Acupuncture for vitiligo: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a kind of refractory, autoimmune locally, or systemically generalized depigmentation spots caused by the disappearance of melanocyte function in the skin. Acupuncture and related therapies are extensively utilized for treating vitiligo in China. The objective of this study is to succinctly encapsulate and meticulously assess the methodological and reporting caliber of systematic reviews (SRs) pertaining to acupuncture and associated therapeutic approaches, while concurrently offering an all-encompassing body of evidence elucidating their efficacy and safety in the treatment of vitiligo. METHODS: We performed an electronic literature search in eight databases to identify SRs that evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture therapy for vitiligo. The Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2) tool was used to evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of these SRs. The preferred reporting items for SRs and meta-analyses were followed according to PRISMA (2020) guidelines. Additionally, the risk of bias in systematic reviews (ROBIS) was assessed to evaluate potential bias. The quality of evidence for outcome measures was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. RESULTS: This study included 10 SRs and assessed a total of 13 outcome measures, all of which were published before June 2023. Acupuncture therapy was more effective than control conditions for the treatment of Vitiligo. The AMSTAR-2 results indicated a critical deficiency in the methodological quality of all SRs, with items 7 and 16 demonstrating notably low quality. The reporting quality of the included SRs according to PRISMA was deemed unsatisfactory, with significant reporting flaws identified in the areas of Protocol and registration, Risk of bias across studies, Study selection, and Limitations. According to the ROBIS assessment, 5 out of the total number of SRs (50.00%) were found to have a high risk of bias. Out of the total of 62 outcomes evaluated using the GRADE framework, 9 outcomes (14.51%) exhibited high-quality evidence, 20 outcomes (32.26%) demonstrated moderate-quality evidence, 19 outcomes (30.65%) presented low-quality evidence, while 14 outcomes (22.58%) indicated very low-quality evidence. CONCLUSIONS: This overview shows that Acupuncture therapy was more effective than the control treatment for Vitiligo. Nevertheless, given the subpar methodological quality of the reviews, we recommend conducting studies with stricter designs, larger sample sizes, and improved methodological and reporting quality to yield more robust evidence.

Screening and Analysis of Potential Critical Gene in Acute Myocardial Infarction Based on a miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the initiation, progression, and prevention of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Objective: Through the GEO database, bioinformatics methods were used to explore the miRNA-mRNA regulatory relationship pairs associated with AMI and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Methods: Using the R software Limma package, differential expression analysis was performed using the AMI-related miRNA chip dataset (GSE31568) and mRNA chip dataset (GSE159657) from the GEO database. The miRDB, miRWalk, miRTarBase, and TargetScan databases were used to predict potential downstream target genes regulated by differentially expressed miRNAs, and a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was built with Cytoscape; GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of target genes were done with Funrich software, and the protein interaction network of target genes in the regulatory network was built with the STRING database. Results and Conclusions: A total of 187 differentially expressed miRNAs were experimentally screened, of which 91 were upregulated (such as hsa-miR-302b, hsa-miR-1299), and 96 were downregulated (such as hsa-miR-1201, hsa-miR-1283); 507 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified, of which 430 were upregulated (such as MRM1 and SFXN4), and 77 were downregulated (such as KCTD13 and CCDC134). And 16 miRNAs and 44 mRNAs were used for regulatory network construction. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses mainly focused on Integrins in angiogenesis, angiopoietin receptor Tie2-mediated signaling, and signaling events mediated by stem cell factor receptor (c-Kit). As hub genes in the PPI network, FGF2 and MMP2 may be key targets of AMI. The experimentally constructed miRNA-mRNA regulatory network found that hsa-miR-190b targets to inhibit FGF2, while hsa-miR-330-3p targets to regulate MMP2, which may mediate Integrins in angiogenesis, Angiopoietin receptor Tie2-mediated signaling pathway to induce AMI pathogenesis, providing strong data support and a research direction for the prevention and treatment of AMI.

Analysis of the effects of Zhenju antihypertensive tablet on efficacy, safety and vascular endothelial function in patients with essential hypertension: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: : As a compound preparation of traditional Chinese and western medicine included in Volume 20 of Chinese traditional Medicine prescription, Zhenju antihypertensive tablet has been widely used in the treatment of patients with essential hypertension (EH) for many years. This study intends to evaluate the efficacy, safety and vascular endothelial function of Zhenju antihypertensive tablet in the treatment of essential hypertension. METHODS: : The search strategies of different websites were searched on Cochrane Central controlled Trials Registry, PubMed, excerpt database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, WanFang, and other websites. All qualified studies were confirmed to include randomized controlled trials. The search time range was from January 1, 1900 to August 31, 2021. At the same time, the list of references and related reviews were checked. Two evaluators were responsible for the extraction and management of the data independently. The literature quality was evaluated according to Cochrane manual 4.2.2. Heterogeneity test and Meta analysis were carried out by Review ManagerV.5.3 software. The bias risk included in the study was evaluated by Cochrane "bias risk" tool. In addition, the relevant statistical data were evaluated by GRADE3.6 evidence quality grading system. RESULTS: : This study intends evaluate the efficacy and safety of Zhenju antihypertensive tablet in the treatment of EH from 4 aspects, including changes in blood pressure (systolic blood pressure, diastolic Blood pressure), effective hypotension, changes in endothelial function (NO, the level of plasma endothelin-1 in serum), and adverse reactions. CONCLUSION: : The conclusion of this study intends to provide evidence for judging the effectiveness and safety of ZJAHC intervention on EH patients and their endothelial function.PROSPERO registration number: PROSPERO CRD42021235309.

Efficacy and safety of Xinkeshu in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of angina pectoris (AP) of coronary heart disease (CHD) is increasing in the world, which seriously affects people's lives and brings a huge economic burden. The clinical research on Xinkeshu (XKS) in the treatment of AP of CHD has been increasing. However, there is no systematic review and meta-analysis. This study intends to provide a basis for systematically evaluating the efficacy and safety of XKS combined with conventional western medicine in the treatment of AP of CHD. METHODS: CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMbase databases were searched for the period from the establishment of the database to August 31, 2021. The clinical randomized controlled trials of XKS in the treatment of AP of CHD were collected. Two systematic reviewers independently selected the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the quality according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the literature was evaluated using Cochrane Handbook 5.3.0 bias risk assessment tool, RevMan 5.3.0 software was used for meta-analysis and GRADE3.6 evidence quality grading system was used to evaluate the quality. RESULTS: This study intended to evaluate the efficacy and safety of XKS in the treatment of AP of CHD from many aspects, including the frequency of AP, the duration of AP, the dosage of nitroglycerin, and the efficacy of ECG (total effective rate = markedly effective + effective). The secondary indicators included the efficacy of AP (total effective rate = significant + effective), blood lipids (triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), hemorheology (whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, and fibrinogen), serum factors (C-reactive protein, endothelin-1, homocysteine, and nitric oxide), and adverse drug reactions. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of the systematic review intended to provide clear evidence of clinical application of XKS combined with conventional western medicine in the treatment of AP of CHD, which can be widely used in the clinic.

Efficacy and safety of Xuanfei Baidu granules for treating COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently prevalent in most countries around the world. It has become a common threat to global human health because there is no specific cure and no targeted treatment for this disease at this stage. Xuanfei Baidu granule (XFBD) included the traditional Chinese medicine prescription in COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment Plan (trial eighth Edition) released in August 2020, which has played a great role in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. This paper intends to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xuanfei Baidu granule in the treatment of COVID-19. METHODS: The search strategies of different websites were searched on Cochrane Central controlled Trials Registry, PubMed, excerpt database, Web of science, China National knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, WanFang and other websites. All qualified studies were confirmed to include randomized controlled trials. The search time range was from January 1, 2019 to February 28, 2021. In the meanwhile, the list of references and related reviews was checked. Two evaluators were responsible for the extraction and management of the data independently. The literature quality was evaluated according to Cochrane manual 4.2.2. Heterogeneity test and Meta analysis were carried out by Review Manager V.5.3 software. The bias risk included in the study was evaluated by Cochrane "bias risk" tool, and the relevant statistical data were evaluated by GRADE3.6 evidence quality grading system. RESULTS: This study intends to evaluate the efficacy and safety of XFBD in the treatment of COVID-19 from 4 aspects, including nucleic acid negative conversion time, average hospital stay, clinical symptom improvement rate and lung computed tomography improvement rate. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this scheme intends to provide evidence for judging whether the intervention of XFBD on COVID-19 patients is effective or not. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021245640.

Efficacy and safety of Shugan Jieyu capsule in the treatment of essential hypertension with insomnia, anxiety or depression: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Shugan Jieyu capsule can reduce blood pressure and improve its concomitant symptoms. However, it is not widely used in clinic because of its incomplete understanding of its nature. There are many reports on the clinical trials of Shugan Jieyu capsule in the treatment of essential hypertension with insomnia, anxiety or depression in recent years. However, the lack of systematic review and meta-analysis has not provided effective evidence. As a consequence, we provide a protocol to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shugan Jieyu capsule (SJC) in the treatment of essential hypertension (EH) with insomnia, anxiety or depression. METHODS: The search time range of Cochrane Library, PubMed, excerpt Database (EMBASE), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and Wanfang Database (WanFang), was searched by computer from the establishment of the database to December 31, 2020. In the meanwhile, the list of references and related reviews were checked. The data were extracted by 2 evaluators independently, and the literature quality was evaluated according to Cochrane manual 4.2.2. In addition, CochraneRevman5.3 software was used for heterogeneity test, meta-analysis, publication bias analysis and GRADE3.6 evidence quality classification system evaluation related statistical data. RESULTS: This study intends to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SJC in the treatment of EH from many aspects, including changes in blood pressure [systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP)], effective rate of blood pressure reduction, improvement rate of concomitant symptoms and adverse reactions. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of systematic review intends to provide evidence for judging that SJC is an effective intervention for EH patients with insomnia, anxiety and depression. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD 42021219704.

Expressions of ZNF436, ß-catenin, EGFR, and CMTM5 in breast cancer and their clinical significances.

As the leading malignancy among women, breast cancer is a serious threat to the life and health of women. In this context, it is of particular importance that a proper therapeutic target be identified for breast cancer treatment. We collected the pathological tissues of 80 patients, with the view to discovering appropriate molecular targets for the treatment of breast cancer, this paper analyzes the expressions of ZNF436, ß-catenin, EGFR and CMTM5 in breast cancer tissues, as well as their correlations with breast cancer in combination with the clinicopathologic characteristics of studied patients. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was utilized to detect the expression levels of ZNF436, ß-catenin, EGFR and CMTM5 in cancerous and paracancerous tissues of breast cancer patients. The expression levels of ZNF436, ß-Catenin and EGFR in breast cancer tissues were significantly greater than those in paracancerous tissues in this study (p<0.05), while CMTM5 was highly expressed in paracancerous tissues (p<0.05). Additionally, the correlation of the expressions of such indicators with the staging, differentiation and lymphatic metastasis of breast cancer, were also found to be statistically significant at the level p<0.05. The different expression levels of ZNF436, ß-catenin, EGFR and CMTM5 in breast cancer and paracancerous tissues open up the possibility of utilizing them as molecular markers for breast cancer. These findings provide a theoretical basis for targeted molecular therapies for breast cancer, and hence carry a significant practical significance.

Efficacy and safety of Yangxue Qingnao granules for the treatment of essential hypertension: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Essential hypertension is a major risk factor for many fatal cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and has become a heavy burden on families and society. At present, the prevention and treatment of essential hypertension is still unsatisfactory. Yangxue Qingnao granules is a kind of Chinese patent medicine that has been used to treat essential hypertension. The objective of this protocol is to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yangxue Qingnao granules in the treatment of essential hypertension. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials on Yangxue Qingnao granules for essential hypertension will be searched from the following databases: PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and China Biology Medicine disc from inception to August 27, 2021, regardless of language. Study screening and data extraction will be carried out by two independent reviewers. The quality of the included studies will be assessed using Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. Statistic analysis will be performed using RevMan 5.3 software. The quality of evidence will be assessed using GRADE approach. RESULTS: This study will systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yangxue Qingnao granules in the treatment of essential hypertension and provide high-quality evidence for clinical practice. CONCLUSION: The findings of this systematic review will provide high-quality evidence to verify the efficacy and safety of Yangxue Qingnao granules in the treatment of essential hypertension. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202190015.

LncRNA FOXD3-AS1 Mediates AKT Pathway to Promote Growth and Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Regulating RICTOR.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has high morbidity and mortality, but current therapeutic methods cannot effectively improve patient's prognosis. FOXD3-AS1, a new identified long noncoding RNA, is dysregulated in several cancers and functions as a carcinogenic or tumor-suppressor factor. However, the function of FOXD3-AS1 in HCC has not been reported. Materials and Methods: Quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction was applied to evaluate the expression of FOXD3-AS1 in HCC tissues and cell lines. miRDB and TargetScan websites were utilized to predict the interaction network of FOXD3-AS1 as a competing endogenous RNA. The interaction was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. The effect of FOXD3-AS1 on HCC cells (Huh6) were measured by cell counting kit (CCK)-8, BrdU cell proliferation assay, Transwell invasion assay, and wound healing assay. Results: FOXD3-AS1 was overexpressed in HCC, and HCC patients with the high level of FOXD3-AS1 had a poor prognosis. In addition, FOXD3-AS1 knockdown considerably inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of Huh6 cells. Besides, FOXD3-AS1 functioned as a sponge of miR-335, and RICTOR was a direct target gene of miR-335. Furthermore, FOXD3-AS1 could enhance the level of RICTOR through sponging miR-335. Moreover, the knockdown of FOXD3-AS1 could competitively bind with miR-335 to suppress RICTOR expression, thereby inhibiting the growth of Huh6 cells through the deactivation of AKT signaling pathway. Conclusions: FOXD3-AS1 is crucial for the tumorigenesis and progression of HCC. The interaction among FOXD3-AS1, miR-335, and RICTOR provides a novel insight for understanding the molecular mechanism of HCC, and FOXD3-AS1, miR-335, and RICTOR can be regarded as the potential targets for HCC treatment.

Inflammatory cytokine-induced expression of MASTL is involved in hepatocarcinogenesis by regulating cell cycle progression.

Microtubule associated serine/threonine kinase-like (MASTL) is the functional mammalian ortholog of Greatwall kinase (Gwl), which was originally discovered in Drosophila. Gwl is an essential kinase for accurate chromosome condensation and mitotic progression, and inhibits protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), which subsequently dephosphorylates the substrates of cyclin B1-cyclin-dependent kinase 1, leading to mitotic exit. Previous studies have indicated that MASTL has a critical function in the regulation of mitosis in HeLa and U2OS cell lines, though there is currently limited evidence for the involvement of MASTL in hepatocarcinogenesis. The results of the present study revealed that MASTL was inducible by the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which promoted the proliferation and mitotic entry of human liver cancer cells. It was also determined that MASTL was significantly overexpressed in cancerous liver tissues compared with non-tumor liver tissues. Mechanistically, stimulation by IL-6 and TNF-α induced the trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4Me3) at the MASTL promoter to facilitate chromatin accessibility. Additionally, H3K4Me3 was associated with the activation of nuclear factor-κB, which subsequently upregulated MASTL expression. These findings suggested that MASTL may have pivotal functions in the development of hepatocarcinoma, and that it may be a potential target for treatment.

Long Noncoding RNA AK021443 Promotes Cell Proliferation and Migration by Regulating Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were dysregulated in many kinds of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AK021443, as a novel lncRNA, was found to be upregulated in HCC, while its potential value and function are still unknown. The pathological changes of liver tissues were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression levels of AK021443 in HCC tissues and cell lines were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The proliferation ability of AK021443 on HepG2 and Bel-7402 cells was assessed by CCK8 and EdU staining assays. The role of AK021443 in HepG2 and Bel-7402 cell invasion and migration was measured by Transwell and wound healing assays. Finally, the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, and snail, was investigated by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence. The role of AK021443 in vivo was also analyzed. Hepatoma cell nucleus increased in HCC tissues compared with normal liver tissues. AK021443 expression was increased in HCC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of AK021443 significantly reduced HepG2 and Bel-7402 cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Furthermore, inhibition of AK021443 in HepG2 and Bel-7402 cells significantly repressed EMT ability. Knockdown of AK021443 in vivo also significantly inhibited tumor growth with decreased Ki-67 levels and EMT phenotype in tumor tissues. However, these functions could be reversed by overexpression of AK021443. AK021443 significantly controlled HepG2 and Bel-7402 cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and migration by repressing EMT, which might provide a potential therapeutic target for HCC diagnosis.