The Effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating Malignancies via Regulatory Cell Death Pathways and the Tumor Immune Microenvironment: A Review of Recent Advances.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has achieved high clinical efficacy in treating malignancies in recent years and is thus gradually becoming an important therapy for patients with advanced tumor for its benefits in reducing side effects and improving patients' immune status. However, it has not been internationally recognized for cancer treatment because TCM's anti-tumor mechanism is not fully elucidated, limiting its clinical application and international promotion. This review traced the mechanism of the TCM-mediated tumor cell death pathway and its effect on remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment, its direct impact on the microenvironment, its anti-tumor effect in combination with immunotherapy, and the current status of clinical application of TCM on tumor treatment. TCM can induce tumor cell death in many regulatory cell death (RCD) pathways, including apoptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis. In addition, TCM-induced cell death could increase the immune cells' infiltration with an anti-tumor effect in the tumor tissue and elevate the proportion of these cells in the spleen or peripheral blood, enhancing the anti-tumor capacity of the tumor-bearing host. Moreover, TCM can directly affect immune function by increasing the population or activating the sub-type immune cells with an anti-tumor role. It was concluded that TCM could induce a pan-tumor death modality, remodeling the local TIME differently. It can also improve the systemic immune status of tumor-bearing hosts. This review aims to establish a theoretical basis for the clinical application of TCM in tumor treatment and to provide a reference for TCM's potential in combination with immunotherapy in cancer treatment.

Round Acupuncture for the Treatment of Recurrent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Round Acupuncture having blunt end has developed from acupotomy. This case report is to find out that Round Acupuncture is effective in treating patients with recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which has not improved by steroid injection or acupotomy. METHODS: Round Acupuncture was inserted into the distal fibers of transverse carpal ligament and released toward the proximal fibers. Treatment was performed three times in total. T ingling, numbn ess, night pain and swelling sensation were assessed, and provocative maneuvers were also used. RESULTS: After treat ment, all symptoms completely disappeared and the patient had no recurrence until 3 months after treatment. CONCLUSION: Round Acupuncture co uld be an effective treatment for recurrent CTS.

Efficacy and safety of combined treatment of miniscalpel acupuncture and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: an assessor-blinded randomized controlled pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic neck pain is a common musculoskeletal disease during the lifespan of an individual. With an increase in dependence on computer technology, the prevalence of chronic neck pain is expected to rise and this can lead to socioeconomic problems. We have designed the current pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of miniscalpel acupuncture treatment combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with chronic neck pain. METHODS: This seven-week clinical trial has been designed as an assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial with three parallel arms. Thirty-six patients will be recruited and randomly allocated to three treatment groups: miniscalpel acupuncture treatment; NSAIDs; and miniscalpel acupuncture treatment combined with NSAIDs. Patients in the miniscalpel acupuncture and combined treatment groups will receive three sessions of miniscalpel acupuncture over a three-week period. Patients in the NSAIDs and combined treatment groups will receive zaltoprofen (one oral tablet, three times a day for three weeks). Primary and secondary outcomes will be measured at weeks 0 (baseline), 1, 2, 3 (primary end point), and 7 (four weeks after treatment completion) using the visual analogue scale and the Neck Disability Index, EuroQol 5-dimension questionnaire, and Patients' Global Impression of Change scale, respectively. Adverse events will also be recorded. DISCUSSION: This pilot study will provide a basic foundation for a future large-scale trial as well as information about the feasibility of miniscalpel acupuncture treatment combined with NSAIDs for chronic neck pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Korean Clinical Research Information Service registry, KCT0002258 . Registered on 9 March 2017.

Gastrodia elata blume and an active component, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol reduce focal ischemic brain injury through antioxidant related gene expressions.

Ischaemic stroke is a leading cause of death and long-lasting disability. Gastrodia elata blume (GEB) is a Chinese herb that is widely used to treat convulsive disorders, such as epilepsy, and p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA) is the active ingredient in GEB. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of GEB and HBA on the brain damage and transcriptional levels of Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) and 1-Cys peroxiredoxin (1-Cys Prx) genes known to play a role in antioxidant systems after transient focal ischemia in the rat brain. Focal ischemia was induced in rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). All animals underwent ischemia for 1 h, followed by 24 h of reperfusion. Coronal brain slices were stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride or total RNA was extracted for the analysis of gene expression. Histopathologic analysis revealed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in infarct size in the ipsilateral brain with GEB extracts or HBA. Moreover, the levels of PDI and 1-Cys Prx transcription were significantly increased in the GEB extract- or HBA-treated group compared with the untreated group (p<0.05). This study therefore indicated that GEB and HBA provide neuroprotection by preventing brain damage through the increased expression of genes encoding antioxidant proteins after transient focal cerebral ischemia and may be effective as neuroprotective agents at the cellular and molecular levels in the brain.

cDNA Array Analysis of Genes Expressed in the Rat Polycystic Ovary Induced by Dehydroepiandrosterone / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder. Chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism, hirsutism, obesity, infertility and polycystic ovaries (PCO) are clinical hallmarks of PCOS. PCO can be induced in prepubertal rats by daily injection of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The aims of this study is to investigate cDNA array analysis of genes expressed in the rat PCO induced by DHEA. METHODS: To induce the hyperandrogenic PCO condition, 22-day old rats were injected each day s.c. with DHEA for 15 days. Total ovarian RNA was isolated from the DHEA induced rat PCO and control, and used to prepare radiolabeled cDNA probes, which were hybridized to cDNA arrays. Some of selected genes were further analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or in situ hybridization. RESULTS: Quantitative analysis identified differential expression profiles of 31 genes including leukemia inhibitor factor receptor alpha (LIFR-alpha), alpha 1A adrenergic receptor (ADRA1A), heat shock 90-kDa protein A (HSP90A) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR-alpha) genes. RT-PCR analysis was used to validate the changes in above four gene expressions by the cDNA array. The levels of ADRA1A and LIFR-alpha gene expressions were incresed in DHEA induced rat PCO than control, but HSP90A and PDGFR-alpha gene expressions were decresed in PCO. The mRNA of ADRA1A gene was mainly localized in granulosa cells of cystic follicles. CONCLUSION: Rat hyperandrogenic PCO was induced by daily injection of DHEA for 15 days. ADRA1A, LIFR-alpha, HSP90A and PDGFR-alpha gene expressions were differentially expressed in PCO induced by DHEA. The above four genes may be involved in the mechanism of follicular growth and ovulation processes. The precise relationship between the altered gene expressions and PCO is a matter of further investigation.