Knocking down a DNA demethylase gene affects potato plant defense against a specialist insect herbivore.

DNA demethylase (DML) is involved in plant development and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses; however, its role in plant-herbivore interaction remains elusive. Here, we found that herbivory by the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella, rapidly induced the genome-wide DNA methylation and accumulation of DML gene transcripts in potato plants. Herbivory induction of DML transcripts was suppressed in jasmonate-deficient plants, whereas exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) improved DML transcripts, indicating that the induction of DML transcripts by herbivory is associated with jasmonate signaling. Moreover, P. operculella larvae grew heavier on DML gene (StDML2) knockdown plants than on wild-type plants, and the decreased biosynthesis of jasmonates in the former may be responsible for this difference, since the larvae feeding on these two genotypes supplemented with MeJA showed similar growth. In addition, P. operculella adult moths preferred to oviposit on StDML2 knockdown plants than on wild-type plants, which was associated with the reduced emission of ß-caryophyllene in the former. In addition, supplementing ß-caryophyllene to these two genotypes further disrupted moths' oviposit choice preference for them. Interestingly, in StDML2 knockdown plants, hypermethylation was found at the promoter regions for the key genes StAOS and StAOC in the jasmonate biosynthetic pathway, as well as for the key gene StTPS12 in ß-caryophyllene production. Our findings suggest that knocking down StDML2 can affect herbivore defense via jasmonate signaling and defense compound production in potato plants.

Edible and Medicinal Progress of Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius) in China.

As an important resource insect, the Cryptotympana atrata is widely distributed in the eastern and central parts of China. The cicada slough is one of the traditional crude drugs in East Asia, and the main component is polysaccharide, which has the functions of anti-convulsion, relieving asthma and improving lipid metabolism. The parasitoid fungus Cordyceps cicadae, which grows inside the cicada nymphs and forms the fruiting bodies on the surface of the host's carcass, is also known as the "cicada flower" in China. The Cordyceps cicadae is another old, traditional Chinese medicine, which has been used as a tonic and medicine to nourish and regulate human immunity for centuries. For the further development and utilization of the golden cicada, this paper summarized the C. atrata from the aspects of their biological characteristics, distribution area, life cycle, history of edible and medicinal use, edible methods and nutritional compositions; emphatically introduced the edible and potential medicinal value of the C. atrata; and specifically expounded the research progress of its application. As one popular insect food, the prospects for the development of C. atrata have also been put forward, especially in artificial breeding technology, food safety risk assessment and medicinal value utilization.

Oleoylethanolamide ameliorates motor dysfunction through PPARα-mediates oligodendrocyte differentiation and white matter integrity after ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Our previous study has revealed that OEA promotes motor function recovery in the chronic stage of ischemic stroke. However, the neuroprotective mechanism of OEA on motor function recovery after stroke still is unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the effects of OEA treatment on angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and white matter repair in the peri-infarct region after cerebral ischemia. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE: The adult male rats were subjected to 2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion. The rats were treated with 10 and 30 mg/kg OEA or vehicle daily starting from day 2 after ischemia induction until they were sacrificed. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that OEA increased cortical angiogenesis, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) proliferation, migration, and differentiation. OEA treatment enhanced the survival of newborn neurons and oligodendrogenesis, which eventually repaired the cortical neuronal injury and improved motor function after ischemic stroke. Meanwhile, OEA treatment promoted the differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) and oligodendrogenesis by activating the PPARα signaling pathway. Our results showed that OEA restores motor function by facilitating cortical angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and white matter repair in rats after ischemic stroke. Therefore, we demonstrate that OEA facilitates functional recovery after ischemic stroke and propose the hypothesis that the long-term application of OEA mitigates the disability after stroke.

Dissected Leaf 1 encodes an MYB transcription factor that controls leaf morphology in potato.

KEY MESSAGE: The transcription factor StDL1 regulates dissected leaf formation in potato and the genotype frequency of recessive Stdl1/Stdl1, which results in non-dissected leaves, has increased in cultivated potatoes. Leaf morphology is a key trait of plants, influencing plant architecture, photosynthetic efficiency and yield. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), the third most important food crop worldwide, has a diverse leaf morphology. However, despite the recent identification of several genes regulating leaf formation in other plants, few genes involved in potato leaf development have been reported. In this study, we identified an R2R3 MYB transcription factor, Dissected Leaf 1 (StDL1), regulating dissected leaf formation in potato. A naturally occurring allele of this gene, Stdl1, confers non-dissected leaves in young seedlings. Knockout of StDL1 in a diploid potato changes the leaf morphology from dissected to non-dissected. Experiments in N. benthamiana and yeast show that StDL1 is a transcriptional activator. Notably, by calculating the genotype frequency of the Stdl1/Stdl1 in 373-potato accessions, we found that it increases significantly in cultivated potatoes. This work reveals the genetic basis of dissected leaf formation in potato and provides insights into plant leaf morphology.

Jujuboside B inhibits febrile seizure by modulating AMPA receptor activity.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Febrile seizure is a common neurologic disorder with limited treatment occurring in infants and children under the age of five. Jujuboside B (JuB) is a main bioactive saponin component isolated from the Chinese anti-insomnia herbal medicine Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), seed of Ziziphus jujuba Mill, which has been proved to exhibit neuroprotective effects recently. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we aimed at elucidating the effect of JuB on suppressing febrile seizure and the potential mechanisms. METHODS: Electroencephalogram (EEG) recording was used to monitor the severity of febrile seizures. The JuB in the brain was identified by mass spectrometry. Neuronal excitability was investigated using patch clamp. RESULTS: JuB (30 mg/kg) significantly prolonged seizure latency and reduced the severity in hyperthermia-induced seizures model mice. Hippocampal neuronal excitability was significantly decreased by JuB. And JuB significantly reduced the excitatory synaptic transmission mediated by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-iso-xazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR), including evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs), and miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs) in hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, JuB also significantly inhibited recombinant GluA1 and GluA2 mediated AMPA current in HEK293 cell and decreased the upregulation of [Ca2+]i induced by AMPA in primary cultured cortex neurons. CONCLUSIONS: JuB suppressed the excitability of hippocampal neurons by inhibiting the activity of AMPAR and reducing the intracellular free calcium, thereby relieving febrile seizures.

Shugan Huoxue Huayu Fang attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats by inhibiting transforming growth factor-ß1/Smad signaling.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential mechanism by which Shugan Huoxue Huayu Fang (SGHXHYF) ameliorates liver fibrosis. METHODS: Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in peanut oil solution (40%, 3 mL/kg body weight) twice a week for 8 weeks. A normal control group received the same volume of peanut oil alone. During weeks 5-8, the CCl4-injected rat groups were administered saline (vehicle control), colchicine (0.1 mg/mL, 1 mg/kg, positive control), or SGHXHYF (0.1 mg/mL; 0.3, 0.6 and 1.2 mg/kg) once daily by oral gavage. Rats were sacrificed 24 h after the last treatment. Blood samples were collected for measurement of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin (ALB), collagen Ⅰ and collagen Ⅲ levels. Liver samples were analyzed by histopathological staining, Masson's staining of extracellular matrix proteins, and immune-ohistochemical staining of αsmooth muscle actin (α-SMA). TGF-ß1/Smad protein and mRNA levels were analyzed by Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis, respectively. In vitro experiments were also performed using rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). RESULTS: Compared with the control animals, CCl4-exposed rats exhibited elevated serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, collagen I, and collagen III; reduced serum levels of ALB; and increased collagen deposition and αSMA expression in liver sections, reflecting liver fibrosis. CCl4 also increased expression of TGF-ß1 and the activated (phosphorylated) forms of Smad2 and Smad3 but reduced expression of the negative regulator Smad7 in the liver. Notably, concomitant administration of SGHXHYF to CCl4-exposed rats was found to significantly reverse or abolish the pro-fibrotic effects of CCl4 in the liver and reduced serum transferase levels. Analysis of HSCs in vitro confirmed that, mechanistically, SGHXHYF inhibited activation of the TGF-ß1/Smad signaling pathway by downregulating phosphorylated Smad2 and Smad3 and upregulating Smad7 levels. CONCLUSION: SGHXHYF ameliorated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-ß1/Smad signaling pathway. These findings suggest that SGHXHYF may have clinical utility for the treatment or prevention of liver fibrosis.

A nonS-locus F-box gene breaks self-incompatibility in diploid potatoes.

Potato is the third most important staple food crop. To address challenges associated with global food security, a hybrid potato breeding system, aimed at converting potato from a tuber-propagated tetraploid crop into a seed-propagated diploid crop through crossing inbred lines, is under development. However, given that most diploid potatoes are self-incompatible, this represents a major obstacle which needs to be addressed in order to develop inbred lines. Here, we report on a self-compatible diploid potato, RH89-039-16 (RH), which can efficiently induce a mating transition from self-incompatibility to self-compatibility, when crossed to self-incompatible lines. We identify the S-locusinhibitor (Sli) gene in RH, capable of interacting with multiple allelic variants of the pistil-specific S-ribonucleases (S-RNases). Further, Sli gene functions like a general S-RNase inhibitor, to impart SC to RH and other self-incompatible potatoes. Discovery of Sli now offers a path forward for the diploid hybrid breeding program.

Carbon materials for extraction of uranium from seawater.

With the rapid growth of population and industrialization, the energy crisis and environmental pollution as two main difficulties urgently need to be solved nowadays. The development and utilization of nuclear energy is of great significance for solving energy support, national security and environmental protection. As the raw material of nuclear energy, a lot of uranium in seawater provide a guarantee for the sustainable and green development of nuclear power plants. Recently, various new carbon-based materials (e.g., carbon nanofibers, multiwalled carbon nanotube, graphene) have been attracted widely intense interest in extraction of uranium from seawater due to large specific surface area, excellent acid-base resistance, high adsorption performance, environmental friendly and low cost. Thus, the systematic reviews concerning the extraction of uranium from seawater on various carbon-based materials were highly desirable. In this review, the extraction methods of uranium from seawater, including electrochemical, photocatalytic and adsorption methods are briefly introduced. Then the application and mechanism of four generation carbon-based materials on the extraction of uranium from seawater are systematically reviewed in details. Finally, the current challenges and future trends of uranium extraction from seawaters are proposed. This review provides the guideline for designing carbon-based materials with high adsorption capacity and exceptional selectivity for U(VI) extraction from seawater.

The efficacy of moxibustion and acupuncture therapy for ankylosing spondylitis: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ankylosing spondylitis is a complex and progressive autoimmune inflammatory disease with a worldwide prevalence ranging up to 0.9%. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of traditional Chinese medicine alternative therapies, such as acupuncture or moxibustion, have demonstrated the effectiveness of moxibustion and acupuncture in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. However, there is no relevant literature to comprehensively evaluate the evidence. The purpose of this overview is to synthesize and evaluate the reliability of evidence generated in the systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis of moxibustion and acupuncture as a primary or complementary therapy for patients with ankylosing spondylitis. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched for systematic reviews and meta-analysis that review the efficacy of acupuncture or moxibustion as the primary treatment for patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis. The literature published before August 2020 will be selected. Additionally, the relevant SRs and meta-analyses that unpublished or ongoing will be searched in PROSPERO and INPLASY. The methodological guidelines for overviews will be used to review and extract data by 2 reviewers, and their will do it independently. Methodology quality will be analyzed by the assessment of multiple systematic reviews-2and the risk of bias by POBIS. For the included studies, we will adopt the following results as primary evaluation indicators: effective rate, visual analogue scale and bath AS disease activity index. Reviewers will assess the certainty of evidence by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. RESULTS: The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: This overview will provide comprehensive evidence of moxibustion and acupuncture for patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Selenium and anthocyanins share the same transcription factors R2R3MYB and bHLH in wheat.

Anthocyanins and selenium have vital biological functions for human and plants, they were investigated thoroughly and separately in plants. Previous studies indicated pigmented fruits and vegetables had higher selenium concentration, but whether there is a relationship between anthocyanins and selenium is unclear. In this study, a combined phenotypic and genotypic methodological approach was undertaken to explore the potential relationship between anthocyanins and selenium accumulation by using phenotypic investigation and RNA-seq analysis. The results showed that pigmented cultivars enrichment in Se is a general phenomenon observed for these tested species, this due to pigmented cultivars have higher Se efficiency absorption. Se flow direction mainly improve concentration of S-rich proteins of LMW-GS. This may be a result of the MYB and bHLH co-regulate anthocyanins biosynthesis and Se metabolism at the transcriptional level. This thesis addresses a neglected aspect of the relevant relationship between anthocyanins and selenium.

Efficacy and safety of thunder-fire moxibustion for patients with knee osteoarthritis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a major public health issue because it causes pain and functional limitation in patients. Many studies have reported that moxibustion, a treatment in traditional Chinese medicine, is effective in treating KOA. The aim of this protocol is to develop a standard in advance for synthesize and assess the efficacy and safety of thunder-fire moxibustion for KOA from these randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The 2 commentators will screen 7 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database) for randomized controlled trials that can be included from the time the database is built up until publication in December 2020. The original study that randomized control trials of thunder-fire moxibustion for patients with KOA will be selected and is not limited by country or language. In addition, researches in progress, the reference lists, and the citation lists of identified publications will be retrieved similarly. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of the quality will be performed independently by 2 reviewers who have been trained before data extraction. A meta-analysis will be conduct if the quantity and quality of the original studies included are satisfactory; otherwise, a descriptive analysis will be conducted. Review Manager 5.4 software (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) will be using for data synthesis and assessment the risk of bias according to Cochrane Handbook. RESULT: This study will provide a comprehensive review of current evidence for the treatment of thunder-fire moxibustion on KOA. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this study will provide a judging basis that whether the treatment of KOA with thunder-fire moxibustion is effective. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020100012.

Effectiveness and safety of fire needle for knee osteoarthritis: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of curative medical treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Acupuncture represents an important alternative therapy. In various forms of acupuncture and moxibustion, the fire needle is an indispensable part. Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a series of symptoms and signs of knee joint caused by local injury and inflammation and chronic strain of the knee joint resulting in cartilage degeneration of the articular surface and reactive bone loss of the subchondral bone plate. The results of clinical trial indicated that the fire needle therapy has obvious curative effect in treating KOA. This protocol is intended to describe how to collate and accumulate evidence for the current efficient and safe treatment of KOA with fire needle. METHODS: Seven electronic databases were used to retrieve the literature for the KOA randomized controlled trials, including 3 English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [Cochrane Library]), and 4 Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database). This systematic review will include all randomized controlled clinical trials using fire needle therapy for KOA. The observation Index is the Change of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index Total, first proposed by Bellamy in 1988. The selection of the study will be completed independently by 2 reviewers, extract the data, and evaluate the quality of the study before selecting the title, abstract, and full text. Revman 5.4 software will be used to perform meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials, where risk ratios for dichotomous data and standardized or weighted mean differences for continuous data are the results. RESULT: The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide the latest evidence to evaluate the safety and efficacy of fire needle therapy in patients with KOA. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080030.

Forkhead transcription factor FOXO1 is involved in hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced gonadotropin-releasing hormone decline.

Previously, it has been demonstrated that aging is associated with nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-mediated hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) decrease. The hypothalamus is one of the brain regions that are vulnerable to ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, it is unclear whether ischemia-reperfusion has an influence on the hypothalamic GnRH release. In the current study, GT1-7 cells, which are a cell line of hypothalamic GnRH neurons, were subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation to mimic ischemia-reperfusion. The effect of hypoxia-reoxygenation on the hypothalamic GnRH release was investigated. It was found that GnRH secretion from GT1-7 cells was decreased under the hypoxia-reoxygenation condition. Mechanistic studies revealed that hypoxia-reoxygenation activated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) via the protein kinase B (Akt)/forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) pathway, thereby inhibiting gnrh1 gene. The results of the current study suggested that hypoxia-reoxygenation injury may facilitate the hypothalamic programming of system aging through impairment of hypothalamic GnRH release.

The effectiveness of moxibustion for treating of low back pain: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is a common clinical chronic disease with symptoms of back soreness, numbness, and pain. The incidence of low back pain is high, and gradually increases with age. It is mainly middle-aged and has a high recurrence rate. It is considered to be one of the common diseases with the highest disability rate. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion therapy for low back pain. METHODS: Two reviewers will electronically search the following databases: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL);PubMed; EMBASE; China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI); Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM); Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database); and Wan-Fang Database from the inception, without restriction of publication status and languages. Additional searching including researches in progress, the reference lists and the citation lists of identified publications. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of study quality will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. If it is appropriate for a meta-analysis, RevMan 5.4 statistical software will be used; otherwise, a descriptive analysis will be conducted. Data will be synthesized by either the fixed-effects or random-effects model according to a heterogeneity test. The results will be presented as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous data and weight mean difference (WMD) or standard mean difference (SMD) 95% CIs for continuous data. RESULTS: This study will provide a comprehensive review of the available evidence for the treatment of moxibustion with low back pain. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusions of our study will provide an evidence to judge whether moxibustion is an effective and safe intervention for patients with low back pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080027.

Efficacy of fire needle on patients of facial spasm: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: Facial spasm causes a lot of troubles to patients daily life and seriously affects their mental and physical health. Relevant studies have shown that fire needle therapy has certain benefits for facial spasm, is an integral part of acupuncture therapy. However, there is no unanimous conclusion. The main purpose of our study is to measure whether fire needle therapy is effective for facial spasm. METHODS: The following electronic databases will be searched for the collection of fire-needle related randomized controlled trials (RCTS) for facial spasm, including 4 English databases (Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Pubmed) and 3 Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], Wanfang data, Chinese VIP Information). The cure rate and total effective rate are the main outcomes, while the intensity, frequency, recurrence rate and adverse events are the secondary outcomes. We will use Endnote software X9 for study selection, Review Manager software 5.4 and STATA 13.0 software for analysis and synthesis. RESULTS: We will evaluate the efficacy of fire needles in the treatment of facial spasm in combination with current studies. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this study will provide evidence for the efficacy of fire needle in the treatment of facial spasm. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080036.

Plum-blossom needle plus Chinese herbal medicine for alopecia areata: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common, inflammatory, nonscarring type of hair loss that is characterized by depression, anxiety and social isolation. In recent years, Plum-blossom needle plus Chinese herbal medicine has gradually shown its clinical advantages and been more and more widely used in China. Whereas, there has been no systematic review and meta-analysis. The purpose of this study is to estimate the safety and effectiveness of Plum-blossom needle plus Chinese herbal medicine in AA treatment. METHODS: Seven databases as following: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database (CBM) will be searched from their inception to August 2020. Two reviewers (LBL and ZYZ) will respectively regulate research selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. A third reviewer will be settled to consulting, if necessary. Review Manager Software 5.4 will be implemented for this study. RESULTS: The results will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. This meta-analysis will provide a synthetic review of the credible evidence for the treatment of Plum-blossom needle plus Chinese herbal medicine with AA. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis expects to provide high-quality evidence regarding the synergistic effect of Plum-blossom needle plus Chinese herbal medicine treatment for AA.

Efficacy and safety of fire needle vs conventional acupuncture in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: Fire needle therapy has the double function of acupuncture and moxibustion, which has both the stimulation of needle and the warm stimulation of moxibustion. As an important part of acupuncture and moxibustion, fire needle has been widely used in clinical treatment since ancient times in China. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a kind of chronic and solid neuropathic pain with persistent and intense pain after the skin lesion of sores has been completely eliminated. The clinical treatment of PHN is mostly integrated therapy. In recent years, many literatures have reported that the curative effect of fire needle on PHN is accurate. The purpose of this protocol is to describe how to accumulate evidence for further understanding of the status quo and reliability of clinical practice in the treatment of PHN with fire needle. METHODS: Seven electronic databases were used to retrieve the literature for the PHN randomized controlled trials, including 3 English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [Cochrane Library]) and 4 Chinesedatabases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database). This systematic review will include all randomized controlled clinical trials using fireneedle therapy for PHN. Pain intensity, safety and cost, quality of life, global perceptionare outcomes. The selection of the study will be completed independently by 2 reviewers, extract the data, and evaluate the quality of the study before selecting the title, abstract, and full text. Revman 5.4 software will be used to perform meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials, where risk ratios for dichotomous data and standardized or weighted mean differences for continuous data are the results. RESULT: Conclusion:This proposed systematic review will provide up-to-date evidence to assess the effect of fire needle for patients with PHN. REGISTRATION: INPLASY202080029.

Effect of fire needle for ganglion cysts: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Ganglion cysts (GCs) are tumor-like lesions that often occur in the soft tissues, which are mostly caused by the degeneration of mucin produced by the joint capsule and tendon sheath on the carpal dorsal joints of extremities. GCs may appear asymptomatic as benign tumors, but some patients also seek treatment because of the pain caused by these fluid-filled cysts. As a kind of complementary and alternative therapy, there have been some studies published in China which have proved that the fire needle has a better therapeutic effect on ganglion cyst. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the efficacy of fire needle in the treatment of GCs. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched by 2 reviewers from the inception until August 2020. The original study that randomised control trials of fire needle for GCs will be selected and is not limited by country or language. In addition, researches in progress, the reference lists and the citation lists of identified publications will be retrieved similarly. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of the quality will be performed independently by 2 reviewers who have been trained prior to data extraction. A meta-analysis will be conduct if the quantity and quality of the original studies included are satisfactory; otherwise, a descriptive analysis will be conducted. Review Manager V5.4: (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) software will be using for data synthesis and assessment the risk of bias according by Cochrane Handbook. RESULT: This study will provide a comprehensive review of current evidence for the treatment of fire needle on GCs. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this study will provide a judging basis that whether the treatment of GCs with fire needle is effective. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080032.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion for peripheral facial paralysis: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) seriously affects patients' quality of life and work and even causes psychological problems such as anxiety and depression for them. Acupuncture (ACU) and moxibustion have been widely used to treat the disease with satisfactory results. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have reported the effectiveness of acupuncture for patients with PFP. However, the evidence has not been systematically synthesized. This overview aims to synthesize and assess the reliability of evidence generated from these systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses of ACU and moxibustion for PFP. METHODS: We will make a comprehensive retrieval in 9 databases as following: (1) Embase; (2) Cochrane Library; (3) Pubmed; (4) Chinese databases SinoMed (previously called the Chinese Biomedical Database); (5) Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI); (6) Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP); (7) Wanfang Data (WF). The time is limited from the construction of the library to August 2020. We will use the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) tool to evaluate methodological quality. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) will be used in the report checklist to assess the quality of reports in the study. The Grading of the Classification of Recommendations, Evaluation, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) will be used to evaluate the included SRs and meta-analysis. Our reviewers will conduct systematic reviews, qualification evaluation, data extraction, methodological quality and evidence quality screening in pairs. The outcomes of interest include: the effective rate, the House-Brackmann (H-B) score, cure rate, and side effects. Or any other scale used to assess the level of illness. The evidence will be synthesized where appropriate based on patient subgroups and outcomes. RESULTS: The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: This overview will provide comprehensive evidence of ACU and moxibustion for patients with PFP. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080016.

Acupuncture with or without moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) occurs during menstrual cramps, and there is currently no pathological evidence. This disease severely affects the daily lives of young women. Acupuncture (ACU) and moxibustion are an excellent way to relieve the pain of patients with PD. And it has been widely utilizing. However, the effectiveness and safety of ACU and moxibustion in treating patients with PD are not confirmed by a high-quality meta-analysis. This work aims to evaluate ACU's efficacy and safety with or without moxibustion in the management of PD. METHODS: We will make a comprehensive retrieval in 9 databases as following: Embase; Cochrane Library; PubMed; Chinese databases SinoMed (previously called the Chinese Biomedical Database); Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure; Chinese Scientific Journals Database; Wanfang Data. The time is limited from the construction of the library to August 2020. No restrictions about language and status. Our 2 authors will perform the selection of studies, the extraction of data, and the quality assessment with the risk of bias tool independently. We will use NoteExpressV3.2.0 and Excel2010 software to extract data. The content will be saved in electronic form. We will use the bias risk tool provided by the Cochrane Collaboration to evaluate the quality of the literature using RevMan 5.4 software. The primary outcome is the pain degree evaluation, including visual analog scale, numerical rating scale, Cox retrospective symptom scale, or any other scale used to evaluate the level of pain.Furthermore, the response rate involved an overall reduction in symptoms. The adverse effects and quality of life will be assessed as secondary outcomes. The risk ratio for dichotomous data and mean differences with a 95% confidence interval for continuous data will be adopted to express the effect and safety of ACU with or without moxibustion for PD. RESULTS: The results of our study expect to provide high-quality, evidence-based recommendations on further treatment for clinicians. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080006. CONCLUSION: This study will provide scientific evidence of PD Systematic review.