Effect of Traditional Chinese Non-Pharmacological Therapies on Knee Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review of Clinical Application and Mechanism.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) stands as a degenerative ailment with a substantial and escalating prevalence. The practice of traditional Chinese non-pharmacological therapy has become a prevalent complementary and adjunctive approach. A mounting body of evidence suggests its efficacy in addressing KOA. Recent investigations have delved into its underlying mechanism, yielding some headway. Consequently, this comprehensive analysis seeks to encapsulate the clinical application and molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese non-pharmacological therapy in KOA treatment. The review reveals that various therapies, such as acupuncture, electroacupuncture, warm needle acupuncture, tuina, and acupotomy, primarily target localized knee components like cartilage, subchondral bone, and synovium. Moreover, their impact extends to the central nervous system and intestinal flora. More perfect experimental design and more comprehensive research remain a promising avenue in the future.

[YU Tian-yuan's experience in the clinical application of Danzhong (CV 17) for mental illness].

To summarize YU Tian-yuan's experience of applying Danzhong (CV 17) for mental illness in acupuncture and tuina. YU Tian-yuan uses Danzhong (CV 17) alone or in combination with other acupoints to treat mental illnesses such as insomnia, palpitation and chest distress. Professor YU emphasizes 4 tips when treating diseases, nourishing the heart to tranquilize by light stimulation; regulating spirit by combined stimulation; leaving the acupoints and holding on the meridian for a wide range of stimulation; using rubbing and pushing manipulation in several directions for regulating qi to soothe the chest. And in clinical practice, formed a unique therapy to treat mental illness.

Tuina for peripherally-induced neuropathic pain: A review of analgesic mechanism.

Peripherally-induced neuropathic pain (pNP) is a kind of NP that is common, frequent, and difficult to treat. Tuina, also known as massage and manual therapy, has been used to treat pain in China for thousands of years. It has been clinically proven to be effective in the treatment of pNP caused by cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, etc. However, its analgesic mechanism is still not clear and has been the focus of research. In this review, we summarize the existing research progress, so as to provide guidance for clinical and basic studies. The analgesic mechanism of tuina is mainly manifested in suppressing peripheral inflammation by regulating the TLR4 pathway and miRNA, modulating ion channels (such as P2X3 and piezo), inhibiting the activation of glial cells, and adjusting the brain functional alterations. Overall, tuina has an analgesic effect by acting on different levels of targets, and it is an effective therapy for the treatment of pNP. It is necessary to continue to study the mechanism of tuina analgesia.

Protective Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Brain Injury by Regulating the Phosphorylation of Drp1 Through ROS/PKC Pathway in Heatstroke Rats.

This study aimed to elucidate the neurotherapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on brain injury and the potential role of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and its regulatory pathway in heatstroke (HS) rats. In in vivo experiments, rats were exposed to HBO after the onset of HS, or the same pressure but normal air as a control. The results indicated that HBO decreased the mortality and thermoregulatory dysfunction and prolonged the survival time of HS rats. Neurological dysfunction induced by HS was attenuated by HBO through assessment of modified neurological severity score and Morris water maze. HBO also alleviated histopathologic changes and oxidative injury (malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxyguanine), increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione/oxidized glutathione and ameliorated apoptotic parameters (caspase-3/6 activities and the number of apoptotic cells) of the hippocampus, hypothalamus and brain stem in rats compared to the HS group. Phosphorylation of DrpSer616 was increased by HS but decreased by HBO in the brains of rats determined by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining. In experiments in vitro, rat hippocampal neurons were used as a heat stress (HS) cellular model to examine the effects of HBO. As the results, HBO attenuated HS-induced cytotoxicity, oxidative injury (malondialdehyde), reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, decreasing SOD activity and apoptosis. Drp1 inhibitor (Mdivi-1) treatment produced the same effects and had a trend to decrease oxidative injury. But the difference is not statistically significant. HBO and Mdivi-1decreased the phosphorylation of DrpSer616 induced by HS and HBO decreased the phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC) induced by HS. Moreover, both PKC inhibitor and ROS scavenger inhibited HS-induced p-DrpSer616. In conclusion, HBO may alleviate the brain injury caused by HS by decreasing ROS/PKC-regulated p-DrpSer616.

Proteomic analysis of protective effects of polysaccharides from Salvia miltiorrhiza against immunological liver injury in mice.

This study was designed to investigate mechanisms of the protective effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza polysaccharide (SMPS) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced immunological liver injury (ILI) in Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-primed mice. Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis showed that three proteins are down-regulated and six proteins are up-regulated by SMPS. SMPS reduces the degree of liver injury by up-regulating the enzymes of the citric acid cycle, namely malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. LPS significantly increases nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and MDA level in BCG primed mice liver, whereas SMPS treatment protects against the immunological liver injury through inhibition of the NF-κB activation by up-regulation of PRDX6 and the subsequent attenuation of lipid peroxidation, iNOS expression and inflammation.

[Allelopathy of Hydrodictyon reticulatum on Microcystis aeruginosa and its removal capacity on nitrogen and phosphorus].

The effects of liquid culture after cultured with Hydrodictyon reticulatum on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa were investigated by measuring the D680 value and the chlorophyll-a content of M. aeruginosa. The inhibitory effects of H. reticulatum on M. aeruginosa were studied in both isolated culture and co-culture conditions. Nitrogen and phosphorus removal capacity of H. reticulatum was also tested. Results showed that H. reticulatum could inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa obviously. After treated by the liquid culture after cultured with H. reticulatum for 8 days, the mortality rate of M. aeruginosa reached 92%. The inhibitory effects of H. reticulatum at different concentrations on M. aeruginosa were different. The strongest inhibitory effect occurred with 3 g/L H. reticulatum in the isolated culture as the D680 value reduced from 0.1 to 0.004 in 10 days, and it occurred with 4 g/L H. reticulatum in the co-culture as the suppression ratio was 96%. Comparing the large-scale death time for cells under these two conditions, the inhibitory effects of H. reticulatum in the isolated culture were stronger than those in the co-culture. The concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus decreased sharply under both conditions, which showed that H. reticulatum had removal capacity on nitrogen and phosphorus. The decrease speed of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations positively correlated to the concentrations of H. reticulatum. The highest decrease of nitrogen and phosphorus were 93.4 mg/L and 4.58 mg/L in 10 days, respectively.

Effect of biosurfactants on laccase production and phenol biodegradation in solid-state fermentation.

The effects of two biosurfactants, tea saponin (TS) and rhamnolipid (RL), on the production of laccase and the degradation of phenol by P. simplicissimum were investigated in solid-state fermentation consisting of rice straw, rice bran, and sawdust. Firstly, the effects of phenol on the fermentation process were studied in the absence of surfactants. Then, a phenol concentration of 3 mg/g in the fermentation was selected for detailed research with the addition of biosurfactants. The results showed that TS and RL at different concentrations had stimulative effects on the enzyme activity of laccase. The highest laccase activities during the fermentation were enhanced by 163.7%, 68.2%, and 23.3% by TS at concentrations of 0.02%, 0.06%, and 0.10%, respectively. As a result of the enhanced laccase activity, the efficiency of phenol degradation was also improved by both biosurfactants. RL caused a significant increase of fungal biomass in the early stage of the fermentation, while TS had an inhibitory effect in the whole process. These results indicated that RL could mitigate the negative effects of phenol on fungal growth and consequently improve laccase production and phenol degradation. TS was potentially applicable to phenol-polluted solid-state fermentation.

Proteomic analysis of chronic restraint stress-induced Gan (肝)-stagnancy syndrome in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the proteomic characteristics of Gan (肝)-stagnancy syndrome (GSS) by seeking the differential protein in blood and tissues of GSS model rats. METHODS: GSS model rats were established by chronic restraint stress, keeping rats in restrain chamber for 6 h every day for 21 successive days. Their blood and liver samples were collected at the end of experiment for differential protein detection with methods of isoelectrofocusing and polyacrylamide SDS-PAGE, silver staining, and scanning. The gel images were analyzed with Imagemaster 2D Elite software, and the excavated differential protein spots were identified with matrix assistant laser resolving TOF mass spectrometry, Western blot, ELISA, and RT-PCR, respectively. RESULTS: A method for isolating the protein in blood serum and tissues by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was established and optimized. Six serum proteins and three liver proteins that differentially expressed were identified. The down-regulated differential proteins in serum of GSS model rats were serum albumin precursor, beta 1 globin, antibody against muscle acetylcholine receptor, Ig lambda-2 C region, and transthyretin (TTR), and those in liver tissue were aryl sulfotransferase, enoyl-CoA hydratase, and TTR. TTR down-regulation was found in both serum and liver. Preliminary biological information analysis showed that these differential proteins involved in immune, neuroendocrine, nutrition, and substance metabolism. CONCLUSION: Proteomic analysis of differential proteins showed that TTR, aryl sulfotransferase, and enoyl-CoA hydratase expressions are downregulated in the GSS model rats, suggesting that the susceptibility of cancer could be enhanced by chronic stress.

Effects of dahuangzhechong pills on cytokines and mitogen activated protein kinase activation in rats with hepatic fibrosis.

UNLABELLED: RELEVANCE TO ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY: Dahuangzhechong pill (DHZCP), a well-known and canonical Chinese medicine formula from "The Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber", is officially approved and recommended by Chinese association of integrative medicine for the prevention and treatment of hepatic fibrosis in China. AIM OF THE STUDY: To test the hypothesis that therapeutic effects of DHZCP on hepatic fibrosis are conferred by regulating cytokine profile through a mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hepatic fibrosis is inducted by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) in rats which then were randomly divided into six groups: hepatic fibrosis model group, high dose DHZCP group, low dose DHZCP group, Fufang Biejia Ruangan Pian (FBRP) group, Colchicine group and control group. Pathological, immunohistochemical, multiplex immunoassay and protein expression studies (Western blotting) are performed. RESULTS: DHZCP significantly decreases the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, hyaluronic acid, laminin, type IV collagen and procollagen III, and reverses hepatic fibrosis in rat model. DHZCP also could reduce the expression of α-smooth muscle actin, and lower the serum level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 13 (IL-13). The expressions of phosphorylated p38 MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) are down-regulated, while no significant changes are found in phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). CONCLUSIONS: DHZCP can alleviate hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl(4). The anti-fibrotic effects of DHZCP are conferred by decreasing the secretion of TNF-α and IL-13 through down-regulating p38 and ERK phosphorylation.

[Effects of allitridin on the expression of human cytomegalovirus immediate early antigens-IE72 and IE86 in human embryonic lung cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of allitridin injection on the expression of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate-early antigens (IEAs including IE72 and IE86) in human embryonic lung cells. METHOD: HCMV AD 169 Virus strain infected cell model (MOI = 2.5 and 0.25, respectively) were established, and then treated with ICm5 and MTC doses of allitridin. Western blot was used to analyze the of IE72 and IE86 expression after the treatment, ganciclovir(GCV, IC50 and 2.3 x IC50) treatment as control. RESULT: No matter what kind of MOI was used, both IE86 and IE72 antigens' expression was effectively suppressed by allitridin treatment, and the inhibitory rate of IE86 was almost twice of IE72's. Compared with GCV, allitridin had stronger inhibitory effect on IE86 expressing, although its efficacy on IE72 was weaker than GCV. CONCLUSION: Allitridin could suppress the expression of IE72 and IE86, especially for IE86 expressing, maybe it is ore of key role in the mechanism of allitridin against HCMV.

Experimental study on the prevention and treatment of murine cytomegalovirus hepatitis by using allitridin.

Allitridin (diallyl trisulfide), a main effective compound of Allium sativum (garlic), was previously shown to inhibit the expression of immediate-early antigens and viral proliferation of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in vitro. Here we have examined the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of allitridin in a non-lethal murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) hepatitis in methylprednisolone-immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. Allitridin was administered at 25mg/kg per day (equal to the mean human dose) and 75 mg/kg per day in two regimens: prophylaxis plus therapy beginning at 2 days before infection and lasting for 18 days, and therapy lasting for 14 days initiated at 2 days after infection. Ganciclovir (GCV)-treated, infected, and non-infected mice served as controls. MCMV DNA load in the liver, plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level and Knodell's histological activity index (HAI) score of liver section were evaluated. We found that MCMV DNA load was significantly decreased in all allitridin- and GCV-treated mice, compared with infected controls. Concomitantly, histopathological lesions in the liver and plasma ALT levels were reduced. Statistically, no significant differences were detected between the combined allitridin prophylaxis plus therapeutic and therapeutic groups regardless of dose and the GCV groups. Our results demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of allitridin in mouse models with MCMV hepatitis.