Electroacupuncture Alleviates 46-Trinitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid-Induced Visceral Pain via the Glutamatergic Pathway in the Prefrontal Cortex.

Visceral pain caused by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) greatly diminishes the quality of life in affected patients. Yet, the mechanism of how IBD causes visceral pain is currently not fully understood. Previous studies have suggested that the central nervous system (CNS) and gut-brain axis (GBA) play an important role in IBD-inducing visceral pain. As one of the treatments for IBD, electroacupuncture (EA) has been used to treat various types of pain and gastrointestinal diseases in clinical practice. However, whether EA relieves the visceral pain of IBD through the gut-brain axis has not been confirmed. To verify the relationship between visceral pain and CNS, the following experiments were conducted. 1H-NMR analysis was performed on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) tissue obtained from IBD rat models to determine the link between the metabolites and their role in EA treatment against visceral pain. Western blot assay was employed for detecting the contents of glutamate transporter excitatory amino acid transporters 2 (EAAT2) and the glutamate receptor N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) to verify whether EA treatment can alleviate neurotoxic symptoms induced by abnormal increases of glutamate. Study results showed that the glutamate content was significantly increased in the PFC of TNBS-induced IBD rats. This change was reversed after EA treatment. This process was associated with increased EAAT2 expression and decreased expression of NMDA receptors in the PFC. In addition, an increase in intestinal glutamic-metabolizing bacteria was observed. In conclusion, this study suggests that EA treatment can relieve visceral pain by reducing glutamine toxicity in the PFC, and serves an alternative clinical utility.

Wuzi Yanzong Pill for the treatment of male infertility: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of male infertility is increasing worldwide, and has become an important problem that plagues many married couples. Half of the infertility cases have induced by male infertility. Wuzi Yanzong Pill is a traditional Chinese herbal formula used in treating spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, lumbago and male sterility widely. Therefore, in this systematic review, we design to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Wuzi-Yanzong Pill for the treatment of male infertility. METHODS: The English and Chinese literature published before June 30, 2020 will be searched in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and Chinese literature in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese biomedical document service system, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, WANFANG data. All related randomized controlled trials that meet the eligibility criteria will be included and other studies will be excluded. We will search literature with text keywords "male infertility" or "sperm" or "semen" and "Wuzi Yanzong Pill" or "Wuziyangzong" or "WZYZ". Progressive motility, sperm concentration, sperm morphology, sperm viability, sperm DNA fragmentation, sperm number per ejaculate, pregnancy rates will be evaluated. RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0 will be used to conduct this systematic review. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis protocols statement is followed in this protocol and the PRISMA statement will be followed in the completed systematic review. CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of Wuzi Yanzong Pill in the treatment of male infertility will be e evaluated. The results of this review may provide some help for the clinician's decision.