Effect of acupuncture on gut microbiota in participants with subjective cognitive decline.

ABSTRACT: A close relationship has recently been described between subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and gut microbiota disorders. Herein, we aim to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on gut microbiota in participants with SCD.We conducted a study of 60 participants with SCD. Sixty participants were allocated to either EA group (n = 30) or sham acupuncture group (n = 30). Both groups received 24 sessions of real acupuncture treatment or identical treatment sessions using the placebo needle. Global cognitive change based on a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery was evaluated to detect the clinical efficacy of acupuncture treatment at the baseline and the end of treatment. Faecal microbial analyses were carried out after collecting stools at T0 and T12 weeks. Microbiomes were analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Correlation analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between the changes in gut microbiota and symptom improvement.Age is a particularly important factor leading to the severity of dementia. Compared with sham acupuncture group, the number of Escherichia-Shigella in EA group decreased after treatment. The number of Escherichia-Shigella in EA group decreased after treatment compared with EA group before treatment. Bifidobacterium is positively correlated with clinical efficacy Z-score and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (both P < .005).Acupuncture could improve global cognitive change among SCD participants by regulating the intestinal flora. Dysbiosis was found in the gut microbiome in SCD and partially relieved by acupuncture. Our study suggests that gut microbiota could be a potential therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker for SCD.

The efficacy of niacin supplementation in type 2 diabetes patients: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is a main risk factor of cardiovascular disease in the diabetic patients. Niacin was found acutely to decrease the plasma concentration of free fatty acids by inhibiting their mobilization from adipose tissue. This present study is a double blinded, randomized, and prospective trial to determine the effect of niacin during dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: This randomized controlled, double-blinded, single center trial is carried out according to the principles of Declaration of Helsinki. This present study was approved in institutional review committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University. All the patients received the informed consent. Diabetic patients were randomized (1:1) to receive 3-month treatment with extended-release niacin or matching placebo. The major outcome of our present study was the change in the level of HbA1c from the baseline to week 12. Secondary outcome measures contained the levels of fasting blood glucose, the concentrations of serum transaminase, the other laboratory variables, and self-reported adverse events. The P < .05 was regarded as statistically significant. RESULTS: We assumed that adding the niacin to the medication in patients with type 2 diabetes would reduce dyslipidemia and achieve target lipid levels. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study protocol was registered in Research Registry (researchregistry5925).

[Anti-inflammatory mechanism analysis of antirheumatic Chinese medicinal herb Aconiti Radix based on protein interaction network].

Inflammation is one of the important risk factors of rheumatic diseases. Aconiti Radix is widely used for the treatment of rheumatism, which has significant anti-inflammatory effects. However, its anti-inflammatory mechanism on molecular level is still not clear. The purpose of this study is to illuminate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of Aconiti Radix based on the protein interaction network (PIN) analysis on molecular network level. The main anti-inflammatory components (aconitine, hypaconitine and mesaconitine) were chosen in this study to obtain the targets of the components and protein-protein information though databases retrieval and construct the PIN of Aconiti Radix. By a graph theoretic clustering algorithm molecular complex detection(MCODE), 13 modules were identified and analyzed by gene ontology(GO) enrichment. The results showed that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of Aconiti Radix was mainly associated with prostanoid metabolic process and leukocyte chemotaxis mediated by chemokines. In this study, the anti-inflammatory mechanism of Aconiti Radix was elucidated systematically from molecular network level, which provided the scientific basis for the treatment of rheumatic diseases.