Retracted: Effect of Sham Acupuncture on Chronic Pain: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Along with increasing research on acupuncture for chronic pain, the validity of sham acupuncture (SA) has also been argued. METHODS: Nine databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the inception dates of the databases to July 5, 2022. With Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods, a Bayesian multiple-treatment network meta-analysis (NMA) with random-effects model was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 62 RCTs with 6,806 patients and four kinds of treatments (real acupuncture [RA], non-acupuncture [NA], penetrative SA [PSA], and non-penetrative SA [NPSA]) were included. The results indicated that both NPSA and PSA were not superior to NA in improving chronic pain (NPSA: mean difference [MD]= -4.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] -11.09 to 1.52; PSA: MD= -4.96, 95% CI -10.38 to 0.48). After NPSA and PSA were combined into the SA group, the weak trend of pain relief from SA was still not statistically significant (MD= -4.91, 95% CI -9.93 to 0.05). NPSA and PSA had similar effects (MD= 0.18, 95% CI -5.45 to 5.81). RA was significantly associated with pain relief, compared with NPSA and PSA (NPSA: MD= -12.03, 95% CI -16.62 to -7.41; PSA: MD= -11.85, 95% CI -15.48 to -8.23). The results were generally consistent regardless of pain phenotype, frequency, duration, acupuncture methods, analgesic intake, or detection bias. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that acupuncture was significantly associated with reduced chronic pain. The two kinds of placebo acupuncture, NPSA and PSA, have similar effects. Both NPSA and PSA, with a weak but not significant effect, are appropriate to be inert placebo controls in RCTs for chronic pain.

[Clinical observation on acupuncture for symptom burden in gastric cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy after gastrectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy of acupuncture on symptom burden in patients with gastric cancer during adjuvant chemotherapy after gastrectomy. METHODS: A total of 58 patients were randomized into a high-dose acupuncture group (19 cases, 5 cases dropped off), a low-dose acupuncture group (20 cases, 6 cases dropped off) and a control group (19 cases, 2 cases dropped off). Conventional chemotherapy and antiemetic treatment were adopted in the control group. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, acupuncture was applied 7 times each chemotherapy cycle for totally 21 times in the high-dose acupuncture group, and 3 times each chemotherapy cycle for totally 9 times in the low-dose acupuncture group. Baihui (GV 20), Zusanli (ST 36), Neiguan (PC 6), etc. were selected in the two acupuncture groups, as well as back-shu points selected by the meridian heat sensing technique. Electroacupuncture was connected to ipsilateral Zusanli (ST 36) and Neiguan (PC 6), with continuous wave, 2 Hz in frequency for 20 min. The Edmonton symptom assessment system (ESAS) score was observed on day 1-7, 14, and 21 of each cycle of chemotherapy respectively in the 3 groups. RESULTS: The symptom burden was worst within 7 days of each cycle of chemotherapy in the 3 groups. After the 3rd chemotherapy cycle, the total score of ESAS in the low-dose acupuncture group was lower than the control group (P<0.05), the total score and the scores of feeling of non-well being, pain and shortness of breath of ESAS in the acupuncture group (the high-dose acupuncture group combined with the low-dose acupuncture group) were lower than the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture shows promising effect in controlling symptom burden during adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy.

Erratum to "Qing-Kai-Ling Injection Acts Better Than Shen-Fu Injection in Enhancing the Antitumor Effect of Gefitinib in Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Models".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2021/9911935.].

Acupuncture for Quality of Life in Gastric Cancer Patients Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

CONTEXT: Patients with gastric cancer experience health-related quality of life (HRQOL) decline during adjuvant chemotherapy following gastrectomy. OBJECTIVES: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effect and feasibility of electro-acupuncture (EA) for HRQOL and symptom burden in these patients. METHODS: In this open-label, multicenter, parallel controlled trial, gastric cancer patients who planned to receive adjuvant chemotherapy were randomly assigned to receive high-dose EA (seven times each chemotherapy cycle for three cycles), low-dose EA (three times each chemotherapy cycle), or usual care only. The acupoints prescription consisted of bilateral ST36, PC6, SP4, and DU20, EX-HN3, and selected Back-shu points. Patients completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Gastric (FACT-Ga) weekly, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). The primary outcome was the difference among the groups on the gastric cancer subscale (GaCS) of the FACT-Ga. RESULTS: Of the 66 randomized patients, 58 were analyzed according to intention-to-treat principle, and 45 were in the per-protocol set (PPS). The average scores in PPS of GaCS were 52.12±9.71, 51.85±12.36, and 45.37±8.61 in high-dose EA, low-dose EA, and control groups, respectively. EA was significantly associated with improved average GaCS scores when compared with control group (51.98±10.91 vs. 45.37±8.61, P = 0.039). EA treatment also produced ESAS relief at the end of intervention (14.36 ± 12.28 vs. 23.91 ± 15.52, P = 0.027). Participants in EA groups had fewer grade ≥3 leukopenia (0% vs. 15.79%, P = 0.031) and neutropenia (2.56% vs. 26.31%, P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: EA showed promising effects in improving HRQOL, controlling symptom burden, and reducing toxicity during adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients. Future adequately powered trials are feasible and needed to confirm the specific effect of EA.

Qing-Kai-Ling Injection Acts Better Than Shen-Fu Injection in Enhancing the Antitumor Effect of Gefitinib in Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Models.

Patients with EGFR gene mutation often obtain de novo resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) or develop secondary resistance to EGFR-TKIs after taking EGFR-TKI therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with different treatment principles, in combination with EGFR-TKIs, plays an important role in the treatment of cancers including resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, inappropriate use of TCM herbs may induce resistance to gefitinib. Therefore, it is of a great value to evaluate which TCM treatment principle should be combined with EGFR-TKIs, and which one should be avoided, and find out the potential mechanisms. The lentiviral transfection assay was used for overexpression of PIK3CA mutation gene in PC-9 cells to construct PC-9-PIK3CA-mutation (PC-9-PIK3CA-M) cells. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and the expression of EGFR/PI3K/AKT and EGFR/RAS/RAF/ERK in PC-9-PIK3CA-M and H1975 cells treated by the typical cooling-heat drug, Qing-kai-ling (QKL) and Tan-re-qing (TRQ), or the typical warming-yang drug, Shen-fu (SF) and gefitinib treatment, were detected by MTT, Annexin V/PI double labeling, and Western blot assays, respectively. Tumor xenograft and immunohistochemistry experiments were carried out to confirm the in vitro findings. PC-9-PIK3CA-M cells were less sensitive to gefitinib, when compared with PC-9 cells. QKL injection and TRQ injection, not SF injection, combined with gefitinib induced significantly increased cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in PC-9-PIK3CA-M and H1975 cells. SF injection antagonized the effect of gefitinib in promoting cancer cell apoptosis. QKL injection and TRQ injection increased the sensitivity of gefitinib by inhibiting the phosphorylation of AKT or ERK in H1975 and PC-9-PIK3CA-M cells. Similar findings were observed in vivo in H1975 xenograft mouse model. QKL and TRQ, with cooling-heat TCM treatment principle, should be combined with gefitinib in the treatment of NSCLC. Furthermore, warming-yang drug SF should be avoided to be used together with EGFR-TKIs.

Virtual Screening Strategy Combined Bayesian Classification Model, Molecular Docking for Acetyl-CoA Carboxylases Inhibitors.

INTRODUCTION: Acetyl-CoA Carboxylases (ACC) have been an important target for the therapy of metabolic syndrome, such as obesity, hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and some other diseases. METHODS: In this study, virtual screening strategy combined with Bayesian categorization modeling, molecular docking and binding site analysis with protein ligand interaction fingerprint (PLIF) was adopted to validate some potent ACC inhibitors. First, the best Bayesian model with an excellent value of Area Under Curve (AUC) value (training set AUC: 0.972, test set AUC: 0.955) was used to screen compounds of validation library. Then the compounds screened by best Bayesian model were further screened by molecule docking again. RESULTS: Finally, the hit compounds evaluated with four percentages (1%, 2%, 5%, 10%) were verified to reveal enrichment rates for the compounds. The combination of the ligandbased Bayesian model and structure-based virtual screening resulted in the identification of top four compounds which exhibited excellent IC 50 values against ACC in top 1% of the validation library. CONCLUSION: In summary, the whole strategy is of high efficiency, and would be helpful for the discovery of ACC inhibitors and some other target inhibitors.

Pharmacophore identification of KSP inhibitors.

A three-dimensional pharmacophore model was developed based on 25 currently available KSP (kinesin spindle protein) inhibitors in Catalyst software package. The best pharmacophore hypothesis (Hypo1), consisting of four chemical features (one hydrogen-bond acceptor, one hydrogen-bond donor, one aromatic ring, and one hydrophobic group), has a correlation coefficient of 0.965. The results of our study provide a valuable tool in designing new leads with desired biological activity by virtual screening.