41 months (range, 17-61 months), 326 (47.2%) participants used TCM. The results of multivariate logistic regression showed that residential area, education, annual income per capita, experienced TCM treatment before, stage of diagnosis, and trust in TCM were independent predictors of TCM use. The detail of TCM use and the reason for non-TCM use were presented comprehensively. Conclusion: The use of TCM was prevalent among breast cancer patients treated with WM in north China. If WM physician encourage the patients with higher intention to use TCM and provide them with appropriate advices, the quality of life of patients will be further improved through integrating TCM into standard adjuvant therapy.

Yi-Qi-Jian-Pi formula inhibits hepatocyte pyroptosis through the IDH2-driven tricarboxylic acid cycle to reduce liver injury in acute-on-chronic liver failure.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Yi-Qi-Jian-Pi formula (YQJPF) is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound used to treat acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in China, but its specific mechanism of action has not been fully clarified. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of YQJPF on liver injury and hepatocyte pyroptosis in rats and further explore its molecular mechanism of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study established carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and D-galactose (D-Gal)-induced in vivo models of ACLF in rats and in vitro LPS-induced hepatocyte injury models. Animal experiments were divided into the following groups: control, ACLF model, groups with different doses of YQJPF (5.4, 10.8, and 21.6 g/kg), and western medicine (methylprednisolone). There were 7 rats in the control group and 11 in the other groups. Serological, immunohistochemical, and pathological analyses were used to observe the effect of YQJPF on the liver of ACLF rats. The protective effect of YQJPF on hepatocytes was further verified by RT-qPCR, western blotting, flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and other methods. RESULTS: YQJPF significantly improved liver injury in vivo and in vitro, which depended on the regulation of hepatocyte NLRP3/GSDMD-induced pyroptosis. In addition, we found that mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production decreased after LPS treatment of hepatocytes, which suggested that YQJPF may improve mitochondrial energy metabolism disorders in hepatocytes. We administered a hepatocyte mitochondrial uncoupling agent, FCCP, to determine whether mitochondrial metabolic disorders affected cell pyroptosis. The results showed that the expression of IL-18, IL-1ß, and NLRP3 proteins increased significantly, indicating that the effect of this drug on hepatocyte pyroptosis may be related to mitochondrial metabolism disorders. We found that YQJPF significantly restored the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle rate-limiting enzyme activity and affected the content of TCA metabolites. Furthermore, we revealed that the IDH2 gene, which plays a unique role in ACLF, is a key factor in the regulation of the mitochondrial TCA cycle and can be upregulated under the action of YQJPF. CONCLUSIONS: YQJPF can inhibit classical pyroptosis in hepatocytes by regulating TCA cycle metabolism, thus alleviating liver injury, and IDH2 may be a potential upstream regulatory target of YQJPF.

[Effects of staged acupuncture on endometrial receptivity and anxiety in patients with recurrent implantation failure of thin endometrium based on "thoroughfare vessel is the sea of blood" theory].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy between staged acupuncture based on "thoroughfare vessel is the sea of blood" theory combined with routine hormone replacement cycle treatment and routine hormone replacement cycle treatment for patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) of thin endometrium. METHODS: A total of 72 RIF patients with thin endometrium were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 36 cases in each group. The patients in the control group were treated with routine hormone replacement cycle treatment. Based on the treatment of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with staged acupuncture based on "thoroughfare vessel is the sea of blood" theory. The main acupoints were Neiguan (PC 6) and Gongsun (SP 4), and the supplementary acupoints were selected according to the menstrual cycle and syndrome differentiation; the acupuncture was given once every other day, 3 times a week, for 3 consecutive menstrual cycles. The thickness and shape of endometrium, and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) score were observed at implantation window before and after treatment; the clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate and cycle cancellation rate were compared between the two groups; the correlation between endometrial thickness and HAMA score was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the endometrial thickness in the two groups and the proportion of type A+B endometrium in the observation group were increased (P<0.05), and the HAMA scores in the two groups were decreased (P<0.05) after treatment. The above indexes in the observation group were superior to those in the control group (P<0.05). The clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the cycle cancellation rate was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between endometrial thickness and HAMA score (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the routine hormone replacement cycle treatment, the addition use of staged acupuncture based on "thoroughfare vessel is the sea of blood" theory could improve the thickness and shape of endometrium, relieve anxiety, increase the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate, and reduce the cycle cancellation rate in RIF patients with thin endometrium. The curative effect is superior to the routine hormone replacement cycle treatment alone.

Yi-Qi-Jian-Pi formula ameliorates immune function in acute-on-chronic liver failure by upregulating autophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis in CD8+ T lymphocytes.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: A key event in the pathogenesis of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is the imbalance in the systemic immune response; immunosuppression in patients with ACLF contributes to poor prognosis. The Yi-Qi-Jian-Pi formula (YQJPF) may improve T lymphocyte immune function in patients with ACLF. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the immune mechanism of YQJPF in vivo and in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ACLF rat model was established by injection of CCl4, lipopolysaccharide, and D-galactosamine. We examined the effect of different doses of YQJPF (6.43, 12.87, 25.74 g/kg) on liver injury and immune function in the ACLF rat model. Magnetic-activated cell sorting was used to sort the CD8+ T lymphocytes in the spleen for lymphocyte function detection. In primary CD8+ T lymphocytes and Jurkat cell lines, the expression of mitochondrial function and biogenesis and autophagy related markers were detected using molecular biological methods and flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: YQJPF improved the peripheral blood lymphocyte count and proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes in ACLF rats, increased pro-inflammatory factors (IL-2, IFN-λ, and TNF-α), and reduced anti-inflammatory factors (IL-10 and TGF ß1). YQJPF also improved metabolism and mitochondrial homeostasis in CD8+ T lymphocytes, alleviated lymphocyte immune dysfunction by promoting autophagy, upregulated mitochondrial biogenesis by promoting PGC-1α, NRF-1, and TFAM expression, and regulated the relationship between autophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis via PGC-1α. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that YQJPF could improve immune function in a rat model of ACLF, possibly via affecting the homeostasis of lymphatic mitochondria in CD8+ T lymphocytes. YQJPF may enhance lymphocyte mitochondrial biosynthesis and promote lymphocyte autophagy. PGC-1α is a possible upstream regulatory target of YQJPF.

Postoperative Adjuvant Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy With FOLFOX in Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Microvascular Invasion: A Multicenter, Phase III, Randomized Study.

PURPOSE: To report the efficacy and safety of postoperative adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) with 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with microvascular invasion (MVI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this randomized, open-label, multicenter trial, histologically confirmed HCC patients with MVI were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive adjuvant FOLFOX-HAIC (treatment group) or routine follow-up (control group). The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS) by intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis while secondary end points were overall survival, recurrence rate, and safety. RESULTS: Between June 2016 and August 2021, a total of 315 patients (ITT population) at five centers were randomly assigned to the treatment group (n = 157) or the control group (n = 158). In the ITT population, the median DFS was 20.3 months (95% CI, 10.4 to 30.3) in the treatment group versus 10.0 months (95% CI, 6.8 to 13.2) in the control group (hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.81; P = .001). The overall survival rates at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years were 93.8% (95% CI, 89.8 to 98.1), 86.4% (95% CI, 80.0 to 93.2), and 80.4% (95% CI, 71.9 to 89.9) for the treatment group and 92.0% (95% CI, 87.6 to 96.7), 86.0% (95% CI, 79.9 to 92.6), and 74.9% (95% CI, 65.5 to 85.7) for the control group (hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.36 to 1.14; P = .130), respectively. The recurrence rates were 40.1% (63/157) in the treatment group and 55.7% (88/158) in the control group. Majority of the adverse events were grade 0-1 (83.8%), with no treatment-related death in both groups. CONCLUSION: Postoperative adjuvant HAIC with FOLFOX significantly improved the DFS benefits with acceptable toxicities in HCC patients with MVI.

Overall adjustment acupuncture improves osteoporosis and exerts an endocrine-modulating effect in ovariectomized rats.

Background: Acupuncture is a widely practiced, convenient, and safe treatment modality within complementary and integrative medicine. Increasing studies have revealed the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of osteoporosis in both human and non-human subjects. The aim of the present study was to assess the improvement of osteoporosis after overall adjustment acupuncture (OA) as well as its endocrine-modulating effect in an ovariectomized rat model. Methods: In total, 32 female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the sham, model, ovariectomy+estrogen (OVX+E), and OVX+OA (OVX+A) groups with eight rats in each group. The postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) rat model was induced by bilateral ovariectomy. At 12 weeks after surgery, rats in the OVX+E group received estradiol (0.2 mg/kg/i.g./qod) for 12 weeks, and rats in the OVX+A group were treated with acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36), Shenshu (BL23), and Dazhu (BL11) points (qod) for 12 weeks. At the end of the treatment, all rats were sacrificed, and the body weight, uterus index, bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), bone trabeculae structural parameters, femoral biomechanical properties, femoral histomorphology, and several hormone levels were examined. Results: In OVX rats, OA abrogated the body weight gain and improved osteoporosis in terms of BMD, BMC, bone trabeculae structural parameters, bone strength, and bone tissue histomorphology. Moreover, OA modulated the serum levels of estradiol, corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and corticosterone (CORT). Conclusions: OA improves osteoporosis and exerts an endocrine-modulating effect in ovariectomized rats.

[Investigation and analysis of imported medicinal materials at Chinese border ports].

Imported medicinal materials are an important part of Chinese medicinal resources. To be specific, about 10% of the around 600 commonly used Chinese medicinal materials are from abroad, and the introduction of foreign medicinal materials has promoted the development of Chinese medicine. Amid the advancement of reform and opening up and the "Belt and Road" Initiative, major headway has been made in the cross-border trade in China, bringing opportunities for the import of medicinal materials from border ports. However, for a long time, there is a lack of systematic investigation on the types of exotic medicinal materials at border ports. In the fourth national census of traditional Chinese medicine resources, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, together with several organizations, investigated the nearly 40 border ports, Chinese medicinal material markets, and border trade markets in 6 provinces/autonomous regions in China for the first time and recorded the types, sources, circulation, and the transaction characteristics of imported medicinal materials. Moreover, they invited experts to identify the origins of the collected 237 medicinal materials. In addition, the status quo and the problems of the medicinal materials were summarized. This study is expected to lay a basis for clarifying the market and origins of imported medicinal materials as well as the scientific research on and supervision of them.

Profitability and risk-return comparison across health care industries, evidence from publicly traded companies 2010-2019.

We conducted the first profitability comparison study across health care industries in the United States, using the DuPont Analysis framework. The combination of Return on Equity (ROE) and ROE volatility was used to provide a comprehensive "risk-return" approach for profitability comparison. Based on the 2010-2019 financial disclosures of 1,231 publicly traded health care companies in the U.S. that reported positive assets and equity, we estimated the industry-specific fixed effects on ROE and its three components-profit margin, asset utilization, and financial leverage-for ten industries in the health care sector, classified by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). For each industry, we also estimated its fixed effects on ROE volatility. We found that the pharmaceuticals industry and biotechnology industry have lower ROE-mainly driven by their relatively low profit margin and low assets utilization-and higher ROE volatility than other health care industries. We also found that the health care facilities industry relies most on debt financing. This study demonstrates a holistic approach for profitability comparison across industries.

Acupuncture Inhibits Morphine Induced-Immune Suppress via Antioxidant System.

Objectives: A powerful analgesic called Morphine causes addiction behaviors and immune suppression as a potential oxidative stressor. Acupuncture showed to inhibit oxidative stress-induced hepatic damage, regulate reactive oxygen species, and attenuate morphine addiction behaviors. Therefore, we investigated the potential effects of acupuncture on morphine-induced immune suppression. Materials and Methods: Rats received morphine intravenously through implanted catheters for 3, 7, or 21 days to determine the optimal condition for morphine-induced immune suppression. Second, we examined whether intravenous (iv.) or intraperitoneal (ip.) administration produced different results. Third, the effects of acupuncture in rats who received morphine for 21 days were investigated. Spleen and submandibular lymph node (S-LN) weights and natural killer (NK) cell activity were measured, and the white pulp diameter, total and cortical spleen thicknesses, and the number of lymphoid follicles in S-LNs were examined. The number of immunoreactive cells was also measured. Results: Decreased organ weights and increased atrophic changes were observed as morphine-induced immune suppression. However, dose-dependent increased immune suppression was not observed between 5.0 mg/kg and 10.0 mg/kg of morphine. And, 3-day withdrawal did not affect. Similar histopathological findings were observed in 5.0 and 10.0 ip. rats when compared to equal dosages of iv., respectively. The morphine induced-immune suppression evidenced by spleen and left S-LN weights, splenic NK cell activities, histopathological findings, and the immunoreactive cell number were normalized by acupuncture. Conclusion: These results indicate that acupuncture inhibits morphine-induced immune suppression, maybe via antioxidative action.

Potential Use of Anti-Cancer Drugs for Treatment of Preeclampsia by Targeting the miRNA-IGF1R-PI3K-AKT Axis.

Aim: Preeclampsia (PE) belongs to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), which can cause maternal death worldwide. This study aimed to identify the miRNA-mRNA-associated ceRNA network and to find new treatment schedules for PE. Methods: 4 microarray datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. We obtained 1737 differentially expressed mRNAs (865 upregulated and 872 downregulated) and 148 differentially expressed miRNAs (76 upregulated and 72 downregulated) from the placenta tissues of PE, respectively. Functional enrichment analyses of DEmRNAs were performed. The regulatory relationship between DEmiRNAs and DEmRNA was predicted via related databases. An miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed. Results: hsa-let-7c and IGF1R were identified as potential regulators for PE, and function enrichment analysis showed that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway was closely related. Therefore, ceRNAs might regulate the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway via the upregulation of IGF1R by binding to hsa-let-7c, affecting invasion of trophoblast, angiogenesis, and proinflammation in PE. Further study demonstrated that anticancer drugs including the PI3K inhibitor, AKT inhibitor, and IGF-1 inhibitor might be a potential solution for PE treatment. Conclusions: The hsa-let-7c/IGF1R axis might affect the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway which is involved in the pathogenesis of PE, and inhibitors targeting this pathway might be used for PE treatment.

Preventive Electroacupuncture Alleviates Oxidative Stress and Inflammation via Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway in Rats with Cyclophosphamide-Induced Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is a popular therapeutic therapy for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). However, little has been known about the underlying processes of EA therapy. To investigate the benefit of EA and reveal the mechanism, thirty SD female rats were allocated into the control, model, sham, EA, and GnRHa groups at random. Vaginal smears were used to monitor the rats' estrous cycle. Serum liver and renal function (ALT, AST, BUN, and Cr), sex hormone (FSH, E2, and AMH), oxidative stress markers (SOD, GSH, and MDA), and inflammatory cytokine (IL6, IL1ß, and TNFα) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Their ovary morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Transmission electron microscope was used to remark the ultrastructure of the granulocytes. Protein and gene expressions of Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway were detected by western blot and RT-PCR. Compared with the model group, in the EA group, the levels of serum sex hormones recovered to normal levels. Moreover, it reduced oxidative stress in rats, as demonstrated by increased SOD and GSH levels and decreased MDA levels. Meanwhile, Keap1 mRNA and protein expression dropped considerably in the EA group, while the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 increased. We found that preventive EA might rescue rats with CTX-induced ovarian dysfunction. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidative stress properties of EA, which elevated the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, might be the underlying mechanism. Furthermore, as compared to GnRHa, electroacupuncture did not raise the burden of the liver (ALT and AST) or the kidney (BUN and Cr). Electroacupuncture has a meaningful impact and a sufficient level of safety, making it useful for therapeutic setting in POI.

Sequencing and comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes of three medicinal plants: Gentiana manshurica, G. scabra and G. triflora.

Three species of Gentiana (Gentiana manshurica kitag., Gentiana scabra bunge., and Gentiana triflora pall.) were the main source for an important traditional Chinese medicine, "Longdan", which was first mentioned in " Shennong materia medica Sutra " 2000 years ago. Until recently, there were very few reports on taxonomic classification of these three traditional medicinal Gentiana species. In the current study, chloroplast genomes of the three Gentiana species were sequenced and the phylogenetic analyses were performed in combination with 31 NCBI downloaded Gentiana species sequences and two species of Swertia as outgroup. Based on the phylogenetic results, a new taxonomic classification for Gentiana was proposed, including 4 independent clades with 6 subdivisions (Group 1-Group 6). All the general features, SSR characteristics and gene composition of Gentiana chloroplast genomes strongly supported such a new classification system for Gentiana, which could lay a theoretical foundation for Gentiana in the molecular evolutionary research. Finally, phylogenetic analyisis also demonstrated that the three examined species from Gentiana could cluster together into one group (Group 6), which was far away from the evolutionary position of the medicinal species, Gentiana rigescens Franch, which was consistent with the traditional classification in traditional medicinal uses and taxonomy. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01217-0.

Acupuncture Improves Endometrial Angiogenesis by Activating PI3K/AKT Pathway in a Rat Model with PCOS.

Background: Acupuncture, a treatment derived from traditional Chinese medicine, can effectively relieve the symptoms and improve pregnancy outcome in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); however, its mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed at investigating whether acupuncture could improve endometrial angiogenesis and thus endometrial receptivity via activating PI3K/AKT pathway in PCOS rats. Methods: We established a rat model with PCOS, which was induced by DHEA. Acupuncture was performed every other day for 15 days, and the PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) was intraperitoneal injected 30 mins before acupuncture treatment. Females rats were mated with male SPF SD rats in a ratio of 2 : 1 after treatment and sacrificed on the 5th day when the vaginal plug was identified. The number of implantation sites was observed, followed by ovarian and endometrial morphology detected with hematoxylin-eosin staining and a scanning electron microscope, estrous cycle detected with vaginal smear analysis, and sex hormones and angiogenesis-related PI3K/AKT gene/protein expression detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, immune histochemistry, and quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Acupuncture notably improved implantation sites' number, endometrial receptivity factors including endometrial morphology, pinopodes, HOX-10, and LIF protein expression, as well as angiogenesis and PI3K/AKT pathway factors such as VEGF, VEGFR2, Ang-1, PI3K, AKT, and P-AKT gene/protein expression and the level of eNOS and NO in the endometrium of rats with PCOS; PCOS-like symptoms were alleviated as well. The efficacy of acupuncture on a rat model with PCOS was counteracted by the combination with the PI3K inhibitor. Conclusion: Acupuncture improves endometrial angiogenesis by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway, thus promoting endometrial receptivity and the number of implantation sites in rats with PCOS.

Exploration of the Effect and Potential Mechanism of Echinacoside Against Endometrial Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology and in vitro Experimental Verification.

Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological malignancies, especially in postmenopausal women. Echinacoside (ECH) is a major natural bioactive ingredient derived from Cistanches Herba and Echinacea that has a variety of pharmacological effects. However, the efficacy and the mechanism of ECH against EC have not been elucidated yet. Purpose: A compound-target-disease network was constructed to explore the potential targets and mechanism of ECH against EC. Molecular docking and in vitro experiments further verified the effect of ECH against EC. Methods: The potential targets of ECH against EC were retrieved from multiple public databases. Then, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to screen hub targets. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed to discover the potential mechanism. Molecular docking was utilized to verify the binding affinity between hub targets and ECH. Finally, in vitro experiments were conducted to demonstrate the anti-EC effect of ECH. Results: A total of 110 genes were identified as potential targets of ECH against EC. The GO enrichment analysis found that targets were primarily related to oxygen species, apoptosis, and other physiological processes. KEGG pathway analysis showed that PI3K/Akt signaling pathways might play an important role in ECH against EC. Molecular docking indicated that ECH had a significant binding ability with the EGFR, AKT1, ESR1, CASP3, HSP90AA1and MMP9 targets. Results from in vitro experiments revealed that ECH induced apoptosis of Ishikawa and HEC-1-B cells by promoting the arrest of the G2M phase, increasing ROS levels, and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) levels. Furthermore, treatment of ECH significantly reduced the expression levels of PI3K and p-AKT, and the combination of the PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) further enhanced the effects of ECH against EC. The findings suggested that ECH exerted an inhibitory effect on EC cells by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway. Conclusion: Based on network pharmacology, molecular docking technology and in vitro experiments, we comprehensively clarified the anti-EC efficacy of ECH through multiple targets and signal pathways. Furthermore, we provided a novel idea of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) against EC.

[Comparison of chloroplast genomes of medicinal plants in Aristolochiaceae].

In this study, the chloroplast genome of Asarum sieboldii f. seoulense was sequenced, analyzed, and compared with chloroplast genomes of other medicinal plants in Aristolochiaceae downloaded from GenBank, aiming to clarify the characteristics of the chloroplast genome of A. sieboldii f. seoulense and the differences in chloroplast genome among medicinal plants of Aristolochiaceae. To be specific, the chloroplast genome of A. sieboldii f. seoulense was sequenced and assembled by high-throughput sequencing, and the general characteristics, repeats, inverted repeat(IR) boundary, and phylogenetic relationship of the chloroplast genomes of 11 medicinal species in Aristolochiaceae were analyzed with REPuter. The result showed that the genome of A. sieboldii f. seoulense was 167 293 bp, with large single-copy(LSC) region of 89 840 bp, small single-copy(SSC) region of 21 415 bp, IR region of 28 019 bp, and GC content of 37.9%. A total of 133 genes were annotated, including 89 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. The chloroplast genomes of the 11 medicinal species were 159 308-167 293 bp, with 130-134 genes annotated. Forward(F), reverse(R), complement(C), and palindromic(P) long repeats and simple sequence repeat(SSR) were found in the chloroplast genomes of five species. Among them, A. sieboldii f. seoulense had six types of SSR. In the phylogenetic tree, A. sieboldii f. seoulense and A. heterotropoides were in the same clade. The result is expected to lay a basis for the classification, identification, and phylogeny of medicinal plants in Aristolochiaceae.

Effect of Acupoint Embedding on Serum Leptin and Hypothalamus Leptin Receptor Expression in Rats with Simple Obesity.

BACKGROUND: Acupoint embedding treatment on obesity has been applied in clinical practice for many years and has achieved obvious efficacy. However, animal experimental studies on acupoint embedding are relatively few, and its mechanism remains unclear. METHODS: We established a simple obese rat model using a high-fat diet for 8 weeks. Acupoint embedding therapy was performed once a week for 4 weeks. After the treatment, serum leptin, triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were detected by radioimmunoassay, HE staining was used for fat morphology analysis, and immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of leptin receptor in hypothalamus. RESULTS: Compared with model group, acupoint embedding treatment can reduce body weight and Lee's index, reduce serum leptin, TG, TC, and LDL level, increase HDL level, change the morphology and number of adipocytes, and increase the expression of leptin receptor in hypothalamus. CONCLUSION: Acupoint embedding therapy can reduce the level of leptin in blood, increase the number of leptin receptors in hypothalamus, enhance the biological effect of leptin, alleviate the leptin resistance in obese body, change the shape of fat, and regulate the level of blood lipid, so as to achieve the goal of weight loss.

Acupuncture treatment on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavioral disorder in childhood. Acupuncture treatment of ADHD has formed a relatively systematic theoretical and clinical treatment system which achieved satisfactory results. However, there has been no systematic evaluation of its effectiveness and safety. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of ADHD. METHODS: A systematic search of literature will be conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, Excerpt Medica Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, VIP, Wanfang database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database for articles published up to September, 2019. The searching terms include "attention deficit", "hyperactivity", "mild brain dysfunction", "acupuncture", "electroacupuncture". The search is limited to studies published in Chinese and English. Two reviewers will extract and evaluate the information independently. Cochrane Collaboration tool and Jadad scale will be used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Review Manager Version 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration's software) will be used to carry out the meta-analysis. RESULTS: High-quality synthesis and/or descriptive analysis of current evidence will be provided from effective rate, total score of traditional Chinese medicines syndromes, conners child hyperactivity-diagnosis rating scale, conners index of hyperactivity, the recurrence rate, and adverse events. CONCLUSION: This study will provide the evidence of whether acupuncture is an effective and safe intervention to ADHD. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202140022.

Research progress regarding potential effects of traditional Chinese medicine on postoperative intestinal obstruction.

OBJECTIVES: Postoperative intestinal obstruction is a common postoperative complication with typical symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, abdominal distension and constipation. The principal aim of this paper is to provide a full-scale review on the categories and characteristics of postoperative intestinal obstruction, pathophysiology, effects and detailed mechanisms of compounds and monomers from traditional Chinese medicine for treating postoperative intestinal obstruction. Moreover, the possible development and perspectives for future research are also analyzed. METHODS: Literature regarding postoperative intestinal obstruction as well as the anti-pio effect of aqueous extracts and monomers from traditional Chinese medicine in the last 20 years was summarized. KEY FINDINGS: To date, approximately 30 compounds and 25 monomers isolated from traditional Chinese medicine including terpenes, alkaloids, polysaccharides, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids and quinones, have exerted significant antipio effect. This paper reviews the effective doses, models, detailed mechanisms, and composition of these traditional Chinese medicine compounds, as well as the structure of these monomers. Moreover, challenges existed in the current investigation and further perspectives were discussed as well, hoping to provide a reference for future clinical treatment of postoperative intestinal obstruction and the development of new drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Above all, the convincing evidence from modern pharmacology studies powerfully supported the great potential of traditional Chinese medicine in the management of postoperative intestinal obstruction. Regrettably, less attention was currently paid on the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine compounds and monomers with antipio effect. Consequently, future study should focus on monomer-mechanism and structure-function relationship.