The effectiveness of fire needle therapy in the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is common in clinical practice and imposes both physical and psychological distress on patients. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of fire needle therapy for the treatment of RAS, providing a basis for clinical decision-making. METHODS: Eight databases, in both Chinese and English, were searched from their inception until December 2022. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that utilized fire needle therapy, either alone or combined with other treatments for RAS, were considered. Data evaluation and extraction were conducted independently by 2 authors. RESULTS: The revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Version 2 tool was employed to assess the risk of bias in the included RCTs. A meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 15.0. Nine RCTs involving 1469 patients were selected for inclusion. The meta-analysis revealed that, compared to a non-fire-needle control group (primarily utilizing vitamin and transfer factor treatments), fire needle therapy for RAS significantly improved the total effective rate (relative risk = 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.14, 1.36], P < .00001), reduced the visual analogue scale score (mean difference = -1.68, 95% CI [-1.82, -1.53], P < .0001), diminished the Traditional Chinese Medicine symptom score (standardized mean difference = -1.20, 95% CI [-1.76, -0.65], P < .0001), and shortened the healing time (mean difference = -1.66, 95% CI [-2.73, -0.59], P = .002). Notably, there was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between the groups (relative risk = -0.18, 95% CI [-0.36, 0.01], P = .06). Further subgroup analysis on total efficacy rate was performed based on variables such as experimental group intervention, control group intervention, and duration of therapy to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: Fire needle therapy appears to be a clinically effective treatment for RAS, offering benefits such as pain alleviation, symptom improvement based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine parameters, and faster recovery. Nonetheless, the overall quality of the RCTs available raises concerns. Future research, involving high-quality RCTs, is essential to confirm the clinical efficacy and safety of this treatment. Registration number: PROSPERO (CRD42023387973).

Sophora flavescens-Angelica sinensis in the treatment of eczema by inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sophora flavescens Ait.-Angelica sinensis(Oliv.) Diels drug pairing (SA) is a transformed drug pairing from Shengui pill, a traditional Chinese medicine prescription in the ninth volume of Traditional Chinese Medicine classic "Gu Jin Yi Jian", which is famous for clearing heat, moistening dryness, and promoting blood circulation. It is commonly used in the treatment of eczema, a skin condition that causes itching and inflammation. Despite its widespread use, there is still limited research on the mechanism of how SA treats eczema. This paper aims to fill this gap by conducting animal experiments to uncover the mechanism behind SA's therapeutic effects on eczema. Our findings provide a solid foundation for the clinical use of this TCM prescription. AIM OF THE STUDY: The basic purpose of this study is to clarify the therapeutic mechanism of Sophora flavescens-Angelica sinensis (SA) in the treatment and control of eczema. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chemical compositions of SA were analyzed using HPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS. In vivo, a mouse model of eczema was created, and the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to assess the pathological state of the mouse skin, and immunohistochemical technique (IHC) was employed to estimate the contents of TNF-α, TLR4, and NF-κB semi-quantitatively. The expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB mRNA were determined through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western Blotting was utilized to identify the protein levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in mouse skin tissue. RESULTS: SA identified 18 active chemicals, some of which were shown in vivo to inhibit the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway while reducing serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß, making them ideal agents for the treatment of eczema. CONCLUSIONS: SA's anti-inflammatory properties are attributed to its ability to reduce serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß, likewise inhibit the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Predisposing Factors for Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Despite the rising incidence rate of granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM), uncertainties persist about its etiologic and predisposing factors to guide clinical treatment and early prevention. The objective of this study is to explore the predisposing factors for GLM. Patients and methods: This case-control study was conducted from 2018 to 2021 at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University. Patients with GLM (cases) were matched with healthy examinees (controls) in a 1:1 ratio according to gender and living area. We analyzed their demographic features and investigated 75 factors that may be relevant to GLM using a standard questionnaire. Univariate and multivariable binary conditional logistic regression analyses were used to compare the differences between the two groups and evaluate the predisposing factors that may induce GLM. Results: There were 594 female GLM patients and 594 matched controls included in the study. The average age of the cases was 32.78 years (mainly 20 to 40). The incidence was high within five years after childbirth, and lesions were mainly in the unilateral breast. Univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses obtained six relevant factors and six high-risk factors. The six relevant factors included age, marriage, emotional abnormality, high prolactin, psychiatric drug intake, and sex hormone intake. Additionally, the independent high-risk factors for GLM included gestation, nipple invagination, blunt trauma, non-iatrogenic massage, lactation disorder, and nipple discharge (odds ratio (OR)=17.378, 8.518, 4.887, 3.116, 2.522, 1.685, P<0.05). Menopause was an independent protective factor (OR=0.249, P<0.05). Conclusion: The factors that increase milk and secretion production in the mammary duct are the main risk factors of GLM, especially when the nipples are invaginated. These factors can obstruct the duct and induce inflammation. Additionally, hormonal disorders, extrinsic trauma, and emotional abnormalities can accelerate the occurrence of GLM.

Electro-acupuncture for health-related quality of life and symptoms in patients with gastric cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy (EAGER): a protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with local gastric cancer experience a decline of Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during adjuvant chemotherapy following gastrectomy. Our previous pilot study has indicated the potential of acupuncture to improve HRQOL and control cancer-related symptoms burden. This full-scale trial will focus on confirming the effect of acupuncture for patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: A multicenter, open-label, three-arm randomized controlled trial with 249 patients will be conducted in China. Patients will be randomly assigned, in a ratio of 1:1:1, to receive high-dose acupuncture (HA, 7 times each chemo-cycle for 3 cycles), low-dose acupuncture (LA, 3 times each chemo-cycle for 3 cycles), or no acupuncture. The acupoints prescription consisted of bilateral ST36, PC6, SP4, DU20, EX-HN3, and selected Back-shu points. Patients-reported Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Gastric (FACT-Ga) and modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (mESAS) during the therapy will be recorded. Area under curve (AUC, 21 days/cycle × 3 cycles) and average trajectory of FACT-Ga and mESAS will be calculated. The primary outcome will be the differences in AUC of the FACT-Ga Trial Outcome Index (TOI) between HA and LA versus control groups. Secondary outcomes include AUCs and average trajectory of other FACT-Ga subscales and mESAS scores. DISCUSSION: This study aims to assess the effect of acupuncture and to compare the difference between LA and HA groups on HRQOL and symptom burden controlling in gastric cancer patients by an adequately powered trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval number: BF2018-118) with registration at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04360577).

Antibacterial-renew dual-function anti-biofouling strategy: Self-assembled Schiff-base metal complex coatings built from natural products.

Marine biological fouling has caused huge economic losses and environmental problems. Therefore, it was essential to develop effectively environment-friendly biofouling resistance technology. Here, inspired by the natural module of bacterial secretions, animal and plant extracts, we synthesized Schiff based compounds through Tobramycin (TOB) from Streptomyces and Protocatechualdehyde (PR) from black fern. Furthermore, a dynamic self-renewal Schiff based metal composite coating- (Fe/TOB-PR)n was prepared via layer by layer self-assembly (LBL) method. It was proved to be a versatile coating, which could adhere to different types of substrates. Hydrolytic degradation tests showed that the degradation of the (Fe/TOB-PR)20 coating was regular and controlled. Moreover, compared with the blank glass substrate, the antibacterial rate of (Fe/TOB-PR)20 reached 97 % after 24 h, and the test further shows that the durability of the antibacterial performance benefits from the greater coating thickness. Such coatings displayed excellent anti-bacteria and anti-algae adhesion properties which was attributed to the renewal of the surface and the generation of antibacterial substance (TOB) in the coating. Further, the coating eventually degraded to natural micromolecule monomer, avoiding the occurrence of microplastics. It provides research ideas for fabricating environment-friendly anti-biofouling coatings.

Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Leukopenia is one of most common types of myelosuppression secondary to chemotherapy. The main methods used to treat leukopenia after chemotherapy have various limitations. Several studies have reported the role of acupuncture in the prevention and treatment of leukopenia, but the quality of the study is uneven. Here, we used a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of leukopenia after chemotherapy. METHODS: We searched the databases of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the Cochrane Library, Medline (via PubMed), EMBASE (via embase.com), the China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), the Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database) and the Wanfang database to collect randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on acupuncture in the treatment of leukopenia after chemotherapy. Cochrane systematic reviewer manual 5.2 was used for bias risk assessment. RevMan5.3 statistical software was applied for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Fifteen RCTs were included in this study, with a total of 1130 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that acupuncture can increase white blood cell (WBC) count after chemotherapy [MD = 1.18, 95% CI (0.80, 1.57), P < .00001], reduce the incidence of myelosuppression [RR = 0.38, 95% CI (0.23, 0.63), P = .0002], and improve the clinical treatment effectiveness [RR = 1.20, 95% CI (1.00, 1.43), P = .05]. The differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to use acupuncture in the treatment of leukocytopenia after chemotherapy, but this result needs further research for verification.

Bisphosphates for Osteoporosis: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Most Cited Articles.

Osteoporosis has become a major public health problem and bisphosphates treatment for osteoporosis is a rapidly developing research field. Every year, plenty of studies devoted to the treatment of osteoporosis are published, giving clinicians a new perspective on bisphosphates treatment for osteoporosis. However, the quality of the scientific papers in this area is unclear. The aim of the present study was to characterize the 100 top-cited articles regarding bisphosphates treatment for osteoporosis. This analysis provides an accessible list for practitioners of endocrinology, pharmacy, epidemiology, imaging, surgery, and scientific research to identify the most frequently cited literature and better understand the future direction.

Chemical diversity, biological activities and Traditional uses of and important Chinese herb Sophora.

BACKGROUND: Sophora flavescens Aiton (SF), also known as Kushen (Chinese:), has been an important species in Chinese medicine since the Qin and Han dynasties. It is also recognized as a plant resource suitable for the globalization of Chinese medicine. Traditionally, it has been used in various ethnic medical systems in East Asia, especially in China, to kill insects and dispel dampness. Sophora flavescens is commonly used for clearing heat-clearing, killing worms, and diuretic. Nowdays, accumulating studies demonstrated its anticancer and cardioprotection. OBJECTIVE OF THE REVIEW: This paper aims to systematically review information on the genus, pharmacological and toxicological significance, chemical composition and biological activity of Sophora flavescens. To promoting its development and application. To summarize recent findings regarding to the metabolism, pharmacological/toxicological effects of Sophora flavescens. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Online academic databases (including PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science and CNKI) were searched using search terms of "Sophora flavescens Aiton", "Ku shen", "Pharmacology", "Active ingredient", "Toxicology" and combinations to include published studies of Sophora flavescens Aiton primarily from 1970-2021. Several critical previous studies beyond this period were also included and other related terms. CONCLUSION: Sophora flavescens has a broad spectrum of biological activities associated with Sophora flavescens has been considered a valuable resource in both traditional and modern medicine. However, there is a lack of in-depth studies on the medicinal uses of Sophora flavescens. Moreover, further studies on single chemical components should be conducted based on the diversity of chemical structures, significant biological activities and clinical applications. The discovery of its bioactive molecules and multi-component interactions would be of great importance for the clinical application of Sophora flavescens spp. Detailed pharmacological and toxicological studies on the classic prescriptions of Sophora flavescens are also needed. It is more beneficial to the wide application of SF plant and facilitates the worldwide promotion of modern Chinese medicine. However, an increasing number of reports indicate that the administration of Sophora flavescens has serious adverse effects. Its main toxic effects are neurotoxicity and acute toxicity, which have caused widespread concern worldwide. In addition, the alkaloids of Sophora flavescens are distributed in the heart, liver, stomach and large intestine. They are excreted from the body through gluconeogenesis, which is the mode of action of certain therapeutic mechanisms of action such as anticancer. The detailed metabolic study of alkaloids and other components of Sophora flavescens in vivo needs to be further investigated. It is important to improve the pharmacological effects and reduce the toxicity of Sophora flavescens. For this purpose, structural modification of active components of Sophora flavescens or combination with other drugs is very essential.

Immune Effect of Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancers are heterogeneous, poorly prognostic, and metastatic malignancies that result in a high risk of death for patients. Targeted therapy for triple-negative breast cancer has been extremely challenging due to the lack of expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Clinical treatment regimens for triple-negative breast cancer are often based on paclitaxel and platinum drugs, but drug resistance and side effects from the drugs frequently lead to treatment failure, thus requiring the development of new therapeutic platforms. In recent years, research on traditional Chinese medicine in modulating the immune function of the body has shown that it has the potential to be an effective treatment option against triple-negative breast cancer. Active components of herbal medicines such as alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, saponins, and polysaccharides have been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and metastasis by activating inflammatory immune responses and can modulate tumor-related signaling pathways to further inhibit the invasion of triple-negative breast cancer. This paper reviews the immunomodulatory mechanisms of different herbal active ingredients against triple-negative breast cancer and provides an outlook on the challenges and directions of development for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer with herbal active ingredients.

Determination of benzo[α]pyrene in edible oil using tetraoxocalix[2]arene[2]triazine bonded silica SPE sorbent.

Benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) is a well-known carcinogen in edible oil. In this study, a method combined solid-phase extraction (SPE) with fluorescent detection was developed using tetraoxocalix[2]arene[2]triazine sorbent (SiO2-OCA) for the clean-up and enrichment of BaP. The interaction between SiO2-OCA and BaP involves a donor-acceptor complex mechanism. The experimental procedure was as follows: BaP was extracted from edible oil with DMF/H2O (9:1, v/v). Then, the ratio of DMF/H2O was adjusted to 1:2 prior to SPE. The final concentrate was analysed using a fluorescence detector at excitation and emission wavelengths of 255 and 420 nm. The method was fully validated. The linearity was in the range of 0.1-100 µg kg-1 with a coefficient of 0.999. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.03 and 0.1 µg kg-1, respectively. The average recoveries were in the range of 88.0 - 122.3%. The intraday and interday precisions were 6.8% and 9.2%, respectively. Compared with other methods, the method reported in this article shows a good detection limit, high reproducibility and recovery and linearity over a broad concentration range. This established method was also applied to evaluate real samples. The concentration of six tested samples was below 5 µg kg-1.

Poly(ionic liquid) immobilized magnetic nanoparticles as new adsorbent for extraction and enrichment of organophosphorus pesticides from tea drinks.

New poly(ionic liquid) immobilized magnetic nanoparticles (PIL-MNPs) were synthesized via co-polymerization of 1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium-based ionic liquid and vinyl-modified magnetic particles and were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements. The PIL-MNPs were utilized as adsorbent phases in magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). The extraction and enrichment efficiency were evaluated by using four organophosphorus pesticides (parathion, fenthion, phoxim and temephos) as test analytes. Various parameters, such as amount of adsorbent, adsorption time, desorption solvent and time, and ionic strength were investigated. The proposed method showed good linearity for the analytes in the concentration range of 1-200µgL(-1) with a correlation coefficient (R)>0.9963. Low limit of detection of 0.01µgL(-1) and high enrichment factors ranging from 84 to 161 were achieved. The proposed method has been successfully used to determine organophosphorus pesticides from three tea drink samples with satisfactory recovery of 81.4-112.6% and RSDs of 4.5-11.3%. The PIL-MNP adsorbent can be reused for 20 times without a noticeable decrease in extraction efficiency.

Patterned tailored hydrophobic films designed by synergy effect of electrochemical deposition and chemical deposition.

Patterned micro/nano structural hydrophobic Ni-P films were designed by the combination of electrochemical and chemical deposition. The formation mechanism is illustrated by the gradually changed morphology of the film. This work shows a new method for fabricating a patterned surface morphology with tailored hydrophobicity.

[Studies on causes of gynecology postoperative urinary retention and its acupuncture treatment].

Urinary retention is a frequent-encountered complication after gynaecological surgery. It affects the postoperative recovery and decreases the life quality of patients. In recent years, extensive researches on causes and treatments of postoperative urinary retention are carried out in clinic. And it is approved that acupuncture treatment, which includes body needling, moxibustion, combination of acupuncture and moxibustion, acupoint injection and medication plasters, has reliable effects and less side-effects. Acupuncture treatment on postoperative urinary retention keeps developing and innovating. And it is held to have better effect when compare with western medicine.

Chronic toxicity of ginsenoside Re on Sprague-Dawley rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ginseng has been widely used for hundreds of years in both China and other countries. It is well accepted that the pharmacological effects of ginseng are attributed to ginsenosides. Ginsenoside Re is one of the active ingredients in ginseng. The present study was carried out to characterize the toxicity of ginsenoside Re after repeated oral administration in Sprague-Dawley rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats (60 males, 60 females) were administrated ginsenoside Re orally in 0, 38, 113, or 375 mg/kg/day doses for 26 weeks (n=15/group each sex). Clinical signs, mortality, body weights, feed consumption, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, organ weights and histopathology were examined at the end of the test period, as well as after the 4-week recovery period. RESULTS: Ginsenoside Re did not induce death, adverse effects or dose-dependent changes in feed consumption, or body weight gain. Some statistically significant differences were observed in hematological and biochemical parameters, as well as in body weights of rats treated with ginsenoside Re. However, there was no abnormality of any organs noted in both gross and histopathological examinations. CONCLUSIONS: Ginsenoside Re is well tolerated up to a 375 mg/kg/day oral dosage level and non-toxic in both male and female rats.

Anti-tumour and immunomodulating activities of diosgenin, a naturally occurring steroidal saponin.

Diosgenin is a naturally occurring steroidal saponin abundantly present in many medical plants. In this study, diosgenin could significantly inhibit the growth of sarcoma-180 tumour cells in vivo, and remarkably increase thymus and spleen weights of S-180-bearing mice and upgrade the secretion level of TNF-α in serum. Moreover, diosgenin could stimulate lymphocyte transformation and enhance phagocytic capability of macrophages in vitro, and remarkably promoted the secretion of NO and TNF-α in macrophages. These results suggested that diosgenin could improve both specific and non-specific cellular immune responses, and the anti-tumour effects of diosgenin were achieved by immunostimulating properties instead of direct cytotoxicity.

Determination of trace copper in food samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after solid phase extraction on modified soybean hull.

Soybean hull was chemically modified with citric acid and used as a solid phase extraction adsorbent for the determination of trace amounts of Cu(2+) in food samples by flame absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The effect of pH, sample flow rate and volume, elution flow rate and volume and co-existing ions on the recovery of the analyte were investigated. The results showed that Cu(2+) could be adsorbed on the modified soybean hull at pH 8.0 and eluted by 2.0 mL of 1.0 mol L(-1) HCl. Under the optimized conditions, the adsorption capacity of modified soybean hull was found to be 18.0 mg g(-1) for Cu(2+). The detection limit of the proposed method was 0.8 ng mL(-1) for Cu(2+) with an enrichment factor of 18. The analytical result for the certified reference tea sample (GBW07605) was in a good agreement with the certified value. The proposed method has also been successfully applied to the determination of trace Cu(2+) in dried sweet potato, lake water and milk powder, the recovery of Cu(2+) for spiked samples was between 91% and 109.6%.

Vitamin K acupuncture pint injection for severe primary dysmenorrhea: an international pilot study.

CONTEXT: Vitamin K acupuncture point injection, a menstrual pain treatment derived from traditional Chinese medicine, has been a standard treatment in some hospitals in China since the 1980s. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of vitamin K acupuncture point injection on menstrual pain in young women aged 14 to 25 from different countries and cultural backgrounds who have had unmitigated severe primary dysmenorrhea for 6 months or more. DESIGN: Prospective, observational, clinical pilot study SETTINGS: One site in China (a hospital outpatient clinic in Shanghai) and 2 sites in Italy (a hospital clinic in Milan and a private gynecology practice in Verona). INTERVENTIONS: All subjects were treated with bilateral acupuncture point injection of vitamin K on the first or second day of menstrual pain. Vitamin K3 was used in China and vitamin K4 in Italy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain intensity, total duration, and average intensity of menstrual distress, hours in bed, normal daily activity restrictions, and numbers of analgesic tablets taken to relieve pain were recorded before the treatment and for 4 subsequent menstrual cycles. RESULTS: Noticeable pain relief was observed 2 minutes after treatment, and subsequent pain reduction occurred at 30 minutes (P < .001). Subjects reported significantly fewer daily life restrictions, fewer hours in bed, less consumption of analgesic tablets, and lower scores of menstrual pain duration and intensity (P < .001). There were no adverse events. Some women experienced mild, self-limited pain at the injection site. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture point injection with vitamin K alleviated acute menstrual pain, and relief extended through the nontreatment follow-up cycles in this uncontrolled pilot study conducted in 2 countries. Further investigation employing controlled experimental designs is warranted.