WU Zhongchao's experience in treatment of allergic rhinitis by acupuncture-moxibustion at "band-like function zone of back-shu points". / 吴中朝针灸背俞功能带治疗变应性鼻炎经验撷要.

The paper introduces professor WU Zhongchao's clinical experience in treatment of allergic rhinitis by acupuncture and moxibustion. Allergic rhinitis is closely associated with the dysfunction of lung, spleen and kidney. Based on the theory of "band-like function zone of back-shu points", the main acupoints related to the affected zangfu organs are selected to enhance the conductivity, regulate zangfu function and strengthen the antipathogenic qi specially; and the supplementary points are combined in terms of syndrome/pattern differentiation so that both symptoms and root causes of the disease can be treated simultaneously, the symptoms of allergic rhinitis be attenuated and the recurrence be prevented.

Application of clinical value assessment of treatment protocols in guideline development: taking the WFAS Clinical Practice Guideline of Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Migraine as an example. / 治疗方案临床价值评估在指南制定中的应用.

To enhance the clinical applicability of guidelines and provide more effective guidance for clinical practice, a clinical value assessment was conducted during the development of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) Clinical Practice Guideline of Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Migraine, which involved the evaluation of 59 acupuncture and moxibustion treatment protocols from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This article introduced the methodology, content and results of the clinical value assessment of RCT-based acupuncture and moxibustion treatment protocols, which involved the integration of historical and contemporary medical evidence and expert consensus. It served as a methodological reference for the future development of acupuncture and moxibustion clinical practice guidelines.

Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Prophylactic Treatment of Migraine: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.

It is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and provide evidence-based medical support for acupuncture as a prophylactic treatment for migraines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to April 2022 are included in 14 databases. Pairwise meta-analysis is conducted using STATA software V14.0, while Windows Bayesian Inference Using Gibbs Sampling (WinBUGS V.1.4.3) is applied to generate Bayesian Network Meta-analysis (NMA) using Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. Forty RCTs are included, with 4405 participants. The effectiveness of six acupuncture techniques, three types of prophylactic drugs, and psychotherapy are compared and ranked. Acupuncture outperformed prophylactic drugs in terms of diminishing visual analog scale (VAS) score, migraine attack frequency, and days during the treatment and at the 12-week follow-up. At the 12-week follow-up, the effectiveness of various interventions is ranked as follows: manual acupuncture (MA) > electroacupuncture (EA) > calcium antagonists (CA) in reducing VAS score; MA > EA > CA in reducing migraine attack frequency; MA > EA > ß-receptor blocker and CA in reducing headache attack days. Acupuncture is a promising treatment for migraine prevention. The best option of acupuncture for improving various migraine outcomes has changed over time. However, the quality of included trials and NMA inconsistency limited the credibility of the conclusion.

[Study on key outcome indexes in treatment of migraine with acupuncture and moxibustion].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the key outcome indexes in treatment of migraine with acupuncture and moxibustion. METHODS: Using literature research, questionnaire survey and consensus conference, the key outcome indexes in treatment of migraine with acupuncture and moxibustion were screened and prioritized. RESULTS: The critical outcome indexes for the treatment in attack stage of migraine included 6 effectiveness outcome indexes (headache intensity, headache duration, headache relieve time, effectiveness and level of headache relief within 2 h, headache-related quality of life, level of headache relief within 24 h) and 1 safety outcome index (incidence of serious adverse reactions). The critical outcome indexes for prophylactic treatment included 6 effectiveness outcome indexes (headache day, headache frequency, headache intensity, effective rate, headache-related quality of life, health-related quality of life) and 1 safety outcome index (incidence of serious adverse reactions). CONCLUSION: In terms of the attack stage treatment and prophylactic treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion, the outcome indexes are different, among which, those can directly reflect the conditions of migraine should be optioned in priority. To assess the effectiveness of attack stage, the headache intensity is preferred, using the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and the preferred time is 2 hours after treatment. Regarding the effectiveness of prophylactic treatment, the headache day, headache frequency and headache intensity should be firstly considered in the assessment, in which, the preferred time for assessment is 12 weeks into treatment, while, the best time for follow-up should be 12 weeks after treatment completion. When the quality of life is considered, the migraine-specific quality of life questionnaire (MSQ) is the top option. For either the attack stage treatment or the prophylactic treatment, the high attention should be laid on the outcome indexes for safety and medical economics evaluation.

[Therapeutic material basis of Daqinglong Decoction: based on serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology].

Based on the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) technology, the components of Daqinglong Decoction absorbed in serum were analyzed and identified, and the therapeutic material basis of the prescription was revealed via network pharmacology. UPLC conditions are as follows: Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.7 µm), mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile(B), gradient elution. Peakview 2.0 and MetabolitePilot 1.5 were employed for the comparison of Daqinglong Decoction, blank serum, and serum after the administration of the decoction, and the components of Daqinglong Decoction absorbed in serum were analyzed based on MS/MS profiles in related database and literature. The targets of the components absorbed in serum were retrieved from SwissTargetPrediction, DrugBank, and Batman-TCM. With the search terms of common cold, influenza, flu, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, rhinallergosis, allergic coryza, rheumatic arthritis, and nephritis, the related disease targets were screened out. Then the absorbed component-potential target gene network and absorbed component target-disease target network were constructed, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of the core targets. iGEMDOCK was employed for molecular docking of the absorbed components and core targets. In the serum after the administration of the decoction, 28 components were preliminarily identified, with 21 prototypes and 7 metabolites. Among them, 5 core components of ephedrine, demethylephedrine, glycyrrhetinic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 2-methoxybenzoic acid were screened out, and 9 core targets, such as JUN, tumor protein 53(TP53), and protein kinase B(AKT1), were identified. Molecular docking showed high binding affinity of core components and core targets. Therefore, Daqinglong Decoction may exert therapeutic effect by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK), cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP), and cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP)-protein kinase G(PKG) signaling pathways and further improving and regulating inflammatory response and other physiological and pathological processes. This study clarifies the components of Daqinglong Decoction absorbed in serum and explores the therapeutic material basis of the prescription, which provides a reference for further elucidating the mechanism of Daqinglong Decoction and its clinical application.

Exploring the mechanism of Qinbaiqingfei-concentrate pills in the treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia from the perspective of intestinal microbiota and mucosal immunity.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditional Chinese medicine categorizes Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia as "lung heat", and treatment with heat clear and detoxify. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the lungs and intestines come from the same source, and the intestine is related to pneumonia. This is the same as the gut-lung axis theory. Qinbaiqingfei concentrate pills (QBs) were modified based on Cough San in the ancient medical book Medical Awareness. It clears lung heat, moisturizes the lungs and dredges collaterals, and has a good ability to treat Mycoplasma pneumoniae. AIM OF THE STUDY: A rat model of Mycoplasma pneumoniae was established. From the aspect of intestinal flora and mucosal immunity, the potential mechanism of the QBs was researched. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, the content of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in lung tissue and the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α and INF-γ were detected. To determine the expression of NF-kB related proteins in lung tissue, which can understand the ability in treating disease. Next, metagenomic sequencing was performed to detect changes in short-chain fatty acids, proving the ability of the drug to regulate intestinal microecology. Finally, HDAC, LPS, SIgA, etc. were detected to facilitate the correlation of the overall experimental indicators. RESULTS: QBs reduces the levels of IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α and INF-γ in the serum by inhibiting the expression of MyD88, IKKα, IκBα, and NF-κB p65 in lung tissue. In addition, QBs restores the ratio of gram-negative bacteria to gram-positive bacteria in the intestine, restores the secretion of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid and isovaleric acid, and promotes the secretion of NF-κB p65 and SIgA by HDAC1/3. The result is that the lung tissue is repaired and the proliferation of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: From the "gut-lung axis", a new research perspective was discovered. QBs intervened in the intestines and lungs to treat Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

[Problems in randomized controlled trial on acupuncture and moxibustion for migraine in the development of international standard of Guideline for Clinical Practice of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Migraine].

Regarding the development of international standard of Guideline for Clinical Practice of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Migraine, the existing problems of the design and methodology of randomized controlled trial (RCT) on acupuncture and moxibustion for migraine were summarized in views of participant, intervention, control, outcome and study design. Four directions need to be further explored, (1) research of adolescent migraine, special subtype of migraine and migraine in a special population; (2) research of the immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture and moxibuation at the attack stage of migraine and the therapeutic effect of migraine at each stage; (3) research on safety and health economics; (4) clinical trial registration of acupuncture and moxibustion. In study, the target population should be further determined and specialized, the diagnosis criteria of western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine be generalized and concentrated, the staging and type division of disease be accurate, the intervention procedure be integrated, the control design be rationalized, the outcomes be validated, and the description of randomization and blinding be clarified.

Investigation and Analysis of the Key Objectives of WFAS "Technical Specifications of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: General Rules for the Drafting".

OBJECTIVE: To determine the key objectives of WFAS "Technical Specifications of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: General Rules for the Drafting" (hereinafter referred to as General Rules). METHODS: From the medical institutions, colleges, and scientific research organizations at major levels in China and overseas, leading researchers and experts in the field of acupuncture-moxibustion standardization, as well as some experienced foreign specialists in acupuncture-moxibustion, were selected as the respondents. The questionnaire was prepared by using the website of Questionnaire Star, and 60 links of the questionnaire were sent out through e-mail. Excel was used to set up the database and conduct statistical analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-one valid questionnaires were collected with effective recovery rate of 85%, involving 9 countries (China, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, United States, and Canada) from 3 continents. Most experts agreed with us on the target people, structural elements, and text structure proposed in General Rules and held that the General Rules should emphasize the safety and international applicability and should stipulate in details the common problems (contraindications, indications, taboo crowd, target people, therapeutic effects) of various techniques and the specific contents of technical operation (manipulating techniques, selection of patient's body position and treated areas, disinfection and environmental requirements, selection of acupuncture-moxibustion instruments, cautions, needle retention time, treatment frequency, precise location of the acupoints, treatment course) in order to enhance the practicality and operability. CONCLUSION: The key objectives of General Rules mainly include target people, structural elements, text structure, safety requirements, common technical problems of acupuncture-moxibustion, and specific details of technical manipulations.

[Analysis of the results of international demand survey on Guideline for Clinical Practice of Acupuncture-Moxibustion: Migraine].

The survey is conducted prior to the development of international standard, Guideline for Clinical Practice of Acupuncture-Moxibustion: Migraine (Guideline) to determine the international demand. The survey includes 5 aspects, i.e. the application status of acupuncture and moxibustion abroad and the demand for the development of international standards, the priority of diseases developed by international standards, the necessity of the transformation of international standards from domestic standards, the key clinical problems to be solved by international standards, and the correlation between professional level and demand intention. The survey results show that the international demand of the Guideline is definite. Regarding the application range of acupuncture-moxibustion and the key clinical questions, the special consideration should be taken to the differences in the demands of the practitioners from different countries during the development of standard.

[Analysis on development necessity and key points for Technical Specification of Acupuncture- Moxibustion: General Rules of Drafting of international industry organization standard].

This paper analyzes the development necessity of a series of international technical specification of acupuncture-moxibustion from three aspects, the development status of global Technical Specification of Acupuncture-Moxibustion, providing technical support for acupuncture-moxibustion legislation and assisting standardized acupuncture-moxibustion research. The necessity of giving priority to the development of WFAS's Technical Specification of Acupuncture-Moxibustion: General Rules of Drafting (General Rules for short) in the series of standards is discussed from filling the field gap and following the international practice. The key points should be paid attention to in the development process of General Rules are summarized，such as improving practicality based on international perspective, enhancing authority by following international rules, improving international applicability by forming a professional team and ensuring high quality and objective neutrality of the General Rules.

[Triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) for trunk-sciatica].

OBJECTIVE: To compared the clinical effect between triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) and triple needling combined with electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) for trunk-sciatica. METHODS: A total of 56 patients with trunk-sciatica were randomized into a triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture group and a triple needling combined with electroacupuncture group, 28 cases in each group. In the triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture group, triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) was applied. In the triple needling combined with electroacupuncture group, triple needling combined with electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) was applied. Both groups were treated with acupuncture at Weizhong (BL 40), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Chengshan (BL 57). The treatment was given once every 2 days, 10 days as one course for 2 courses. Before treatment, 1, 2 courses into treatment, the scores of pain rating index (PRI), pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and present pain intensity (PPI) were observed, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: The PRI, VAS and PPI scores 1, 2 courses into treatment were decreased in the two groups (P<0.01, P<0.05), and those 2 courses into treatment were lower than 1 course into treatment (P<0.01). The variation of PRI, VAS and PPI scores in the triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture group was larger than the triple needling combined with electroacupuncture group (P<0.01). The total effective rate was 92.9% (26/28) in the triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture group, which was higher than 78.6% (22/28) in the triple needling combined with electroacupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) could effectively relieve pain in patients with trunk-sciatica, and the curative effect maybe better than triple needling combined with electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30).

[Analysis of chemical constituents of Ginseng-Douchi compound fermentation products based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS].

In this experiment, ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to analyze and identify chemical constituents of Ginseng-Douchi(GD) compound fermentation, and explore the conversion rules of ginsenosides and soybean isoflavones after compound fermentation. Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 µm) was adopted, with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution(B) as mobile phase for gradient elution; electrospray ion source(ESI) was used to collect data in positive and negative ion modes; according to the exact mass number, the secondary spectrum comparison of the database and the existing literature reports, Peakview 2.0/masterview 1.0 software was used to determine the common ion structure formula. Finally, a total of 133 chemical constituents were analyzed and identified from the GD. Ginseng saponins and isoflavone glycosides were significantly converted after fermentation. Among them, peak areas of prototype ginsenosides Rk_3, Rh_1, Rh_2, Rh_3, daidzin, glycitin and genistin decreased significantly; whereas peak areas of se-condary ginsenoside Rb_1, Rb_2, Rk_1, glycitein, genistein and daidzein increased significantly. In this experiment, liquid-mass spectrometry technique was used to investigate the conversion of active ingredients of GD compound fermented products after co-fermentation, so as to provide a scientific basis for elucidating pharmacodynamics material basis and quality control.

[Bibliometric analysis of refractory facial paralysis based on CNKI database].

The current development situation and the hotspot of the relevant research on refractory facial paralysis are explored. The articles on refractory facial paralysis are retrieved from CNKI database. The bibliographic items co-occurrence matrix builder (BICOMB) 2.0 is adopted to extract and analyze statistically literature characteristics and generate the high-frequency keywords matrix. The graphical clustering toolkit (gCLUTO) 1.0 is used to cluster the high-frequency keywords. A total of 750 articles are included, mostly published in Journal of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion (63 articles), Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion (54 articles) and Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (27 articles) separately. The number of published articles by the active first authors are accounted for 10.1% of the total. When the high-frequency keywords are clustered into 4 categories, the topics with good cluster effect including the inheritance of the experiences of famous doctors in the comprehensive treatment of refractory facial paralysis, the comprehensive treatment measures with the a quite high curative effect on refractory facial paralysis based on heat-sensitive moxibustion and those based on the intervention by enhancing acupoint stimulation effect, as well as the study on the comprehensive treatment measures. General speaking, the regimen of acupuncture and moxibustion is a hotspot in the study on refractory facial paralysis. Research fellows give the consideration on the inheritance of the experiences of famous doctors, adopt the comprehensive treatment methods and enhance the actions of "warming" and "promoting" in the regimen by focusing on the pathogenesis. Such an idea has certain enlightening role to the study on the treatment of refractory diseases.

[Needle-embedding treatment for hemifacial spasm: research progress].

The articles regarding needle-embedding treatment for hemifacial spasm published before September 30, 2019 were searched from SinoMed, Wanfang, CNKI, VIP and PubMed database, and were analyzed and summarized from treatment methods, acupoint selection, stage differentiation and action mechanism. As a result, 45 Chinese articles were obtained. The needle-embedding treatment was divided into intradermal needling and acupoint thread-embedding; the top five acupoints were Sibai (ST 2), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6) and spasm trigger points. The basic research of needle-embedding treatment for hemifacial spasm is weak, and the literature regarding stage differentiation is insufficient, which are in need of further study.

[Analysis on international demand investigation for technical specification of acupuncture- moxibustionthe and its general rules of drafting].

The electronic questionnaire was adopted to survey the international demand on Technical Specification of Acupuncture-Moxibustion: General Rules of Drafting (General Rules for short) to explore the potential problems during the application and provide the evidence for the development of international standard of General Rules. A total of 102 valid questionnaires were collected from 18 countries and regions. The priority of the demand for international standard on the technical specification of acupuncture-moxibustion is filiform needle, moxibustion, electroacupuncture, cupping, auricular acupuncture, scalp acupuncture and scraping. One hundred experts (98.04%) at home and abroad believe the necessity of the international standard development of General Rules. The awareness rate of the existing national standard of General Rules is 71.57% and the foreign experts think that its expression may be "unclear" and the domestic experts think it may be "lack of practicability". The domestic experts hope to highlight the commonness in the scope of the international standard of General Rules and the foreign experts hope to retain more individuality. Regarding the specific questions during the technique manipulations of acupuncture-moxibustion, there are the big differences in "relevant terminology" "preoperative preparation" and "adverse reaction and contraindications" at home and abroad. In order to improve the international compatibility and applicability, it is necessary to give full consideration to the needs of different countries in the development of international standard of General Rules and balance as far as possible between refining "common problems" and satisfying "individual needs".

[Transformation of the domestic standard (Guideline for Clinical Practice of Acupuncture-Moxibustion: Migraine) to international standard: in the perspective of the differences in clinical questions].

Through analyzing the differences in the clinical questions of Guideline for Clinical Practice of Acupuncture- Moxibustion: Migraine (Guideline) between the domestic standard and international standard (under development), the specific issues are determined in the transformation from domestic standard to international one. Taking acupuncture practitioners as investigation object, by means of the survey, the basic information and clinical questions were investigated. The survey results show that the following aspects should be supplemented in terms of the international requirements during the development of this international Guideline: suitable patient population, applicable types of disease, the optimal intervention time of acupuncture for migraine, common methods in treatment as well as the other involved health problems. Moreover, it needs to update the key clinical questions, recommended regimens for the newly supplemented types of disease, as well as the more specified assessment on therapeutic effect. The ultimate solution of these questions relies on the quality of clinical evidence.

Total extract of Xin Jia Xuan Bai Cheng Qi decoction inhibits pulmonary fibrosis via the TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathways in vivo and in vitro.

PURPOSE: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a common clinical disease, which results in serious respiratory impairment. Xin Jia Xuan Bai Cheng Qi Decoction (XJXBCQ) is a traditional prescription commonly used in treating lung diseases. We investigate the effect of XJXBCQ against PF and its mechanism via the regulation of TGF-ß1/Smad in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: XJXBCQ was first extracted and probed for chemical characterization. An PF model in vitro and in vivo was established in rats and in MRC-5 cells. In bleomycin (BLM)-induced rats model, lung function such as peak expiratory flow (PEF), minute ventilation (MV) and hydroxyproline (HYP) were measured; histopathological changes of lung tissue and TGF-ß1 in peripheral blood of rats were detected. TGF-ß receptor, Smad2 and its phosphorylation expression were tested by Western blot assay in rats model. Then the effects of XJXBCQ on TGF-ß1/Smad signal pathway were assessed by Western blot analysis in vitro, and IL-17A and IL-25 levels were evaluated by ELISA in vivo. RESULTS: Our results showed that XJXBCQ significantly enhanced the lung functions, such as PEF, MV and HYP, by reducing the expression level of lung inflammatory cytokine and the content and fibrosis of lung collagen. Moreover, XJXBCQ effectively inhibited TGF-ß1, Smad2 and its phosphorylation expression, and the activation of Smad7 in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, XJXBCQ had an inhibitory effect on the α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin (Fn) in vitro and downregulated IL-17A and IL-25 by inhibiting the activation of TGF-ß1/Smad signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. Further, XJXBCQ effectively inhibitied ventilation volume and peak expiratory content remodeling and hydroxyproline content through inhibition of TGF-ßRⅡ, Smad2 and its phosphorylation expression, and activation of Smad7 in vivo. CONCLUSION: XJXBCQ extract had an anti-PF effect in vitro and in vivo, which could be attributed to the inhibition of the expression of p-Smad2 and increase in the expression of Smad7 by regulating the TGF-ß1/Smad activity.

Effects of dietary supplementation with apple peel powder on the growth, blood and liver parameters, and transcriptome of genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus).

High-density aquaculture and nutritional imbalances may promote fatty liver in genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus), thus reducing the gains achieved by breeding. In this study, apple peel powder (APP) was used as a feed additive for GIFT. A control group (fed on a diet without APP) and five groups fed on diets supplemented with APP (at 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4%, or 0.8% of the diet, by weight) were established to investigate the effects of APP on GIFT growth performance and physiological parameters, and on gene expression as determined by transcriptomic analysis. Dietary supplementation with APP at 0.2% promoted GIFT growth, reduced total cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels in the serum and liver, and decreased alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities in the serum. Gene expression profiles in the liver were compared among the control, 0.2% APP, and 0.8% APP groups, and differentially expressed genes among these groups were identified. Annotation analyses using tools at the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in the regulation of immunity and fat metabolism. The results showed that excessive supplementation with APP in the diet significantly inhibited the expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 and liver-type fatty acid-binding protein, and stimulated the expression of fatty acid desaturase 2, heat shock protein 90 beta family member 1, and nuclear factor kappa B. This resulted in disordered lipid metabolism and increased pro-inflammatory reactions, which in turn caused liver damage. Therefore, APP has good potential as an environmentally friendly feed additive for GIFT at levels of 0.1%-0.2% in the diet, but excessive amounts can have adverse effects.

Identification and characterization of major constituents in Juglans mandshurica using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS).

The present study was designed to identify and characterize the major constituents in Juglans mandshurica Maxim. A simple, efficient and sensitive ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS) method was established and validated under positive and negative ion modes. The separation was performed on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.7 µm) by gradient elution with a mobile phase (Phase A: 0.1% aqueous formic acid solution, Phase B: 0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution). A total of 165 compounds were rapidly selected by Targeted and Non-Targeted Peak Finding approaches, and then tentatively identifled by comparing with reference substances or inferred through mass spectrometry fragment ion analysis and literature data. These compounds included 68 naphthalenequinones, 20 diarylheptanoids, 29 flavonoids, 20 triterpenes, and 28 phenolic acids. In conclusion, the present study provided an effective approach to identifying components in complex matrices of herbal medicines such as Juglans mandshurica Maxim.

[Efficacy on primary trigeminal neuralgia treated with triple puncture technique and electroacupuncture at trigger points].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy on primary trigeminal neuralgia between the combined therapy of electroacupuncture and triple puncture and the routine electroacupuncture therapy. METHODS: Thirty-six patients of primary trigeminal neuralgia were randomly assigned into an electroacupuncture and triple puncture group (group A) and a routine electroacupuncture group (group B), 18 cases in each one. In the group A, the triple puncture technique was used at the trigger points (the positive reactive points to trigger facial pain) and stimulated with electricity. In the group B, the regular needling technique was used at the trigger points, stimulated with electricity. The treatment was given once every two days, the treatment for 10 days made one session and two sessions were required. Separately, before treatment, at the end of the first session of treatment and at the end of the second session, the score of comprehensive symptoms, the score of visual analogue scale (VAS) and the cli-nical efficacy were evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with those before treatment, the comprehensive symptom score and VAS score were all reduced after treatment in the two groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The scores were reduced much more apparently in the group A as compared with those in the group B (both P<0.01). The curative and remarkably effective rate was 44.4% (8/18) and the total effective rate was 88.9% (16/18) in the group A, better than 27.8% (5/18) and 66.7% (12/18) in the group B respectively (both P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The combined therapy of triple puncture and electroacupuncture at trigger points achieves the better efficacy on primary trigeminal neuralgia as compared with the routine electroacupuncture therapy.