A review of antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of Soyo-san (Xiaoyao-san) and modified Soyo-san in animal models.

Background: Soyo-san (Xiaoyao-san; SYS), a traditional herbal medicine formula, has been used for treating mood disorders, especially depression and anxiety. Modified SYS (mSYS) is formulated by adding or removing herbs to SYS, and is mainly used in cases of mood disorders with comorbid diseases such as diabetes, digestive disorders, and anorexia. However, there has been no detailed comparative analysis of the differences in efficacy and underlying neurological mechanisms between SYS and mSYS.

Peripheral Rho-associated protein kinase activation mediates acupuncture analgesia.

Background: Acupuncture has been proven effective for various types of pain, and peripheral molecular signals around acupuncture-treated areas have been suggested to contribute to the analgesic effects of acupuncture. However, the underlying mechanism from these peripheral molecular signals to central ones remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether peripheral Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) activation induced by acupuncture treatment mediates acupuncture analgesia, and also to investigate the relationship between ROCK activation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), which has previously been proven to mediate acupuncture analgesia and other related molecular changes during acupuncture.

Secondhand smoke exposure and asthma status among adolescents: Findings from the 2019-2020 California Student Tobacco Survey.

Background And Objectives: Secondhand tobacco smoke is associated with worsening asthma symptoms among children. However, the relationship between secondhand marijuana smoke and asthma symptoms among youth has not been examined. This study compares the prevalence of secondhand tobacco and marijuana smoke exposure, overall and by asthma status, among middle and high school students.

A survey on the real-world clinical utilization of a traditional acupuncture in Republic of Korea: Sa-am acupuncture.

Objective: This study investigated the clinical details and usage of Sa-am acupuncture in Korean medicine clinics and explored how practicing Korean medicine doctors (KMDs) think about Sa-am acupuncture.

Methods: We conducted a questionnaire-based survey of KMDs who utilize Sa-am acupuncture in their practice. The study comprehensively investigated issues related to clinical application of Sa-am acupuncture, needling techniques used during treatment, training methods, and directions for its future improvement.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol in People With Major Depressive Episodes and Alcohol Use Disorder.

Objectives: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depression are the most commonly reported psychiatric comorbid conditions. We examined trends in the past-year prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUIA) among people with major depressive episodes (MDE), AUD, or both in the United States.

Methods: We analyzed 543,573 individuals aged 18 years or older from the 2005 to 2019 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Peripheral mast cells derive the effects of acupuncture in Parkinson's disease.

This research investigates the peripheral mechanisms of acupuncture in treating Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor impairments. While the central mechanisms of acupuncture have been extensively studied, our focus lies in the peripheral mechanisms at the acupoints, the sites of acupuncture signal initiation. Employing a PD model, we analyzed the local responses to acupuncture stimulation at these points.

Exploring the potential effect of electroacupuncture on cardiovascular function and lipid profiles in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Background: Investigating the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment on cardiovascular function and aortic lipid profiles in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) constitutes the foundational focus of this study. The overarching goal is to comprehensively elucidate the alterations brought about by EA treatment and to assess its potential as an alternative therapy for hypertension.

Methods: Consecutive EA treatments were administered to SHR, and the effects on systolic blood pressure, cardiac function, and hypertension-related neuronal signals were assessed.

Designing a Placebo Microneedle Stamp: Modeling and Validation in a Clinical Control Trial.

Recently, several clinical studies have been conducted using microneedles (MNs), and various devices have been developed. This study aimed to propose and confirm the feasibility of a placebo control for activating MN clinical research. A 0.

The vital role of exercise and nutrition in COVID-19 rehabilitation: synergizing strength.

Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global healthcare community has faced the challenge of understanding and addressing the ongoing and multi-faceted SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes. As millions of individuals worldwide continue to navigate the complexities of post-hospitalization recovery, reinfection rates, and the increasing prevalence of Long-COVID symptoms, comprehensive COVID-19 rehabilitation strategies are greatly needed. Previous studies have highlighted the potential synergy between exercise and nutrition, suggesting that their integration into patient rehabilitation programs may yield improved clinical outcomes for survivors of COVID-19.

Herbal therapeutics for female infertility: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Infertility is a global public health issue related to gynecological diseases and psychological disorders such as stress, depression, and fatigue. Prescriptions of various herbs in traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM) have recently gained attention among patients as a complementary alternative therapy for female infertility. However, studies on systemic analysis of the use of herbal medicines according to TEAM patterns or the therapeutic effects of herbal medicines on female infertility are limited.

Changes of local microenvironment and systemic immunity after acupuncture stimulation during inflammation: A literature review of animal studies.

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated the underlying mechanisms by which acupuncture therapy mediates both local and systemic immunomodulation. However, the connection between alterations in the local microenvironment and the resulting change in systemic immunity remains unclear. In this review, we focus on cell-specific changes in local immune responses following acupuncture stimulation and their link to systemic immune modulation.

Warm needle acupuncture for osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Warm needle acupuncture (WA) is considered a potential intervention in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA).

Purpose: To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of WA in the treatment of OA.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis METHODS: Fourteen databases were searched from their inception until May 2022.

Scoping review of the medicinal effects of Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker and the underlying mechanisms.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker (ES) is an insect widely used in traditional East Asian medicine known to exhibit clinical effects on various pathological conditions. Overall, ES is a useful medicinal insect that can treat various diseases, including cancer and immune diseases. However, further mechanistic studies based on its therapeutic effects in clinical settings are required.

In-home cannabis smoking more prevalent than in-home tobacco smoking among 2019 Global Drug Survey respondents.

Purpose Of The Research: Early evidence from studies of home smoking policies suggests that in-home cannabis smoking is more often allowed than in-home tobacco smoking, but there are not yet data on whether cannabis is more often smoked in the home compared to tobacco, or whether in-home cannabis and tobacco smoking differs by usage status. Using cross-sectional data from over 100,000 sentinel drug users from 17 countries, we compared cannabis and tobacco smoking in the homes of Global Drug Survey 2019 respondents who currently used cannabis only, tobacco only, both tobacco and cannabis, or neither.

Principal Results: Complete data on cannabis and tobacco use and in-home smoking were available for 107,272 adults (average age = 30 ± 12, 34% women, countries with the three highest response rates; Germany = 32%, USA = 10%, New Zealand = 9%).

Improvement Effects of Myelophil on Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in a Reserpine-Induced Mouse Model.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is associated with various symptoms, such as depression, pain, and fatigue. To date, the pathological mechanisms and therapeutics remain uncertain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of myelophil (MYP), composed of and , on depression, pain, and fatigue behaviors and its underlying mechanisms.

A scoping review on biomedical journal peer review guides for reviewers.

Background: Peer review is widely used in academic fields to assess a manuscript's significance and to improve its quality for publication. This scoping review will assess existing peer review guidelines and/or checklists intended for reviewers of biomedical journals and provide an overview on the review guidelines.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED) databases were searched for review guidelines from the date of inception until February 19, 2021.

Peripheral ERK modulates acupuncture-induced brain neural activity and its functional connectivity.

Acupuncture has been widely used as a therapeutic intervention, and the brain network plays a crucial role in its neural mechanism. This study aimed to investigate the acupuncture mechanism from peripheral to central by identifying how the peripheral molecular signals induced by acupuncture affect the brain neural responses and its functional connectivity. We confirmed that peripheral ERK activation by acupuncture plays a role in initiating acupuncture-induced peripheral proteomic changes in mice.

Lipidomics reveals that acupuncture modulates the lipid metabolism and inflammatory interaction in a mouse model of depression.

Depression is a serious disease that has considerable impact on lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses. Recent studies have shown that leptin, which is well known as a mediator of energy homeostasis and is a cytokine in inflammatory response, plays an important role in depression. Acupuncture is widely used to treat depression; however, the underlying mechanisms and the effect of acupuncture on depression remain poorly understood.

The Current Status of Clinical Research Involving Microneedles: A Systematic Review.

In recent years, a number of clinical trials have been published on the efficacy and safety of drug delivery using microneedles (MNs). This review aims to systematically summarize and analyze the current evidence including the clinical effect and safety of MNs. Three electronic databases, including PubMed, were used to search the literature for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical controlled trials (CCTs) that evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of MNs from their inception to 28 June 2018.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Modified Buyang Huanwu Decoction.

Methods: A cytotoxicity assay for BHD was performed using the MTT assay. Following treatment with BHD, mBHD-1, and mBHD-2 in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), nitric oxide (NO) secretion was detected in cell supernatants using a NO detection kit. The expression of proinflammatory mediators was detected using RT-PCR and western blotting.

Muscovite nanoparticles mitigate neuropathic pain by modulating the inflammatory response and neuroglial activation in the spinal cord.

Despite numerous efforts to overcome neuropathic pain, various pharmacological drugs often fail to meet the needs and have many side effects. Muscovite is an aluminosilicate mineral that has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect, but the efficacy of muscovite for neuropathic pain has not been investigated. Here, we assessed whether muscovite nanoparticles can reduce the symptoms of pain by controlling the inflammatory process observed in neuropathic pain.

Acupuncture stimulation attenuates TNF-α production via vagal modulation in the concanavalin A model of hepatitis.

Background: A growing body of evidence shows that neuronal activity is involved in modulating the efficacy of acupuncture therapy. However, it has been seldom investigated whether neuronal activity following acupuncture stimulation is effective at regulating hepatic inflammation.

Objective: Using the concanavalin A (ConA) model of hepatitis, we investigated the regulation of inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the liver tissue and the blood after acupuncture stimulation at ST36.

Understanding the multi-herbal composition of Buyang Huanwu Decoction: A review for better clinical use.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BHD) is a multi-herbal composition commonly prescribed in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke. Although studies have been conducted at the cellular (in vitro), animal and human (in vivo) level, there was no detailed analysis on how the composition and proportion of BHD is modified according to target diseases.

Aim Of Study: The purpose of this study is to investigate the composition and proportion of each herb in BHD to summarize how the original BHD was modified according to the target disease.

Sources of Misused Prescription Opioids and Their Association with Prescription Opioid Use Disorder in the United States: Sex and Age Differences.

Prescription opioid (PO) misuse and prescription opioid use disorder (POUD) are a national crisis in the USA. To inform strategies for reducing the PO epidemic, research is needed on the sources of misused POs and their association with POUD. Past-year PO misusers aged ≥12 ( = 6033) from the 2015 to 2016 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health were analyzed.