Different Acupuncture Therapies for Postherpetic Neuralgia: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of herpes zoster infection and affects patients' quality of life. Acupuncture therapy is regarded as a competitive method of treatment for analgesia. OBJECTIVE: To summarize evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different acupuncture therapies for treating PHN. METHODS: Eight electronic databases were searched from their inception to August 5, 2022, including 4 international electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) and 4 Chinese databases (Chinese Biomedical Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database and Wanfang Database). Methodological quality was assessed by A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2). The Risk of Bias in Systematic Review (ROBIS) tool was used to assess the risk of bias in SRs. Evidence level was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: Totally, 7 SRs were included, including 128 studies and 9,792 patients. In AMSTAR 2, most of the SRs were of low or critically low levels since they had more than 1 critical deficiency. In ROBIS, 1 SR (14.29%) was rated as high risk, and the other 6 (85.71%) were rated as low risk. In the GRADE system, 9 outcomes (28.13%) were valued as high level, 5 (15.63%) as moderate level, 1 (3.13%) as low, and 17 (53.13%) as very low. In the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy, the group "moxibustion vs. original medical treatment" [mean difference (MD)=-1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.80 to -1.08, I2=99%, P<0.00001] was of the highest heterogeneity and the group "bloodletting vs. original medical treatment" (MD=-2.80, 95% CI: -3.14 to -2.46, I2=0, P<0.00001) was of the lowest heterogeneity. Six SRs have reported the safety of their studies and no serious events were shown in the treatment and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture therapy seems to be effective in treating PHN. Despite the evidence that suggested the advantages of acupuncture therapy in relieving pain and promoting efficacy and safety, the methodological quality was quite low. Further studies should pay more attention to the quality of original studies and evidence for SRs to confirm these findings. (PROSPERO registration No. CRD42022344790).

Phytochelatin-Mediated Cultivar-Dependent Cd Accumulations of Lactuca sativa and Implication for Cd Pollution-Safe Cultivars Screening.

Cd pollution-safe cultivar (Cd-PSC) is a feasible strategy to minimize Cd contamination in leafy vegetables. The shoot Cd concentrations of 23 Lactuca sativa cultivars under Cd stress ranged from 0.124 to 2.155 mg·kg-1 with a maximum cultivar difference of 8 folds. Typical Cd-PSC C16 (L) and high-Cd-accumulating cultivar C13 (H) were screened to investigate the mechanisms of Cd accumulations in L. sativa through determining Cd concentrations, Cd subcellular distributions, phytochelatin profiles, and phytochelatin biosynthesis-related genes' expressions. Higher Cd distribution in a heat stable fraction in C13 (H) indicated that the high Cd accumulation trait of C13 (H) mainly depended on the Cd-phytochelatin complexes. Root phytochelatin concentrations were significantly elevated in C13 (H) (5.83 folds) than in C16 (L) (2.69 folds) (p < 0.05) under Cd stress. Significantly downregulated expressions of glutathione S-transferase rather than the regulation of phytochelatin synthesis genes in the root of C13 (H) might be responsible for sufficient glutathione supply for phytochelatins synthesis. These findings suggested that phytochelatin elevation in C13 (H) would favor the Cd root to shoot transportation, which provides new insights into the phytochelatin-related cultivar-dependent Cd accumulating characteristic in L. sativa.

[Analysis of acupoint-symptom relationship in CHENG Dan-an's Note About Treatise on Cold-Attack based on complex network].

Acupoint-symptom relationship in CHENG Dan-an's Note About Treatise on Cold-Attack was analyzed based on complex network, acupoint names and indications were extracted from the book, which provided ideas and methods for promoting the modernization of acupuncture and moxibustion by using complex network technology. A total of 112 acupoints in 201 acupuncture prescriptions were included, and the total frequency of acupoints was 880 times, forming 42 034 acupoint pairs. In terms of network indexes, compared with the complex network of comprehensive acupuncture books, such as Meridian and Acupoint Science, Zhenjiu Dacheng, Acupuncture A and B Meridians formed based on the same mathematical method, the complex network model for CHENG Dan-an's Note About Treatise on Cold-Attack shows more typical small world effect, which is characterized by higher network density (6.762) and shorter average path length (1.064). This phenomenon may be related to the tongue and pulse which added the link between acupoints. For the node indexes, the analysis of topological indexes such as Page Rank shows that acupoints represented by Dazhui (GV 14) has higher compatibility value in the treatment of exogenous diseases, which further demonstrates the clinical value of eigenvector centrality in guiding intelligent compatibility of points.

Analysis of acupoint-symptom relationship in CHENG Dan-an's Note About Treatise on Cold-Attack based on complex network / 中国针灸

Acupoint-symptom relationship in CHENG Dan-an's Note About Treatise on Cold-Attack was analyzed based on complex network, acupoint names and indications were extracted from the book, which provided ideas and methods for promoting the modernization of acupuncture and moxibustion by using complex network technology. A total of 112 acupoints in 201 acupuncture prescriptions were included, and the total frequency of acupoints was 880 times, forming 42 034 acupoint pairs. In terms of network indexes, compared with the complex network of comprehensive acupuncture books, such as Meridian and Acupoint Science, Zhenjiu Dacheng, Acupuncture A and B Meridians formed based on the same mathematical method, the complex network model for CHENG Dan-an's Note About Treatise on Cold-Attack shows more typical small world effect, which is characterized by higher network density (6.762) and shorter average path length (1.064). This phenomenon may be related to the tongue and pulse which added the link between acupoints. For the node indexes, the analysis of topological indexes such as Page Rank shows that acupoints represented by Dazhui (GV 14) has higher compatibility value in the treatment of exogenous diseases, which further demonstrates the clinical value of eigenvector centrality in guiding intelligent compatibility of points.

An Efficient Strategy for Enhancement of Bioactive Compounds in the Fruit Body of Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom, Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes), by Spraying Biotic Elicitors.

Cordyceps militaris is a mushroom species with high nutritive and medicinal values based on diverse bioactive metabolites. The contents of bioactive ingredients are indicative of the quality of commercially available fruit body of this fungus. Although the application of biotic elicitors has been an efficient strategy to induce the accumulation of valuable bioactive compounds in vivo, related research in C. militaris is rarely reported. In this study, five biotic elicitors in different concentrations (0.05, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/mL), including chitosan (CHT), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), gibberellic acid (GA), and triacontanol (TRIA), were first introduced to enhance the production of 10 kinds of major bioactive components in the fruit body of C. militaris. Results showed that the effect of biotic elicitors on bioactive compounds in the fruit body of C. militaris was elicitor-specific and concentration-dependent. Overall, 1 mg/L CHT was considered the most favorable for the production of 10 bioactive ingredients in C. militaris fruit body, which could increase the content of protein, polysaccharides, polyphenol, triterpenoids, flavonoids, cordyceps acid, cordycepin, and anthocyanins by 20.38-, 1.41-, 0.7-, 0.47-, 11.90-, 1.09-, 0.34-, and 2.64-fold, respectively, compared with the control. The results of this study would provide an efficient strategy for the production of a superior quality fruit body of and contribute to further elucidation of the effects of biotic elicitors on metabolite accumulation in C. militaris.

Developing a Novel Two-Stage Process for Carotenoid Production by Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes).

Natural carotenoids are attracting increasing interest, but their widespread use is limited because of poor production. Cordyceps militaris, a traditional Chinese mushroom, contains a large amount of carotenoids, and this study aimed to increase carotenoid production by C. militaris by optimizing a liquid-state cultivation system. We developed and optimized a novel 2-stage process, including cultivation under shaking in darkness and under static irradiation on a flat panel, using response surface methodology, and we compared this process to common shake-flask cultivation. In addition, we examined the effects of different inducers (chitosan, peanut oil, tomato juice, yeast, and metal ions) on carotenoid production. Results showed that under optimal conditions (4 days of shaking in darkness, 10 days of static irradiation with a 100-mL flat panel volume), a maximum of 1217.5 ± 115.9 µg/g carotenoids were produced; only 662.9 µg/g were produced by common shake-flask cultivation. Only a large amount of chitosan (8 mg) could significantly increase carotenoid content; some of the other inducers showed inhibitory effects. This study demonstrated that this 2-stage process could effectively increase the natural carotenoid content in C. militaris, making it a potential source for commercial exploitation.

Increasing of the Contain of Carotenoids in Caterpillar Mushroom, Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes) by Using the Fungal Elicitors Cultivation.

As a natural pigment, cordycepic carotenoids have many bioactive functions, such as antiinflammation, anticancer, and antioxidation. In addition, the good coloring of this hydrophilic pigment enables it to have wide application in the food industry. This study investigated five species of fungal elicitors, namely, Rhodotorula glutinis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Monascus ruber, Blakeslea trispora, and Flammulina velutipes, to evaluate their effects on carotenoid accumulation in Cordyceps militaris. Results showed that all fungal elicitors, except Rh. glutinis, have no positive effect on the biosynthesis of cordycepic carotenoids. The Rh. glutinis elicitor remarkably stimulated the accumulation of carotenoids with a 13.72% increase compared with the control. Subsequently, the entire Rh. glutinis elicitor (part NHK) was divided into three parts, namely, exopolysaccharide (EPS) (part E), mixture of EPS and protein (part PE), and other components (part O), to analyze their effects on carotenoid accumulations. Results showed that part O may be the effective component that remarkably stimulates the biosynthesis of carotenoids with a 26% increase compared with the control. This research demonstrated that Rh. glutinis elicitor can effectively increase the content of natural carotenoids in C. militaris, and provided an important reference for the development and utilization of carotenoid industrialization.

Study on chemical constituents of Inula cappa / 中国中药杂志

Column chromatographies over silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, reverse phase C18, and MCI, and semi-preparative HPLC were used for separation and purification of constituents from Inula cappa. The 22 compounds were obtained and their strutures were determined by NMR and MS spectra data as nine flavonoids: luteolin (1), apigenin (2), chrysoeriol (3), artemetin (4), 2', 5-di- hydroxy-3, 6, 7, 4', 5'-pentamethoxyflavone (5), chrysosplenol C (6), apigenin-5-0-β-D-glucopyranoside (7), luteolin-3-methyl, luteolin-3-methylether-4'-0-β-D-glucopyranoside (8), luteolin-4'-0-β-D-glucopyranoside (9); four triterpenes: darma-20, 24-dien- 3β-0-acetate (10), darma-20, 24-dien-3β-ol (11), epirfiedelanol (12), friedelin (13); three coumarins: scopoletin (14) , isosco- poletin (15) , scopolin(16) , and other types of compounds stigmasta-5, 22-dien-3β-0-7-one (17), stigmasterol (18), palmitic acid (19), linoleic acid (20), linoleic acid methyl ester (21), (E) -9, 12, 13-trihydroxyoetadee-10-enoie acid (22). Compound 5 is a new natural product. Compounds 3-9, 15, 17, 21, and 22 were isolated from this genus for the first time.

Planting area estimation of Chinese Tibetan medicine Herpetospermum pedunculosum based on RS&GIS-by case study of Lengqi and Xinglong town in Luding county / 中国中药杂志

The herbs used as the material for traditional Chinese medicine are mostly planted at mountain areas where there is appropriate weather condition. Due to the complex terrain condition in mountain area, the planting at such places is always associated with a scattered pattern, which inevitably bring difficulty to the work of accurate measurement for the planting area. Advanced research about monitoring the planting area for medicine-herb under complex environmental condition is so critical and meaningful for developing the medicine-herb planting to a large scale and an industry. Therefore, this research, taking the planting of Herpetospermum pedunculosum in Luding county as an example, utilizes RS&GIS: using the image data from TM and ETM datum as the remote sensing information source, integrating GPS data from quadrat survey on the spots, and analyzing on a GIS platform, to extract the planting area of H. pedunculosum in Luding county. The results indicate that: (1) the method and technology used to estimate the planting area of H. pedunculosum are feasible and can be applied to monitoring the planting area of medicine-herb at mountain area under complex environmental conditions: (2) the planting area of H. pedunculosum in Luding county is estimated to be 857. 246 acres by the methods utilized in this research, which is closed to the value from local statistical data with an error range less than 5%; (3) in consideration of those inevitable errorrs generating from the procedures such as remote sensing data acquisition, data preprocessing, data interpretation, and so on, and the fact that the classification of remote sensing data, which must be implemented by those above procedures, was used directly to extract the herb type, the accuracy of area estimation for the herb is significantly influenced by the accuracy of classification for herb type, and the estimated area is inevitably associated with some error.

Observation on therapeutic effect of round-sharp needle of new nine-needle and elongated needle for piriformis syndrome with triple puncture method / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the efficacy differences between round-sharp needle of new nine-needle and elongated needle for piriformis syndrome, and explore its action mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty cases were randomly divided into a round-sharp needle of new nine-needle group (round-sharp needle group) and an elongated needle treatment group (elongated needle group), 40 cases in each group. The round-sharp needle group was treated with round-sharp needle (0.60 mm x 125 mm) at three points in piriformis with triple puncture method, while the elongated needle group was treated with elongated needle of ordinary specifications (0.32 mm x 125 mm) at three points in piriformis with triple puncture method. Besides, the two groups were also treated with routine acupuncture at Weizhong (BL 40) and Yanglingquan (GB 34), 3 times every week, 2 weeks as one course of treatment. After one course of treatment, the clinical effect was evaluated and the pain threshold values were measured before and after treatment in the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate in the round-sharp needle group was 92.5% (37/40), which was superior to 77.5% (31/40) in the elongated needle group (P < 0.05). Compared before treatment, the pain threshold values after treatment in two groups were improved significantly (both P < 0.01). The increment of pain threshold value in the round-sharp needle group was higher than that in the elongated needle group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Round-sharp needle of new nine-needle is effective in treatment of piriformis syndrome and is better than ordinary elongated needle, which is related to that it can effectively increase pain threshold value of the local tissue.</p>