Role of Parameter Setting in Electroacupuncture: Current Scenario and Future Prospects.

Acupuncture is an ancient therapeutic method based on the theory of Chinese medicine (CM). Traditional acupuncture has many limitations; it is subjective and relies more on the experience of an acupuncturist, and the efficacy is sometimes irreproducible. In contrast, electroacupuncture (EA) has special characteristics in terms of objectivity and stability, thereby gaining considerable attention. Parameter setting plays a crucial role in EA practice. The current paper summarizes the current situation and limitations of parameter setting in EA practice. Objectification is the tendency and future of CM as well as EA. With the development of computerized technologies, such as wearable sensors, vast data, and artificial intelligence, CM syndromes can be successfully objectified. We propose the development of a novel self-feedback-adjust EA system, which may improve the parameter setting in EA and be beneficial to both the patients and clinicians.

Current behavioral assessments of movement disorders in children.

Pediatric movement disorders (PMDs) are common and have recently received increasing attention. As these disorders have special clinical features, the selection of appropriate behavioral assessment tools that can clearly distinguish movement disorders from other diseases (eg, epilepsy and neuromuscular disorders) is crucial for achieving an accurate diagnosis and treatment. However, few studies have focused on behavioral assessments in children. The present report attempts to provide a critical review of the available subjective and objective assessment tests for common PMDs. We believe that the principles of objectification, multi-purpose use, and simplification are also applicable to the selection and development of satisfactory pediatric behavioral assessment tools. We expect that the development of wearable sensors, virtual reality, and augmented reality will lead to the establishment of more reliable and simple tests. In addition, more rigorous randomized controlled trials that have been specifically designed to evaluate behavioral testing in children are also expected in the future.

The antidepressant-like effects of Chaihu Shugan San: Dependent on the hippocampal BDNF-TrkB-ERK/Akt signaling activation in perimenopausal depression-like rats.

Chaihu Shugan San (CSS), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been used to treat depression for hundreds of years. Recently, the antidepressant-like mechanism of CSS has been increasingly evaluated and demonstrated. However, there are few studies focused on the involvement of the neurotrophic system in mediating the antidepressant-like effects of CSS. Considering the high prevalence of perimenopausal depression around the world, the goal of the present study was to determine whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling is required for the antidepressant-like effects of CSS in perimenopausal depressive-like rats. The results indicate that CSS reverses depressive-like behaviors and attenuates the downregulation of BDNF in the hippocampus of perimenopausal rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). We found that the TrkB antagonist K252 not only blocks the effects of CSS on behavioral improvement but also abolishes the activation of CSS in BDNF-TrkB signaling. As a result, the downstream targets of BDNF signaling, such as the ERK and Akt pathways, are significantly inhibited by K252a. Furthermore, CSS increases hippocampal neurogenesis, while K252a fully prevents this action. In conclusion, the present results demonstrate that the activation of the hippocampal BDNF-TrkB-ERK/Akt signaling pathway is required for the antidepressant-like effects of CSS on the depressive-like state during perimenopause. Additionally, this study also demonstrates that neurogenesis is required for the effects of antidepressants in aging perimenopausal animals and provides fundamental evidence for the clinical application of CSS.

Saikosaponin A attenuates perimenopausal depression-like symptoms by chronic unpredictable mild stress.

Accumulating studies have shown that a traditional Chinese decoction Chaihu-Shugan-San produced the antidepressant-like effects in rodents including in perimenopausal. Previous studies and our preliminary study indicated that saikosaponin A, one of the main constituents of Chaihu-Shugan-San, enhanced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in rats. Herein, this study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of saikosaponin A in perimenopausal rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). The sucrose preference test, novelty-suppressed feeding test and forced swimming test were performed after administration of saikosaponin A for 4 weeks. Serum corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone levels, as well as hypothalamus CRH and hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor were measured. In addition, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the hippocampus were detected for evaluation of the neuroinflammation. Further, BDNF levels and its receptor TrkB were also determined. Our results indicated that four-week treatment with saikosaponin A increased sucrose preference, decreased latency to feed in the novelty-suppressed feeding test and reduced the immobility time in the forced swimming test. In addition, saikosaponin A restored the dsyregulation of HPA axis and neuroinflammation in rats exposed to CUMS. Moreover, saikosaponin A promoted BDNF-TrkB signaling in the hippocampus. This study demonstrates that saikosaponin A produced the antidepressant-like effects in rats, which may be mediated by restoration of neuroendocrine, neuroinflammation and neurotrophic systems in the hippocampus during perimenopausal.

Promoter methylation of p16 and RASSF1A genes may contribute to the risk of papillary thyroid cancer: A meta-analysis.

The aim of the present meta-analysis was to investigate the correlation of promoter methylation of the p16 and Ras association domain family 1 isoform A (RASSF1A) genes with the risk of the development of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). A number of electronic databases were searched without language restrictions as follows: Medline (1966-2013), the Cochrane Library database (Issue 12, 2013), Embase (1980-2013), CINAHL (1982-2013), Web of Science (1945-2013) and the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM; 1982-2013). A meta-analysis was performed with the use of Stata statistical software. The odds ratios (ORs), ratio differences (RDs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. In the present meta-analysis, eleven clinical cohort studies with a total of 734 patients with PTC were included. The results of the current meta-analysis indicated that the frequency of promoter methylation of p16 in cancer tissues was significantly higher compared with that in normal, adjacent and benign tissues (cancer tissues vs. normal tissues: OR=7.14; 95% CI, 3.30-15.47; P<0.001; cancer tissues vs. adjacent tissues: OR=11.90; 95% CI, 5.55-25.52; P<0.001; cancer tissues vs. benign tissues: OR=2.25; 95% CI, 1.67-3.03; P<0.001, respectively). The results also suggest that RASSF1A promoter methylation may be implicated in the pathogenesis of PTC (cancer tissues vs. normal tissues: RD=0.53; 95% CI, 0.42-0.64; P<0.001; cancer tissues vs. adjacent tissues: RD=0.39; 95% CI, 0.31-0.48; P<0.001; cancer tissues vs. benign tissues: RD=0.39; 95% CI, 0.31-0.47; P<0.001; respectively). Thus, the present meta-analysis indicates that aberrant promoter methylation of p16 and RASSF1A genes may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of PTC.

Xiaoyao pill for treatment of functional dyspepsia in perimenopausal women with depression.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Xiaoyao pill for treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD) associated with perimenopausal depression. METHODS: This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial including 180 patients with FD accompanied by depression that were divided into two groups of 90. Patients in the treatment group received oral administration of the Xiaoyao pill for soothing the liver and activating the spleen, and patients in the control group received a placebo. This trial included an 8-wk therapy period with a follow-up period of 6 mo. The total efficacy and degree of depression, as assessed by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), were evaluated. Plasma levels of motilin and gastrin were measured and a gastric emptying test was conducted in each participant. RESULTS: The Xiaoyao pill had a good therapeutic effect and improved the symptoms in patients with perimenopausal FD as assessed by the HRSD score, motilin and gastrin levels, and rate of gastric emptying. The total effective rate of the Xiaoyao pill in the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the placebo in the control group. In the control group, the initial HRSD score was 12.12 ± 2.29 and decreased to 7.14 ± 1.67 after therapy (P < 0.01). In the treatment group, the initial HRSD score was 11.44 ± 2.15, which significantly decreased to 6.20 ± 2.08 after therapy (P < 0.01). Moreover, the HRSD score in the treatment group was significantly lower than in control group after 8 wk (P < 0.01). Motilin and gastrin levels in both groups were significantly increased after the 8-wk therapy (P < 0.05). The gastric emptying rate was also improved in both groups after therapy (P < 0.05), and the improvement was significantly better in the treatment group compared to the controls (P < 0.05). These results confirm the therapeutic effects of the Xiaoyao pill in perimenopausal FD patients and indicate that it is worthy of clinical promotion. CONCLUSION: The Xiaoyao pill is effective and safe for the treatment of perimenopausal women with FD associated with depression.

3-(5-Methyl-3-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)propanamide monohydrate.

In the title compound, C(13)H(15)N(3)O·H(2)O, the dihedral angle between the pyrazole and benzene rings is 26.6 (2)° and the N-C-C-C torsion angle is 153.6 (3)°. In the crystal, adjacent mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯N, N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a network structure running along the a axis.

3-(3,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)propanamide.

In the crystal of the title compound, C(8)H(13)N(3)O, mol-ecules are linked by inter-molecular N-H⋯N and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network. Additional stabilization is provided by weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.