Overall adjustment acupuncture for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP): a study protocol for a randomized sham-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is becoming more prevalent in aging societies worldwide, and the economic burden attributable to osteoporotic fractures is substantial. The medications presently available to treat osteoporosis have side effects. Acupuncture is widely used for treating osteoporotic postmenopausal women because it is non-invasive and has fewer side effects, but the powerful clinical evidence for its efficacy remains insufficient. Our study intends to explore the effect of overall adjustment acupuncture (OA) in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP). METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a randomized, sham-controlled, patient- and assessor-blinded trial and aims to evaluate the effect of OA in women with PMOP. We will recruit 104 women aged 45-70 years with a diagnosis of PMOP. Participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to the OA group and the sham acupuncture (SA) group. Both groups will receive real herbal medicine treatment as a basic treatment twice a day for 3 months, the OA group receives real acupuncture treatment and the SA group receives placebo acupuncture treatment (non-penetrating, sham skin-needle therapy, sham cupping). All patients will receive acupuncture treatment twice per week for 3 months. The primary outcome is bone mineral density (BMD) and the secondary outcomes include estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), bone gla protein (BGP), bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), PPARγ, ß-catenin, FoxO3a levels, visual analog pain scale score (VAS), Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores and quality of daily life score (QOL). Outcome measures will be collected at baseline, middle of the treatment (1.5 months), the end of treatment (3 months). The present protocol followed the SPIRIT guidelines and fulfills the SPIRIT Checklist. CONCLUSION: This study will be conducted to compare the efficacy of OA versus SA. This trial should help to evaluate whether OA can effectively prevent and treat PMOP by improving the estrogen levels of postmenopausal women. The mechanism is to improve the imbalance of osteogenic differentiation and lipogenesis of bone-marrow cells under oxidative stress. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ID: ChiCTR1800017581. Registered on 5 August 2018. URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn.

[Studies on chemical constituents of Peucedanum medium Dunn var. garcile Dunn ex Shan at Sheh].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constitutents in Peucedanum medium var. gracile distributed in Guangxi. METHOD: Chromatography and spectral analysis were used to isolated and elucidate the constituents. RESULT: Eight compounds were isolated from the root of P. medium var. gracile and elucidated as isoimperatorin, phellopterin, bergapten, oxypeucedanin hydrate, byakangelicin beta-sitosterol, hamaudol and mannitol. CONCLUSION: Seven compounds were obtained from this plant for the first time.

[Triterpene acids from the barks of Illicium difengpi].

Four compounds were isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine "Difengpi", barks of Illicium difengpi K.I.B. et K.I.M. They were identified as 3 beta-O-acetyl-mangiferolic acid (I), mangiferonic acid (II), mangiferolic acid (III) and butulinic acid (IV) by physico-chemical constants and spectral analyses (UV, IR, EIMS, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, NOEDE and 2D NMR). Compound I is a new compound. These triterpene acids (I-IV) were isolated from Illicium genus for the first time.

[Studies on the histology and essential oils of the adulterant sharen in Alpinia].

Morphological studies on eighteen adulterants of Sharen in Alpinia had been carried out previously. In this paper, a report on the histology and essential oil of their seeds is presented. According to our TLC analysis and microscopical examination, the differences between genuine Sharen and its adulterants are distinct in histological characters and constituents of the essential oil. A description of identification of these eighteen seeds is given together with line drawings, chromatograms and a table for comparison.

[Morphologic studies on the adulterant sharen in Alpinia].

In this paper, morphological studies on adulterant Sharen including eighteen fruits in Alpinia are reported. The morphological differences between genuine Sharen and its adulterants are distinct on their fruits, seeds and embryos. In addition, the distinguished characters for identification of the eighteen fruits and seeds are described with drawings and compared in a table.

[Studies on the histology and essential oil of the Chinese drug sharen and its adulterants in Amomum].

In this paper, fifteen seeds including Chinese drug Sharen and its adulterante in Amomum are studied. The histological characters of these seeds are described and compared in a table and illustrated with line drawings. The distribution of 2 constituents in essential oil of these seeds is determined by means of TLC with authentic samples.