[Effect of acupuncture on HIF-1α/NLRP3 inflammatory signaling pathway in the rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury].

Objective: To observe the effects of (regaining consciousness and opening orifices) acupuncture therapy on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats, and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Methods: Seventy-two male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group, an acupuncture group and a non-point acupuncture group, with 18 rats in each one. Using modified Longa thread embolization method, the rat model of acute focal cerebral ischemia was prepared; and after 2 h ischemia, the reperfusion was performed to prepared the model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion.

[Acupuncture regulates autophagic flux to antagonize cerebral ischemic injury in rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture on the cerebral infarct volume and expressions of Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and p62 proteins related to cell autophagy in rats with cerebral ischemia (CI), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of CI injury.

Methods: Male SD rats were randomized into 3 groups: sham operation, model and acupuncture which were further divided into 4 subgroups according to different ischemia time-points: 3, 6, 12 and 24 h (=7 in each subgroup). The CI model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) with surgical suture-embolus.

[Effect of acupuncture on safety of rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis in patients with cerebral infarction: a randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To assess the effect of (regaining consciousness and opening orifices) acupuncture on the efficacy and safety of intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in patients with cerebral infarction.

Methods: A total number of 142 patients of cerebral infarction undergoing rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis were randomized into an acupuncture-medication group (71 cases) and a western medication group (71 cases, 1 case dropped off). In the western medication group, rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis was given.

[Acupuncture intervention prolongates thrombolysis time window by regulating cerebral cortex angiogenesis-related genes and proteins in cerebral infarction rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and endostatin (Endostatin, ES) mRNAs and proteins (angiogenesis related factors) in the ischemic penumbra region in rats with cerebral infarction (CI), so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in prolonging the time window of thrombolysis therapy for CI.

Methods: A total of 48 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation, model, medication (6 h thrombolysis) and acupuncture (Acupunct)+medication groups (n=12 in each group). The CI model was established using modified auto-thrombus method.

[Thrombolysis combined with acupuncture therapy for acute cerebral infarction: a Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials].

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of thrombolysis combined with acupuncture therapy in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction (ACI) in the light of evidence-based medicine.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) for acupuncture and thrombolysis treatment of acute cerebral infarction published from the inception of databa-ses to March 2020 were searched from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM Database. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two reviewers independently screened the RCTs and extracted the data.

Efficacy of acupuncture for sciatica: study protocol for a randomized controlled pilot trial.

Background: Acupuncture is widely used for pain diseases while evidence of its efficacy for sciatica is insufficient. We aim to explore the feasibility and efficacy of acupuncture with different acupoint selecting strategies for sciatica induced by lumbar disc herniation.

Methods: This is a multicenter, three-arm, patient-assessor-blinded randomized controlled pilot trial.

Mechanisms of Electroacupuncture on Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of Animal Studies.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main type of dementia affecting elderly people. The medicines used for treating AD have limits in their ability to alleviate cognitive and functional decline. Electroacupuncture (EA), an economical alternative and complementary therapeutic measure used in Chinese medicine, has strong clinical applicability, and its treatment effects are more reliable as its stimulation factors can be standardized.

[Effect of acupuncture on neurological function, cerebral infarction volume, thrombolysis time window and cerebral cell apoptosis signaling pathway in cerebral infarction rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture (Acupunct) on cerebral infarction volume and expression of poly ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1), apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and endonuclease G (Endo-G) in the cerebral cortex tissue at different time-points after cerebral ischemia (CI) in acute cerebral infarction rats, so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in prolonging time window of thrombolysis.

Methods: Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation, model, intravenous thrombolysis (IVT)-4.5 h, IVT-6 h, IVT-9 h, Acupunct＋IVT-4.

Acupuncture therapy for fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: Fibromyalgia (FM) can cause chronic widespread pain and seriously affect the quality of patient lives. Acupuncture therapy is widely used for pain management. However, the effect of acupuncture on FM is still uncertain.

[Effect of Acupuncture Plus Moxibustion on Immune Function in Patients with Bra-chiocephalic Takayasu Arteritis].

Objective: To observe the influence of acupuncture and moxibustion on humoral immunity and cellular immunity related indexes in patients with bra-chiocephalic Takayasu arteritis (BCTA), so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in the treatment of Takayasu arteritis (TA).

Methods: A total of 31 BCTA patients (9 men and 22 women at age of 16-70 years) were treated by manual acupuncture stimulation of main acupoint Renying(ST 9)and auxillary acupoints as Jiquan (HT 1), Chize (LU 5), Fengchi (GB 20), bilateral Xinshu (BL15), Feishu (BL 13) and Geshu (BL 17), Jingming (BL 1), etc. according to clinical symptoms, with the needles retained for 20 min.

Effects of constrained dynamic loading, CKIP‑1 gene knockout and combination stimulations on bone loss caused by mechanical unloading.

Mechanical stimulation plays an important role in maintaining the growth and normal function of the skeletal system. Mechanical unloading occurs, for example, in astronauts spending long periods of time in space or in patients on prolonged bed rest, and causes a rapid loss of bone mass. Casein kinase 2‑interacting protein‑1 (CKIP‑1) is a novel negative bone regulation factor that has been demonstrated to reduce bone loss and enhance bone formation.

Noninvasive Ventilation in Acute Hypoxemic Nonhypercapnic Respiratory Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of noninvasive ventilation in patients with acute hypoxemic nonhypercapnic respiratory failure unrelated to exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Web of Science, and bibliographies of articles were retrieved inception until June 2016.

Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials comparing application of noninvasive ventilation with standard oxygen therapy in adults with acute hypoxemic nonhypercapnic respiratory failure were included.

A comparative study of mechanical strain, icariin and combination stimulations on improving osteoinductive potential via NF-kappaB activation in osteoblast-like cells.

Background: The combination of drugs and exercise was the effective treatment in bone injure and rebuilding in clinic. As mechanical strain has potential in inducing the differentiation of osteoblasts in our previous study, the further research to investigate the combination of mechanical strain and icariin stimulation on inducing osteoblast proliferation, differentiation and the possible mechanism in MC3T3-E1 cell line.

Methods: A whole cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that detects the bromodeoxyuridine incorporation during DNA synthesis was applied to evaluate the proliferation.

Acupuncture therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Acupuncture has commonly been used in China, either alone or in combination with Western medicine, to treat sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for patients with SSHL.

Methods: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP), and Chinese Biomedical literature service system (SinoMed) to collect randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for SSHL published before July 2014.

Extracellular matrix of mechanically stretched cardiac fibroblasts improves viability and metabolic activity of ventricular cells.

Background: In heart, the extracellular matrix (ECM), produced by cardiac fibroblasts, is a potent regulator of heart's function and growth, and provides a supportive scaffold for heart cells in vitro and in vivo. Cardiac fibroblasts are subjected to mechanical loading all the time in vivo. Therefore, the influences of mechanical loading on formation and bioactivity of cardiac fibroblasts ECM should be investigated.

Bone formation in rabbit cancellous bone explant culture model is enhanced by mechanical load.

Background: When studying and designing an artificial bone in vitro with similar features and functionality of natural bone by tissue engineering technology, the culturing environment, especially the mechanical environment is supposed to be an important factor, because a suitable mechanical environment in vitro may improve the adaptability of the planted-in tissue engineering bone in the body. Unfortunately, up to now, the relationship between mechanical stimuli and natural bone growth has not yet been precisely determined, and it is so imperative for a prior study on effect of mechanical loading on growth of the natural bone cultured in vitro.

Methods: Under sterile conditions, explant models of rabbit cancellous bone with 3 mm in thickness and 8 mm in diameter were prepared and cultured in a dynamic loading and circulating perfusion bioreactor system.

[Meta analysis of acupuncture-moxibustion in treatment of irritable bowel syndrome].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture-moxibustion in treatment of irritable bowel syndrome systematically.

Methods: Clinical randomized controlled trials on treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with acupuncture-moxibustion were collected. Through retrieval of CNKI (1979 - December of 2011) and VIP (1979- December of 2011), randomized and quasi-randomized controlled clinical trials on treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with control study between acupuncture and sham acupuncture or western medication were included.

[Effects of neuroactive steroid allopregnanolone on the damage of cortical neurons].

Objective: To investigate the protective mechanism of neuroactive steroid allopregnanolone on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) induced toxicity in primary mouse cortical neurons.

Methods: Primary cultured mouse cortical neurons were subjected to allopregnanolone, the expression of beta-aminobutyric acid receptor beta2 subunit (beta2-GABA-R) mRNAs was detected by RT-PCR and Akt phosphorylation was assayed by Western blot using Akt-phosphoserine 473-specific antibody. After the cultured mouse cortical neurons were pretreated with or without allopregnanolone prior to treatment with NMDA , DNA isolated was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and proteins collected were analyzed by Western blot with anti-cleaved-PARP, anti-cleaved caspase-3, and anti-cleaved caspase-9 antibodies.

Purification and characterisation of an inhibitor of a cathepsin B-like proteinase from sunflower seed.

Cathepsin B is a vitally important enzyme in various physiological processes and in tumor invasion and metastasis. A cathepsin B inhibitor, HCB-SunI, was identified and purified from sunflower seeds, Helianthus annuus, using ammonium sulfate precipitation and two steps of conventional chromatography. The molecular mass of HCB-SunI was estimated to be 12 kDa by SDS-PAGE and 12.