Immediate Effect of Electro-acupuncture on Endometrial Blood Flow in Patients with Recurrent Implantation Failure: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the immediate effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) on endometrial blood flow among recurrent implantation failure (RIF) patients. METHODS: Eighty RIF patients, enrolled from March 2022 to December 2022, were randomly allocated into either the EA group (40 cases) or the waiting-list (WL) group (40 cases) by using a random number table. The EA group underwent acupuncture at points of Shenting (GV 24), Baihui (GV 4), Benshen (GB 13), bilateral Zigong (EX-CA 1), Huangshu (KI 16), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Xuehai (SP10), and electric acupuncture apparatus was connected to EX-CA 1, KI 16, SP 6, and SP 10 with disperse-dense waves at 4/20 Hz frequencies for 30 min after transvaginal ultrasound, while the WL group received no intervention. The primary outcome measured was the endometrial volume blood flow. The secondary outcomes included the bilateral uterine artery index, endometrial volume, endometrial blood flow type, vascular distribution index (VIMV) for endometrial and ovary, clinical pregnancy rate, and embryo implantation rate. RESULTS: In the EA group, there was a notable decrease in the bilateral pulsatility index and a significant improvement in the endometrial blood flow type post-EA (P<0.05). Both the endometrial blood flow type and VIMV for the endometrium and right ovary were markedly higher in the EA group compared to the WL group post-treatment (P<0.05). Conversely, no significant disparities were observed in vascular index, flow index, vascular blood flow index, uterine arterial blood flow indices, endometrial volume, clinical pregnancy rate and embryo implantation rate between the two groups after treatment (P>0.05). Besides, no adverse events related to EA were observed. CONCLUSIONS: EA can promptly ameliorate VIMV for the endometrial and right ovary, and endometrial blood flow type. Future randomized controlled trials are warranted to investigate the long-term effects of EA on blood flow of RIF patients and its implications for pregnancy outcomes. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2200057377).

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation benefits postoperative pain relief of oocyte retrieval: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Transvaginal oocyte retrieval is frequently followed by adverse events related to anesthesia and the procedure. Some research showed that transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) can relieve intraoperative pain and postoperative nausea. OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether TEAS can alleviate pain and relieve adverse symptoms after oocyte retrieval. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Altogether 128 patients were randomly divided into the TEAS group and the mock TEAS group. The two groups received a 30-minute-long TEAS or mock TEAS treatment that began 30 min after oocyte retrieval. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score. Secondary outcomes were pressure pain threshold, McGill score, pain rating index (PRI), present pain intensity (PPI), VAS stress score, VAS anxiety score, and postoperative adverse symptoms. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable (P > 0.05). The VAS pain scores of the TEAS group were lower than those of the mock TEAS group at 60 and 90 min after oocyte retrieval (P < 0.05). The McGill score, PRI and PPI in the TEAS group were significantly lower than those in the control group at 60 min after oocyte retrieval (P < 0.05). However, the two groups had equivalent beneficial effects regarding the negative emotions, such as nervousness and anxiety (P > 0.05). The TEAS group was superior to the mock TEAS group for relieving postoperative adverse symptoms (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TEAS treatment can relieve postoperative pain and postoperative adverse symptoms for patients undergoing oocyte retrieval. Please cite this article as: Liu LY, Su Y, Wang RR, Lai YY, Huang L, Li YT, Tao XY, Su MH, Zheng XY, Huang SC, Wu YN, Yu SY, Liang FR, Yang J. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation benefits postoperative pain relief of oocyte retrieval: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2024; 22(1): 32-38.

Acupuncture benefits to women with recurrent implantation failure: A propensity score-matched cohort study.

Objectives: The current study aims to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in improving the live birth rate (LBR), ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), biochemical pregnancy rate (BPR), and pregnancy loss (early abortion rate, late abortion rate, ectopic pregnancy rate) in patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Design: This retrospective study compares the outcomes of patients with RIF who underwent frozen embryo transfer (FET) with or without acupuncture. Setting: The medical records of patients diagnosed with RIF and visiting Chengdu Xi'nan Gynecological Hospital between January 2018 and June 2021 were reviewed. The Chengdu Xi'nan Gynecological Hospital Ethics Committee approved this retrospective study (No. 2021-029). Participants: A total of 923 patients with RIF who underwent FET were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups: the Acupuncture (n = 303) and the Non-acupuncture groups (n = 620). Exposure: The Acupuncture group consisted of 303 RIF patients who received acupuncture therapy in addition to standard hormone replacement therapy (HRT)/delayed hormone replacement therapy (d-HRT) for FET. The Non-acupuncture group consisted of 620 RIF patients who received only standard HRT/d-HRT for FET. Primary and secondary outcome measures: The primary outcome was the LBR. The secondary outcome referred to OPR, CPR, BPR, and pregnancy loss. Results: The Acupuncture group had significantly higher BPR (P = 0.08) and CPR (P = 0.049) than the Non-acupuncture group. A potentially higher LBR (P = 0.16) and OPR (P = 0.248) were observed in the Acupuncture group than in the Non-acupuncture group. However, the survival analysis did not show that acupuncture significantly promoted live birth. Conclusions: Acupuncture is an appropriate adjunctive technique in the in vitro fertilization process as it improves biochemical and clinical pregnancies. Therefore, it is necessary to be cautious about the role of acupuncture throughout the whole pregnancy cycle.

Systematic review of acupuncture to improve ovarian function in women with poor ovarian response.

Objective: To determine the effect of acupuncture in treating poor ovarian response (POR). Methods: We searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, CNKI, CBM, VIP database, Wanfang Database, and relevant registration databases from inception to January 30, 2023. In this review, both Chinese and English peer-reviewed literature were included. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using acupuncture as an intervention for POR patients undergoing in vitro fertilization were considered. Results: Seven clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were eventually included for comparison (516 women). The quality of included studies was generally low or very low. For the meta-analysis, seven studies showed that compared with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) therapy, acupuncture combined with COH therapy could significantly increase the implantation rate (RR=2.13, 95%CI [1.08, 4.21], p=0.03), the number of oocytes retrieved (MD=1.02, 95%CI [0.72, 1.32], p<0.00001), the thickness of endometrium (MD=0.54, 95%CI [0.13, 0.96], p=0.01), and the antral follicle count (MD=1.52, 95%CI [1.08, 1.95], p<0.00001), reduce follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels (MD=-1.52, 95%CI [-2.41, -0.62], p=0.0009) and improve estradiol (E2) levels (MD=1667.80, 95%CI [1578.29, 1757.31], p<0.00001). Besides, there were significant differences in the duration of Gn (MD=0.47, 95%CI [-0.00, 0.94], p=0.05) between the two groups. However, no statistical variation was observed in improving clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), fertilization rate, high-quality embryo rate, luteinizing hormone (LH) value, anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) value, or reducing the dose of gonadotropin (Gn) values between the acupuncture plus COH therapy group and the COH therapy group. Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with COH therapy is doubtful in improving the pregnancy outcome of POR patients. Secondly, acupuncture can also improve the sex hormone level of POR women, and improve ovarian function. Furthermore, more RCTs of acupuncture in POR are needed to be incorporated into future meta-analyses. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42020169560.

Acupuncture modulates the frequency-specific functional connectivity density in primary dysmenorrhea.

Background: The study aimed to investigate how acupuncture modulates brain activities across multiple frequency bands to achieve therapeutic effects in PDM. Methods: A total of 47 patients with PDM were randomly assigned to the verum acupuncture group and sham acupuncture group with three menstrual cycles of the acupuncture course. The fMRI scans, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, and other clinical evaluations were assessed at baseline and after three menstrual-cycles treatments. The global functional connectivity density (gFCD) analyses were performed between the pre-and post-acupuncture course of two groups at full-low frequency band, Slow-3 band, Slow-4 band, and Slow-5 band. Results: After the acupuncture treatments, the patients with PDM in the verum acupuncture group showed significantly decreased VAS scores (p < 0.05). The frequency-dependent gFCD alternations were found in the verum acupuncture group, altered regions including DLPFC, somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), middle cingulate cortex (MCC), precuneus, hippocampus, and insula. The sham acupuncture modulated regions including angular gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and hippocampus. The gFCD alternation in DLPFC at the Slow-5 band was negatively in the patients with PDM following verum acupuncture, and S2 at the Slow-4 band was positively correlated with VAS scores. Conclusion: These findings supported that verum acupuncture could effectively modulate frequency-dependent gFCD in PDM by influencing abnormal DLPFC at Slow-5 band and hippocampus at the Slow-3 band. The outcome of this study may shed light on enhancing the potency of acupuncture in clinical practice.

Moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study exploring the alteration of functional connectivity strength and functional connectivity.

Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea (PDM) is a common gynecological disease and chronic pain disorder. Moxibustion, a form of traditional Chinese medicine therapy, has proven to be effective for PDM. However, the central mechanisms of PDM and moxibustion for PDM are still unclear. This study aims to explore the potential central mechanism of PDM and clarify the possible mechanism of moxibustion for relieving pain. Materials and methods: A total of 23 PDM patients and 23 matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. For PDM patients, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected pre- and post-moxibustion treatment of 3 consecutive menstrual cycles, respectively. For HCs, rs-fMRI data were collected in the baseline. The resting-state functional connectivity strength (rs-FCS) analysis and the resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) analysis based on the region of interest (ROI) were combined to be conducted. Results: Compared to HCs, PDM patients showed weaker rs-FCS in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). After the moxibustion treatment, rs-FCS in the left IFG was increased with clinical improvement. Then, the left IFG was chosen as ROI, and the rs-FC analysis was conducted. It showed that the left IFG rs-FC in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)/middle cingulate cortex (MCC), the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus (PCU), and the left parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) decreased after moxibustion treatment, most of which belong to the default mode network (DMN). Conclusion: Our results highlight the role of the left IFG and the DMN in PDM. Specifically, the central mechanism of moxibustion for analgesia may be related to modulating the disorders of the reappraisal and processing of pain stimuli through influencing the cognition of pain.

Effect of non-pharmacological interventions for overweight/obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome on ovulation and pregnancy outcomes: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Most overweight/obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have infertility issues which are difficult to treat. Non-pharmacological interventions used for the management of infertility include lifestyle interventions, acupuncture therapies and nutritional supplements. These interventions have been reported to be beneficial in alleviating infertility among overweight women with PCOS. However, effect and safety of these non-pharmacological interventions vary, and there is no standard method of clinical application. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) to rank these non-pharmacological interventions in terms of effect and determine which one is more effective for clinical application. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will retrieve eight databases including Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, the Chongqing VIP Database and China Biology Medicine disc from their inceptions onwards. In addition, four clinical trial registries and the related references will be manually retrieved. The primary outcome will be clinical pregnancy. Live birth, ovulation, pregnancy loss, multiple pregnancy and adverse events related to interventions will be considered as the secondary outcomes. STATA software V.15.0 and Aggregate Data Drug Information System V.1.16.8 will be used to conduct pairwise meta-analysis and NMA. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system will be adopted to evaluate the certainty of evidence. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval will not be required because the study will not include the original information of participants. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated in relevant conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021283110.

A coordinate-based meta-analysis of acupuncture for chronic pain: Evidence from fMRI studies.

Background: Chronic pain (CP) patients tend to represent aberrant functional brain activity. Acupuncture is an effective clinical treatment for CP, and some fMRI studies were conducted to discover the alternation of brain regions after acupuncture therapy for CP. However, the heterogeneity of neuroimaging studies has prevented researchers from systematically generalizing the central mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of CP. Methods: We searched bibliographic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, ScienceDirect, China Academic Journal Network Publishing Database, etc., and trials registration platforms (From inception to September 1st, 2022). Two independent researchers assessed the study's bias and quality. Furthermore, activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis was applied to explore aberrant brain functional activity and acupuncture's central mechanism for CP. Results: Totally 14 studies with 524 CP patients were included in the study. ALE analysis showed that CP patients presented with decreased ALFF/ReHo in the precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, right inferior parietal lobule, right superior temporal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, left medial frontal gyrus including medial prefrontal gurus, left middle frontal gyrus. Conclusion: This ALE meta-analysis pointed out that acupuncture could modulate the default mode network, the frontoparietal network to treat CP. This provided a systematic summary of the neuroimage biomarker of acupuncture for the treatment of CP. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42021239633.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Acupuncture for Pain Management in Women Undergoing Transvaginal Oocyte Retrieval.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain evidence-based conclusions about the effect of acupuncture on pain relief in women undergoing oocyte retrieval, the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met the criteria were assessed on the Pain Assessment Scale and pregnancy indicators. SEARCH METHODS: References were retrieved in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI database, CBM database, VIP database, and Wanfang database from inception to June 26, 2021. Unpublished ongoing trials were searched in the Clinical Trials Registries. This review included RCTs that investigated the acupuncture analgesic effects during oocyte retrieval in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. RESULTS: Fourteen RCTs (2503 women in total) with six types of comparisons were finally included. The quality of concluding evidence was generally low or very low. Performance bias and outcome assessment bias was the main risk of bias of the included studies. Acupuncture combined with conscious sedation and analgesia (CSA) was associated with less intraoperative (SMD=-1.03; 95% CI: -1.71 to -0.36) and postoperative (SMD = -1.11; 95% CI: -1.51 to -0.71) pain compared to receive CSA alone in oocyte retrieval. Acupuncture with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was more effective than using NSAIDs alone for postoperative analgesia (MD = -1.76; 95% CI: -2.08 to -1.44). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture complex analgesic therapy is more effective than utilizing CSA or NSAIDs alone. Furthermore, there is no significant consensus on whether there is an analgesic effect of applying acupuncture alone during oocyte retrievals, which needs further research. The overall results should be interpreted with caution due to the high risk of bias/low-GRADE scores among these studies. PROTOCOL AND REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020170095.

Moxibustion for Patients with Primary Dysmenorrhea at Different Intervention Time Points: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effectiveness of moxibustion at different times of the menstrual cycle for patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Participants were 208 patients allocated to three controlled groups: one pre-menstrual treatment group (Group A), one menstrual-onset treatment group (Group B), and one waiting-list group (Group C). Groups A and B received the same intervention of moxibustion on points SP6 and RN4 but at different times. Group C, the waiting-list group, received no treatment throughout the study. Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS) score was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were visual analog scale (VAS) score of pain intensity, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score, and self-rating depression scale (SDS) score. CMSS and VAS scores were obtained at the baseline stage (three cycles), treatment stage (three cycles), and follow-up stage (three cycles), a total of seven evaluations. SAS and SDS scores were obtained on the day of group allocation and the first day of the follow-up stage, a total of two evaluations. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were comparable across the three groups. Pain duration (CMSS score) was significantly higher in Group C than in the other two groups at each evaluation (P<0.001). There was also a significant difference in the improvement in pain duration between Group B and Group C (P<0.001) throughout the trial. There were no significant changes in pain severity (CMSS score) after the 3-month treatment in Group A and Group B (P>0.05). Secondary outcomes showed that pre-menstrual moxibustion (Group A) was as effective as menstrual-onset moxibustion (Group B) in relieving pain intensity (VAS score) and negative mood (SDS and SAS scores). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion appears as an effective treatment for PD. Pre-menstrual application is more effective than menstrual-onset application. TRIAL REGISTRATION CHICTRORGCN IDENTIFIER: ChiCTR-TRC-14004627.

Acupuncture for "poor ovarian response" of women to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation: A protocol for meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Poor ovarian response (POR) is a high-incidence disease of women, which cause in vitro fertilization failure. Various treatment options have been proposed for women with POR to improve their ovarian response, but with little effect. In recent years, there is a wide range of applications of acupuncture in the process of in vitro fertilization. The meta-analysis and systematic review are designed to analyze whether acupuncture is effective for patients with POR. METHODS: The following databases will be searched from inception to March 2020: Electronic databases consist of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and Wanfang Database. Other literature resources will also be searched including clinical trial registries, key journals, and meeting records. The results of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture therapy on POR, which are published in Chinese or English, will be embedded. The primary outcome is the clinical pregnancy rate. Data identification, data selection, data extraction, and assessment of bias risk will be completed independently by 2 or more reviewers. STATA/IC 16 will be used to perform the meta-analysis. We will use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system to evaluate the quality of our evidence. A systematic narrative synthesis will be provided if the quantitative analysis is not available. DISCUSSION: This study will provide the first meta-analysis and systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in treating POR. This protocol provides details to guide this study. CONCLUSIONS: From this review may benefit POR patients or clinical decision-makers. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42020169560.

Acupuncture for pain relief of women undergoing transvaginal oocyte retrieval: A meta analysis and systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Pain during oocyte retrieval, which can make the in-vitro fertilization process an unpleasant experience, is becoming a common problem. Although there are many analgesic methods available in the clinical setting, they are not therapeutically equivalent, and some are associated with varying adverse reactions. In recent years, acupuncture analgesia has been used in the perioperative period of oocyte retrieval because of its perceived efficacy and safety. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to provide evidence that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of vaginal oocyte retrieval pain. METHODS: Electronic searches of the following six databases will be conducted by two qualified reviewers: MEDLINE, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Medicine database, VIP database and Wanfang database. Three clinical trial registries will also be searched: World Health Organization International Clinical Trial Registry Platform, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and ClinicalTrials.Gov. All searches will cover the period from inception of the database/registry to March 2020 and will be limited to publications in English and Chinese. Data identification, data selection, data extraction, and bias risk assessment will be conducted independently by3ν two or more qualified reviewers, including those who selected the studies. Visual analogue scale scores will be calculated as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes will include results of other subjective pain rating scales, including Likert scales or other defined numerical or non-numerical scales, self-assessed by patients before, during, and after oocyte retrieval. We will use STATA software (Version 16) to perform meta-analyses, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations framework to grade the quality of evidence. If quantitative analysis is not available, a systematic narrative synthesis will be provided. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020170095.

[Anti-tumor target prediction and activity verification of Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids].

It has reported that Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids had anti-tumor activity. However, the anti-tumor target is still unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-tumor activity of G. lucidum triterpenoids on different tumor cells, and predict their potential targets by virtual screening. In this experiment, molecular docking was used to simulate the interactions of 26 triterpenoids isolated from G. lucidum and 11 target proteins by LibDock module of Discovery Studio2016 software, then the anti-tumor targets of triterpenoids were predicted. In addition, the in vitro anti-tumor effects of triterpenoids were evaluated by MTT assay by determining the inhibition of proliferation in 5 tumor cell lines. The docking results showed that the poses were greater than five, and Libdock Scores higher than 100, which can be used to determine whether compounds were activity. Eight triterpenoids might have anti-tumor activity as a result of good docking, five of which had multiple targets. MTT experiments demonstrated that the ganoderic acid Y had a certain inhibitory activity on lung cancer cell H460, with IC50 of 22.4 µmol•L ⁻¹, followed by 7-oxo-ganoderic acid Z2, with IC50 of 43.1 µmol•L ⁻¹. However, the other triterpenoids had no anti-tumor activity in the detected tumor cell lines. Taking together, molecular docking approach established here can be used for preliminary screening of anti-tumor activity of G.lucidum ingredients. Through this screening method, combined with the MTT assay, we can conclude that ganoderic acid Y had antitumor activity, especially anti-lung cancer, and 7-oxo-ganoderic acid Z2 as well as ganoderon B, to a certain extent, had anti-tumor activity. These findings can provide basis for the development of anti-tumor drugs. However, the anti-tumor mechanisms need to be further studied.

Traditional Chinese medicine xin-mai-jia recouples endothelial nitric oxide synthase to prevent atherosclerosis in vivo.

Endothelial dysfunction, which is caused by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling, is an initial step in atherosclerosis. This study was designed to explore whether Chinese medicine xin-mai-jia (XMJ) recouples eNOS to exert anti-atherosclerotic effects. Pretreatment of XMJ (25, 50, 100 µg/ml) for 30 minutes concentration-dependently activated eNOS, improved cell viabilities, increased NO generations, and reduced ROS productions in human umbilical vein endothelial cells incubated with H2O2 for 2 hours, accompanied with restoration of BH4. Importantly, these protective effects produced by XMJ were abolished by eNOS inhibitor L-NAME or specific eNOS siRNA in H2O2-treated cells. In ex vivo experiments, exposure of isolated aortic rings from rats to H2O2 for 6 hours dramatically impaired acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation, reduced NO levels and increased ROS productions, which were ablated by XMJ in concentration-dependent manner. In vivo analysis indicated that administration of XMJ (0.6, 2.0, 6.0 g/kg/d) for 12 weeks remarkably recoupled eNOS and reduced the size of carotid atherosclerotic plaque in rats feeding with high fat diet plus balloon injury. In conclusion, XMJ recouples eNOS to prevent the growth of atherosclerosis in rats. Clinically, XMJ is potentially considered as a medicine to treat patients with atherosclerosis.

Three new triterpenoids from Ganoderma theaecolum.

Three new triterpenoids (1-3), together with four known triterpenoids (4-7), were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma theaecolum. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic data and chemical evidence. Compounds 4 and 6 exhibited antitumor activities against H460 cells with IC50 values of 22.4 and 43.1 µM, respectively. And the cytotoxic activities of compounds 4 and 5 against MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines were assayed with IC50 values of 49.1 and 75.8 µM, respectively.

[Triterpenoids from Ganoderma theaecolum].

Fifteenlanostane triterpenoids were isolated from the ethanol extract of Ganoderma theaecolum by means of preparative HPLC,column chromatography over silica gel,ODS and were identified as lucidone C(1),lucidone D(2),7-oxo-ganoderic acid Z2(3),7-oxo-ganoderic acid Z(4),ganoderenicacid H(5),ganoderenic acid B(6),3ß,7ß-dihydroyl-11,15,23-trioxo-lanost-8,16-dien-26-oic acid(7),3ß,7ß-dihydroyl-11,15,23-trioxo-lanost-8,16-dien-26-oic acid methyl ester(8),ganolucidic acid B(9),ganolucidate F(10),methyl ganoderate C2(11),ganoderic acid ζ(12),ganoderic acid AP3(13),methyl ganoderate B(14),and ganoderol B(15). Compounds 1-15 were isolated from this specie for the first time.

Hippocampal cAMP/PKA/CREB is required for neuroprotective effect of acupuncture.

Acupuncture has beneficial effects in vascular dementia (VaD) patients. The underlying mechanism, however, remains unknown. The present study was designed to investigate whether the cAMP/PKA/CREB cascade is involved in the mechanism of acupuncture in cerebral multi-infarction rats. In this study, cerebral multi-infarction was modeled in adult Wistar rats by homologous blood clot emboli. After a two-week acupuncture treatment at Zusanli (ST36), hippocampal-dependent memory was tested by employing a radial arm maze test. The hippocampus was isolated for analyses of cAMP concentration, phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity and CREB/pCREB and ERK/pERK expressions. The Morris water maze (MWM) task and CREB phosphorylation were evaluated in the presence of PKA-selective peptide inhibitor (H89). The radial arm maze test results demonstrated that acupuncture treatment at ST36 reversed hippocampal-dependent memory in impaired animals. Compared to those of the impaired group, cAMP concentration, PKA activity and pCREB and pERK expressions were increased following acupuncture therapy. Finally, the blockade of PKA reversed the increase in CREB phosphorylation and the improvement in recognitive function induced by acupuncture treatment. These results suggest that acupuncture could improve hippocampus function by modulating the cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway, which represents a molecular mechanism of acupuncture for recognitive function in cerebral multi-infarction rats.

Triterpenoids of Ganoderma theaecolum and their hepatoprotective activities.

Five new lanostane triterpenoids, ganoderic acid XL1 (1), ganoderic acid XL2 (2), 20-hydroxy-ganoderic acid AM1 (3), ganoderenic acid AM1 (4) and ganoderesin C (5), together with five known triterpenoids (6-10) were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma theaecolum. Chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence, including 1D, 2D NMR, mass spectrometric data and circular dichroism spectra. Compounds 1, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 (10 µM) exhibited hepatoprotective activities against DL-galactosamine-induced cell damage in HL-7702 cells.

Effects of deqi on autonomic balance in adult tinnitus patients: study design of a randomized controlled trial.

Background. Recent reports suggest that a proportion of tinnitus patients suffer from mental illness. Autonomic nervous system plays a useful role in tinnitus therapy since electrical vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) has been frequently used to alleviate tinnitus-induced depression in clinic. heart rate variability (HRV), which is reflective of autonomic nervous system function, has been proved to be modulated by acupuncture. In the present study, we aim to compare the effect of deqi sensation on heart rate variability in adult tinnitus patients. Methods. Thirty participants are randomly assigned to verum acupuncture (creating deqi) or shallow acupuncture (not creating deqi) at Baihui (Du-20), Shenting (Du-24), Tinghui (GB-2), Waiguan (SJ-5), and Zulinqi (GB-41) for 3 weeks. The primary outcome measure is heart rate variability, which is measured at the first acupuncture, as well as the last acupuncture. Discussion. Completion of this trial will help to identify the role of deqi sensation in acupuncture effect for tinnitus and reveal an autonomic modulation mechanism for acupuncture effect. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN58013563.

Effect of acupuncture on hippocampal Ref-1 expression in cerebral multi-infarction rats.

Redox effector factor (Ref-1) is a sensitive marker for oxidative cellular injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture on hippocampal Ref-1 expression in cerebral multi-infarction rats. The rats with reference memory impairment were randomly allocated to three groups: impaired group, acupuncture group and placebo acupuncture group. Moreover, normal group and sham-operated group were set as control groups. Morris water maze test showed that cerebral multi-infarction rats did not present significant changes in spatial working memory performance. Further investigation by immunohistochemistry revealed that acupunctural treatment significantly increased the expression of Ref-1 in the hippocampus of the impaired rats. These findings suggested that the spatial working memory was unaffected in the cerebral multi-infarction rats although spatial reference memory deficits were detected in our previous study; in addition, acupuncture could increase the Ref-1 expression, consequently exerting the anti-oxidant effects.