Is acupuncture a placebo therapy?

Complementary therapies such as acupuncture are suggested to have enhanced placebo effects. Numerous high quality randomized controlled trials found that acupuncture is no better than its placebo control; however, patients in both real and sham acupuncture groups report clinically meaningful symptom improvements. A possible interpretation of these trials is that acupuncture acts entirely by engaging placebo mechanisms.

The D₁ dopamine receptor agonist, SKF83959, attenuates hydrogen peroxide-induced injury in RGC-5 cells involving the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/p38 pathways.

Purpose: Oxidative stress is widely implicated in the death of retinal ganglion cells associated with various optic neuropathies. Agonists of the dopamine D(1) receptor have recently been found to be potentially neuroprotective against oxidative stress-induced injury. The goal of this study was to investigate whether SKF83959, a next-generation high-affinity D(1) receptor agonist, could protect retinal ganglion cell 5 (RGC-5) cells from H(2)O(2)-induced damage and the molecular mechanism involved.

Calcium overload is a critical step in programmed necrosis of ARPE-19 cells induced by high-concentration H₂O₂.

Objective: Oxidative stress plays an important role in retinal pigmental epithelium (RPE) death during aging and the development of age-related macular degeneration. Although early reports indicate that reactive oxygen species (ROS) including H₂O₂ can trigger apoptosis at lower concentrations and necrosis at higher concentrations, the exact molecular mechanism of RPE death is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the molecular pathways involved in RPE death induced by exogenous ROS, especially at higher concentrations.

Suppression of gastric cancer growth by adenovirus-mediated transfer of the PTEN gene.

Aim: To investigate the tumor-suppressive effect of the phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted from chromosome (PTEN) in human gastric cancer cells that were wild type for PTEN.

Methods: Adenoviruses expressing PTEN or luciferase as a control were introduced into gastric cancer cells. The effect of exogenous PTEN gene on the growth and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells that are wtPTEN were examined in vitro and in vivo.

Comparative experimental study on treatment outcome of nerve transfer, using selective C7 nerve root vs. phrenic nerve.

The treatment outcome of nerve transfer using the C7 nerve root or phrenic nerve was compared in a rat experiment. One hundred and twenty SD rats were divided into two groups, one undergoing phrenic nerve transfer to the musculocutaneous nerve, and the other partial ipsilateral C7 (anteriolateral fascicles of the anterior division) to the musculocutaneous nerve. Neurotization outcomes of the two groups were evaluated by comparing the electrophysiologic, histologic, and myophysiologic changes of the biceps muscle.

[The expression of connective tissue growth factor in renal cortex of 5/6 nephrectomized rats and its modulation by fluvastatin].

Objective: To investigate the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mRNA expression in the renal cortex of 5/6 nephrectomized rats and its modulation by fluvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor.

Methods: Twenty-four rats underwent operation 2 times: during the first operation 2/3 of the left kidney was resected, and the right kidney was resected completely one week after. The 24 5/6 nephrectomized rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: untreated 5/6 nephrectomized group (model group, n=12) and fluvastatin-treated 5/6 nephrectomized group (treatment group, fluvastatin was orally administered 7 mg.