RESUMEN
Introduction: Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) is a major health problem with a relatively high worldwide prevalence that severely limits the quality of life for sufferers. Acupuncture is widely used for SAR treatment in China; however, the evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture at the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) for SAR is inconclusive. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture at the SPG acupoint for the treatment of SAR. Methods and analysis: A total of 120 participants with SAR will be recruited and randomly assigned to the acupuncture group, placebo acupuncture (PA) group, or rescue medication (RM) group with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. Participants in the acupuncture group and PA group will receive 8 sessions of acupuncture stimulus at the SPG plus RM or 8 sessions of shallow needling at the SPG acupoint plus RM for 4 weeks with a 4-week follow-up in the first year and a 1-week follow-up in the second year. Participants in the RM group will only receive RM throughout the study. The primary outcome is the change from baseline in the average daily combined symptoms and medication score (CSMS) over weeks 1-4. All analysis will be based on an intention-to-treat principle. All statistical tests will be two-sided and a p-value < 0.05 will be considered to be statistically significant.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common severe illness globally. Lupeol has been reported to participate in the pathophysiologic properties of various cancers, including OS. This study aimed to explore the effects of lupeol on proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis on OS cells and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: The cell viability of OS cells was determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression levels of miR-212-3p and high-mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in OS cells. The cell apoptosis and invasion were detected by flow cytometry and transwell invasion assays, respectively. The functional target of miR-212-3p was predicted by online software and confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. The protein level of HMGA2 was measured by western blot analysis. RESULTS: Lupeol suppressed cell viability and invasion, and promoted apoptosis by upregulating the expression of miR-212-3p in OS cells. Knockdown of miR-212-3p restored the anti-tumor effect of lupeol. Interestingly, miR-212-3p directly targeted HMGA2 and suppressed its expression. Moreover, HMGA2 reversed the inhibited impact on viability and invasion, and the promoted effect on apoptosis induced by upregulation of miR-212-3p. Also, lupeol administration exerts its anti-tumor effect by overexpression of miR-212-3p to suppress the expression of HMGA2 in OS cells. CONCLUSION: Lupeol inhibited OS progression by modulating the miR-212-3p/HMGA2 axis in vitro.
