[Scientific basis of acupuncture on mesenchymal stem cells for treating ischemic stroke].

The scientific basis of acupuncture on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treating ischemic stroke (IS) is discussed. MSCs transplantation has great potential for the treatment of tissue damage caused by early stage inflammatory cascade reactions of IS, but its actual transformation is limited by various factors. How to improve the homing efficiency of MSCs is the primary issue to enhance its efficacy. As such, the possible mechanisms of acupuncture and MSCs transplantation in inhibiting inflammatory cascade reactions induced by IS are explored by reviewing literature, and a hypothesis that acupuncture could promote the secretion of stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) from ischemic foci to regulate SDF-1α/CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis, thereby improving the homing efficiency of MSCs transplantation, exerting its neuroprotective function, and improving the bed transformation ability, is proposed.

Management of pain in patients with bone metastases.

Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) has a considerable impact on patients' quality of life as well as physical and mental health. At present, patients with CIBP are managed according to the three-step analgesic therapy algorithm proposed by the World Health Organization. Opioids are commonly used as the first-line treatment for moderate-to-severe cancer pain but are limited due to addiction, nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal side effects. Moreover, opioids have a limited analgesic effect in some patients. In order to optimize the management of CIBP, we must first identify the underlying mechanisms. In some patients, surgery, or surgery combined with radiotherapy or radiofrequency ablation is the first step in the management of CIBP. Various clinical studies have shown that anti-nerve growth factor (NGF) antibodies, bisphosphonates, or RANKL inhibitors can reduce the incidence and improve the management of cancer pain. Herein, we review the mechanisms of cancer pain and potential therapeutic strategies to provide insights for optimizing the management of CIBP.

The efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with language training for motor aphasia after stroke: study protocol for a multicenter randomized sham-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Motor aphasia after stroke is a common and intractable complication of stroke. Acupuncture and language training may be an alternative and effective approach. However, the efficacy of acupuncture and language training for motor aphasia after stroke has not been confirmed. The main objectives of this trial are to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and low-intensity, low-dose language training in treating ischemic motor aphasia after stroke from 15 to 90 days. METHODS: This is a multicenter randomized sham-controlled clinical trial. We will allocate 252 subjects aged between 45 and 75 years diagnosed with motor aphasia after stroke with an onset time ranging from 15 to 90 days into two groups randomly in a 1:1 ratio. Patients in the experimental group will be treated with "Xing-Nao Kai-Qiao" acupuncture therapy plus language training, and those in the control group will be treated with sham-acupoint (1 cun next to the acupoints) acupuncture therapy plus language training. All the patients will be given acupuncture and language training for 6 weeks, with a follow-up evaluation 6 weeks after the end of the treatment and 6 months after the onset time. The patients will mainly be evaluated using the Western Aphasia Battery and Chinese Functional Communication Profile, and the incidence of treatment-related adverse events at the 2nd, 4th, and 6th weeks of treatment will be recorded. The baseline characteristics of the patients will be summarized by group, the chi-squared test will be used to compare categorical variables, and repeated measures of analysis of variance or a linear mixed model will be applied to analyze the changes measured at different time points. DISCUSSION: The present study is designed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of traditional acupuncture therapy and language training in ischemic motor aphasia after stroke and explore the correlation between the treatment time and clinical effect of acupuncture. We hope our results will help doctors understand and utilize acupuncture combined with language training. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR ChiCTR1900026740 . Registered on 20 October 2019.

Does acupuncture therapy improve language function of patients with aphasia following ischemic stroke? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Aphasia is one of the most common complications in patients with ischemic stroke. Studies have shown that acupuncture can improve the symptoms of aphasia patients. However, the effect of acupuncture on language function in patients with ischemic stroke is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to critically assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for aphasia following ischemic stroke. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science Core Collection, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Digital Periodicals, and Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals database were searched. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met the criteria were included. RESULTS: Meta-analyses showed that mean difference in change of auditory comprehension score (MD = 7.71, 95% CI: 1.83 to 13.59, P = 0.01), spontaneous speech (MD = 2.77, 95% CI: 0.59 to 4.95, P = 0.01), repetition score (MD = 14.48, 95% CI: 11.04 to 17.91, P < 0.00001) and naming score (MD = 14.60, 95% CI: 11.33 to 17.88, P < 0.00001) measured by WAB scale were statistically significant. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that there were statistically significant mean differences in four items of WAB scale in patients with sub-acute stroke, and no statistically significant differences in patients with acute stroke. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that acupuncture may improve the language function of patients with aphasia following ischemic stroke, especially during the sub-acute phase. However, due to insufficient sample sizes and information on the safety, more high-quality RCTs are still needed.

Combination of stem cell therapy and acupuncture to treat ischemic stroke: a prospective review.

Stroke is the second leading cause globally that leads to severe disability and death. Stem cell therapy has been developed over the recent years to treat stroke and diminish the mortality and disability rate of brain injuries. Acupuncture, which can activate endogenous recovery via physical stimuli, has been applied to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of stroke patients. Attempts have been made to combine stem cell therapy and acupuncture to treat stroke patients and have shown the promising results. This prospective review will look into the possible mechanisms of stem cell therapy and acupuncture and intend to undercover the potential benefit of the combined therapy. It intends to bridge the modern emerging stem cell therapy and traditional acupuncture at cellular and molecular levels and to demonstrate the potential benefit to improve clinical outcomes.

Inhibition of Liver Cancer HepG2 Cell Proliferation by Enzymatically Prepared Low-molecular Citrus Pectin.

BACKGROUND: Low-molecular citrus pectin (LCP) is a pectin polysaccharide with low molec-ular weight, low degree of crux, and no branching. It is obtained by degrading natural citrus pectin (CP) through physical, chemical and enzymatic methods. LCP has received considerable attention in recent years due to its potential applications in the medical and biological fields. METHODS: In our previous study, LCP was prepared from CP by using recombinant Bacillus subtilis pectate lyase B. Monosaccharide comparative analysis revealed that the galacturonic acid content of LCP was higher than that of CP. The cell viability effect of LCP was elucidated by using HepG2 cells and the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, and flow cytometer propidium iodide stain-ing were performed to detect the effects of LCP on apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HepG2 cells. Mi-tochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was observed through 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine assay. RESULTS & DISCUSSION: The Mw of the prepared LCP was 7.6 kDa, which was significantly lower than that of CP (140 kDa). Cell viability decreased with the increase in the concentration of LCP. The half-inhibitory concentration of 1.46 ± 0.02 mg/mL was determined. Treatment with 1.6 mg/mL LCP in-duced the apoptosis of HepG2 cells with the inhibition rate of 83.10% ± 4.72%, and the cell cycle was arrested in the S phase. Furthermore, the MMP of HepG2 cells decreased with the increase in LCP concentration. CONCLUSION: The enzymatically prepared LCP could inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells. This study provided a partial experimental basis and reference for LCP to become a potential functional food for anti-liver cancer.

Photodynamic therapy for synovial hyperplasia in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis: a study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, blank-controlled prospective trial.

BACKGROUND: Persistent synovial hyperplasia with inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis is one of the main pathogeneses of refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RRA). Photodynamic therapy (PDT) causes less trauma than steroid injections or arthroscopic synovectomy while providing stronger targeting and more durable curative effects. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the short-, medium-, and long-term clinical efficacy of PDT when applied as a treatment for RRA synovial hyperplasia and synovitis. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This protocol is for a single-center, randomized, double-blind, blank-controlled prospective trial. A sample of 126 RRA patients will be randomly divided into 3 groups: the control group, the "PDT once" group, and the "PDT twice" group, with 42 participants per group. The trial will be conducted by the Rheumatology and Immunology Department of the Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University. The Ultrasound Compound Score of Synovitis (UCSS) has been selected as the primary outcome measure. The secondary outcome measures include knee joint clinical assessments, ratio of relapse, duration of remission, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), inflammation indexes, serum concentrations of specific antibodies, and changes in articular structures as detected by X-ray scans in the 48th week. The improvement ratios of the UCSS at the 8th, 24th, and 48th weeks (compared with baseline) reflect short-, medium-, and long-term time frames, respectively. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, China (Approval No. granted by the ethics committee: NFZXYEC-2017-005) and then entered in the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry under registration number ChiCTR1800014918 (approval date: February 21, 2018). All procedures are in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations and with the Declaration of Helsinki by the World Medical Association (WMA). Any modifications of this protocol during execution will need additional approval from the Ethics Committee of our hospital. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR1800014918 .

Tetramethylpyrazine inhibits proliferation of colon cancer cells in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Colon cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and chemotherapy is a widely used strategy in colon cancer clinical therapy. However, chemotherapy resistance is a major cause of disease recurrence and progression in colon cancer, and thus novel drugs for treatment are urgently needed. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), a component of the traditional Chinese medicine Chuanxiong Hort, has been proven to exhibit a beneficial effect in tumors. AIM: To investigate the potential anticancer activity of TMP in colon cancer and its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Colon cancer cells were incubated with different concentrations of TMP. Cell viability was evaluated by crystal violet staining assay and cell counting kit-8 assay, and cell apoptosis and cell cycle were assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: TMP significantly inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, flow cytometry revealed that TMP induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. TMP treatment caused early stage apoptosis in SW480 cells, whereas it caused late stage apoptosis in HCT116 cells. CONCLUSION: Our studies demonstrated that TMP inhibits the proliferation of colon cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner by inducing apoptosis and arresting the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. Our findings suggest that TMP might serve as a potential novel therapeutic drug in the treatment of human colon cancer.

Prodrugs of a 1'-CN-4-Aza-7,9-dideazaadenosine C-Nucleoside Leading to the Discovery of Remdesivir (GS-5734) as a Potent Inhibitor of Respiratory Syncytial Virus with Efficacy in the African Green Monkey Model of RSV.

A discovery program targeting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) identified C-nucleoside 4 (RSV A2 EC50 = 530 nM) as a phenotypic screening lead targeting the RSV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Prodrug exploration resulted in the discovery of remdesivir (1, GS-5734) that is >30-fold more potent than 4 against RSV in HEp-2 and NHBE cells. Metabolism studies in vitro confirmed the rapid formation of the active triphosphate metabolite, 1-NTP, and in vivo studies in cynomolgus and African Green monkeys demonstrated a >10-fold higher lung tissue concentration of 1-NTP following molar normalized IV dosing of 1 compared to that of 4. A once daily 10 mg/kg IV administration of 1 in an African Green monkey RSV model demonstrated a >2-log10 reduction in the peak lung viral load. These early data following the discovery of 1 supported its potential as a novel treatment for RSV prior to its development for Ebola and approval for COVID-19 treatment.

In Vitro Hepatic Uptake in Human and Monkey Hepatocytes in the Presence and Absence of Serum Protein and Its In Vitro to In Vivo Extrapolation.

It is well documented that human hepatic clearance based on in vitro metabolism or transporter assays systematically resulted in underprediction; therefore, large empirical scalars are often needed in either static or physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models to accurately predict human pharmacokinetics (PK). In our current investigation, we assessed hepatic uptake in hepatocyte suspension in Krebs-Henseleit buffer in the presence and absence of serum. The results showed that the unbound intrinsic active clearance (CLu,int,active) values obtained by normalizing the unbound fraction in the buffer containing 10% serum were generally higher than the CLu,int,active obtained directly from protein free buffer, suggesting "protein-facilitated" uptake. The differences of CLu,int,active in the buffer with and without protein ranged from 1- to 925-fold and negatively correlated to the unbound serum binding of organic anion transporting polypeptide substrates. When using the uptake values obtained from buffer containing serum versus serum-free buffer, the median of scaling factors (SFs) for CLu,int,active reduced from 24.2-4.6 to 22.7-7.1 for human and monkey, respectively, demonstrating the improvement of in vitro to in vivo extrapolation in a PBPK model. Furthermore, values of CLu,int,active were significantly higher in monkey hepatocytes than that in human, and the species differences appeared to be compound dependent. Scaling up in vitro uptake values derived in assays containing species-specific serum can compensate for the species-specific variabilities when using cynomolgus monkey as a probe animal model. Incorporating SFs calibrated in monkey and together with scaled in vitro data can be a reliable approach for the prospective human PK prediction in early drug discovery. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: We investigated the protein effect on hepatic uptake in human and monkey hepatocytes and improved the in vitro to in vivo extrapolation using parameters obtained from the incubation in the present of serum protein. In addition, significantly higher active uptake clearances were observed in monkey hepatocytes than in human, and the species differences appeared to be compound dependent. The physiologically based pharmacokinetic model that incorporates scaling factors calibrated in monkey and together with scaled in vitro human data can be a reliable approach for the prospective human pharmacokinetics prediction.

Comparison between the Effects of Acupuncture Relative to Other Controls on Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder with recurrent abdominal pain and altered defecation habits. We here attempted to determine the effect of acupuncture on IBS. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of science, and ClinicalTrials.gov till July 17, 2019 were searched. Outcomes were total efficacy rates, overall IBS symptom scores, or global quality of life scores. Standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and risk ratio (RR) with 95% CI were calculated for meta-analysis. Results: We included 41 RCTs involving 3440 participants for analysis. 8 RCTs compared acupuncture with sham acupuncture, among which 3 trials confirmed the biological effects of acupuncture, especially in treating abdominal pain, discomfort, and stool frequency. No significant difference was found when acupuncture was compared with sham acupuncture, in terms of effects on IBS symptoms and quality of life (SMD = 0.18, 95% CI -0.26∼0.63, P=0.42; SMD = -0.10, 95% CI -0.31∼0.11, P=0.35), but the pooled efficacy rate data showed a better outcome for true acupuncture (RR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.01∼1.47, P=0.04), which was not supported by sensitivity analysis. Acupuncture was more effective relative to western medicine in alleviating IBS symptoms (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.12∼1.23, I 2 = 0%, P < 0.00001), whose effect might last 3 months. Besides, acupuncture as an adjunct to western medicine, Chinese medications, or tuina was superior over the single latter treatment (RR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.40, P=0.004; 1.19, 1.03 to 1.36, P=0.02; 1.36, 1.08 to 1.72, P=0.009, respectively), with high heterogeneities. Conclusions: Relative to sham controls, acupuncture showed no superiority for treating IBS, while the advantage over western medicine was significant. Acupuncture could be used as an adjunct in clinical settings to improve efficacy. Future high-quality and large-sample-size studies with adequate quantity-effect design need to be conducted.

Characteristics of a Magnetic Field Sensor with a Concentrating-Conducting Magnetic Flux Structure.

A magnetic field sensor with a new concentrating-conducting magnetic flux structure (CCMFS) is proposed in this paper, using a silicon-on insulator (SOI) Hall element fabricated by complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology as a magnetic sensitive unit. By fixing the CCMFS above the Hall element packaged on a printed circuit board (PCB) based on inner-connect wire bonding technology, a non-magnetized package can subsequently be obtained. To analyze the inner magnetic field vector distribution of the CCMFS, a simulation model was built based on a finite element software, where the CCMFS was processed using Ni-Fe alloys material by a low speed wire-cut electric discharge technology. The test results showed that the measurement of magnetic fields along a sensitive and a non-sensitive axis can be achieved when VDD = 5.0 V at room temperature, with magnetic sensitivities of 122 mV/T and 132 mV/T in a testing range from -30 mT to 30 mT, respectively. This study makes it possible to not only realize the detection of magnetic field, but also to significantly improve the sensitivity of the sensor along a non-sensitive axis.

[Review of the mechanism of essential hypertension treated by acupuncture].

The relevant literature of pathogenesis of essential hypertension (EH) and the clinical efficacy of acupuncture treatment of EH was retrieved from January 1, 1999 to February 28, 2018 in the CNKI and PubMed databases, and aimed to summarize and explore the mechanism of antihypertensive by acupuncture.It has been found that acupuncture exerts antihypertensive effect by coordinating multi-system, multi-target, multi-layer adjustment mechanism, such as acupuncture inhibiting of central and peripheral sympathetic nerve activity, rejusting immune system and expression of inflammatory response factors, regulating the balance of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), improving vascular structure and function, the anti-oxidative stress and promoting autophagy.

Should acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, Qi gong, relaxation therapy, device-guided breathing, yoga and tai chi be used to reduce blood pressure?: Recommendations based on high-quality systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: This review aims to rate the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations in high-quality systematic reviews of non-drug therapies. Hypertensive patients who are resistant or non-adherent to antihypertensive drugs may be easier to manage if they choose alternative non-drug therapies for hypertension, based on this review. METHODS: P: Adults (>18 years), except pregnant women, with essential hypertension. I: Cupping, moxibustion, acupuncture, acupoint stimulation, yoga, meditation, tai chi, Qi gong, Chinese massage, massage, spinal manipulation, biofeedback, device-guided breathing therapy, aromatherapy, music therapy, and relaxation approaches. C: 1. No treatment. 2. Sham therapy. 3. Conventional treatment, including antihypertensive drugs and lifestyle modification (e.g., exercise). O: 1. Change in the incidence of cardiovascular death. 2. Change in the incidence of myocardial infarction. 3. Change in the incidence of stroke. 4. Change in blood pressure (BP). 5. Efficacy rate of BP lowering. 6. Adverse effects (review specific). S: Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials, including meta-analyses and assessments of the methodological quality/risk of bias. INFORMATION SOURCES: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane library, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database were searched. The bibliographies of the included articles were also searched for relevant systematic reviews. GRADE criteria were used to rate the quality of evidence in systematic reviews considering 6 factors, including risk of bias. RESULTS: This review ultimately included 13 systematic reviews of 14 non-drug therapies (acupuncture, wet cupping, Baduanjin, blood letting, auricular acupuncture, music, massage, Qi gong, moxibustion, relaxation therapies, biofeedback, device-guided breathing, yoga and tai chi) based on the inclusion criteria. The quality of evidence was generally low, and weak recommendations were given for most therapies except massage and acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug. Based on the analyzed evidence, massage and acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug could benefit people who want to lower their BP and do not have contraindications for massage and acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug. DISCUSSION/STRENGTH: The GRADE approach makes this review a unique reference for people who are considering the grade of quality of evidence in systematic reviews, the balance of desirable and undesirable consequences and the strength of recommendations to decide which intervention should be used to reduce BP. LIMITATIONS: Many non-drug therapies were excluded due to the low methodological quality of their systematic reviews, and only 14 therapies were evaluated in this review. As no patient-important outcomes were reviewed, surrogate outcomes were used to rate the strength of recommendations. This approach may cause a decrease in evidence quality according to GRADE, but we argue that this is appropriate in the context of this review.

Is dry needling effective for low back pain?: A systematic review and PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dry needling (DN) for treating low back pain (LBP). METHODS: Nine databases were searched from inception to October 2017. Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving DN for treating LBP were retrieved. Two reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias among the included studies using the risk of bias assessment tool by Cochrane Collaboration. RESULTS: Sixteen RCTs were included and the risk of bias assessment of them was "high" or "unclear" for most domains. Meta-analysis results suggested that DN was more effective than acupuncture in alleviating pain intensity and functional disability at postintervention, while its efficacy on pain and disability at follow-up was only equal to acupuncture. Besides, DN was superior to sham needling for alleviating pain intensity at postintervention/follow-up and functional disability at postintervention. Additionally, qualitative review revealed that DN combined with acupuncture had more significant effect on alleviating pain intensity at postintervention and achieved higher response rate than DN alone. However, compared with other treatments (laser, physical therapy, other combined treatments, etc.), it remained uncertain whether the efficacy of DN was superior or equal because the results of included studies were mixed. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with acupuncture and sham needling, DN is more effective for alleviating pain and disability at postintervention in LBP, while its effectiveness on pain and disability at follow-up was equal to acupuncture. Besides, it remains uncertain whether the efficacy of DN is superior to other treatments. Nevertheless, considering the overall "high" or "unclear" risk of bias of studies, all current evidence is not robust to draw a firm conclusion regarding the efficacy and safety of DN for LBP. Future RCTs with rigorous methodologies are required to confirm our findings. DETAILS OF ETHICS APPROVAL: No ethical approval was required for this systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hydrochemical characteristics of natural water and selenium-rich water resources in the Northern Daba Mountains, China.

The Northern Daba Mountains (NDM) of Shaanxi Province, China, are a well-known selenium (Se)-rich area, and the area is also known for endemic fluorine (F) and arsenic (As) poisoning. In order to study the hydrochemical characteristics and trace element contents of the natural waters of this region, 62 water samples were collected from Lan'gao area in the NDM. The hydrochemical composition was principally characterized by Ca·Mg-HCO3·SO4. F and As concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.67 mg/L and from 0.33 to 6.29 µg/L, respectively, lower than Chinese national standard and international guidelines for drinking water quality. One year of monitoring proved that F and As in natural water were not the sources of the local fluorosis and arseniasis in the NDM. The average Se concentration in fissure water was 5.20 µg/L. The average Se content of river water was 2.82 µg/L, 14 times that of the world's surface level (0.2 µg/L). The Se content in eight samples reached the Chinese national standards for mineral drinking water quality (>10 µg/L). Contrasting the water samples of May, July, and September in 2015 shows that the Se content is relatively stable and the increase of humidity might be beneficial to increase the content of selenium and strontium in water.

Two new fatty acids esters were detected in ginseng stems by the application of azoxystrobin and the increasing of antioxidant enzyme activity and ginsenosides content.

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer is a valuable herb in China that has also gained popularity in the West because of its pharmacological properties. The constituents isolated and characterized in ginseng stems include ginsenosides, fatty acids, amino acids, volatile oils, and polysaccharides. In this study, the effects of fungicide azoxystrobin applied on antioxidant enzyme activity and ginsenosides content in ginseng stems was studied by using Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. cv. (the cultivar of Ermaya) under natural environmental conditions. The azoxystrobin formulation (25% SC) was sprayed three times on ginseng plants at different doses (150ga.i./ha and 225ga.i./ha), respectively. Two new fatty acids esters (ethyl linoleate and methyl linolenate) were firstly detected in ginseng stems by the application of azoxystrobin as foliar spray. The results indicated that activities of enzymatic antioxidants, the content of ginsenosides and two new fatty acids esters in ginseng stems in azoxystrobin-treated plants were increased. Azoxystrobin treatments to ginseng plants at all growth stages suggest that the azoxystrobin-induced delay of senescence is due to an enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity protecting the plants from harmful active oxygen species (AOS). The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in azoxystrobin-treated plants was about 1-3 times higher than that in untreated plants. And the effects was more significant (P=0.05) when azoxystrobin was applied at dose of 225ga.i./ha. This work suggests that azoxystrobin plays an important role in delaying of senescence by changing physiological and biochemical indicators and increasing ginsenosides content in ginseng stems.

Acupuncture for Blood Pressure Control in Stroke Patients: Case Reports.

BACKGROUND: Effective control of hypertension is deeply associated with the secondary prevention of stroke. The blood pressure-lowering effect of acupuncture alone is controversial but worthy of exploration, considering the side effects of and the problems of low adherence to drugs. CASE REPORTS: One male patient experienced severe dizziness after overuse of valsartan, which decreased his blood pressure to 110/70 mm Hg. Our acupuncture treatment of 40 sessions alone regulated his blood pressure to about 110/70-130/80 mm Hg, with disappearance of the dizziness after 3 sessions. The second male patient with a suboptimal blood pressure during treatment with 50 mg/day of irbesartan received sole acupuncture treatment of 41 sessions, which decreased his blood pressure to about 120/70-130/80 mm Hg after 6 sessions. The third patient, who refused to take antihypertensive drugs because of their side effects, received acupuncture treatment of 46 sessions over 2 months, which reduced his blood pressure from 150/90 to 120/80 mm Hg. The efficacy continued for 3 months (cases 1 and 3) or 2 months (case 2) post treatment end. CONCLUSION: Our cases suggest the potential of acupuncture alone to favorably control high blood pressure or regulate low blood pressure in stroke individuals, as a means of secondary prevention of stroke.

Safety of different acupuncture manipulations for posterior circulation ischemia with vertigo.

Acupuncture at Fengchi (GB20) in the posterior neck improves vertigo. However, subarachnoid hemorrhage and spinal epidural hematoma have been reported to occur after acupuncture in the posterior neck. Therefore, in the present study, we assessed the safety of acupuncture at Fengchi. Laboratory tests and adverse event reports were used to evaluate the safety of different acupuncture manipulations for the treatment of posterior circulation ischemia with vertigo. A total of 136 patients were randomly assigned to four groups. Verum acupuncture was conducted with different needle insertion directions (contralateral paropia or prominentia laryngea) and different needle twisting frequencies (60 or 120 times/minute) at Fengchi and matching acupoints (for example, Zhongwan [CV12], Qihai [CV6], Zusanli [ST36], and Fenglong [ST40]). The patients received 14 treatments over 3-4 weeks. Routine blood analysis, hepatic and renal function tests, urine and feces tests and electrocardiography were performed before the first treatment session and after the final session. Adverse events were recorded after every session. Of the 136 patients, 120 completed the study. There were no significant differences between pretreatment and posttreatment test results in any of the groups. Only five patients suffered from minor adverse events (needling pain, slight hematoma and transient chest tightness). No serious adverse events were found. Our results indicate that a 14-session course of needling at Fengchi is relatively safe for treating posterior circulation ischemia with vertigo.

Dissipation rates and residues of fungicide azoxystrobin in ginseng and soil at two different cultivated regions in China.

The maximum residue limit (MRL) for fungicide azoxystrobin in ginseng has not yet been established in China. This is partially due to the lack of its dissipation and residue data at China's main ginseng production areas. In this work, the dissipation rates and residue levels of azoxystrobin in ginseng roots, plant parts (stems and leaves), and soil in Beijing and Jilin Province, China were determined using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The mean half-life of azoxystrobin in ginseng plant parts was 1.6 days with a dissipation rate of 90 % over 21 days. The mean half-life in soil was 2.8 days with a dissipation rate of 90 % over 30 days. Dissipation rates from two geographically separated experimental fields differed, suggesting that these were affected by local soil characteristics and climate. Maximum final residues of azoxystrobin in ginseng roots, plant parts, and soil were determined to be 0.343, 9.40, and 0.726 mg kg(-1), respectively. Our results, particularly the high residues of azoxystrobin observed in ginseng plant parts, provide a quantitative basis for revising the application of this pesticide to ginseng.