Publications by authors named "Zhihong Meng"

Stroke, as a neurological disorder with a poor overall prognosis, has long plagued the patients. Current stroke therapy lacks effective treatments. Ferroptosis has emerged as a prominent subject of discourse across various maladies in recent years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study aimed to assess the quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have reported the use of acupuncture for the treatment of post-stroke aphasia (PSA).

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang data Information Site, and China Science and Technology Journal Database from January 2013 to June 2023. RCTs utilizing acupuncture as an intervention for the treatment of post-stroke aphasia were included in this study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) drives corneal fibroblasts to differentiate into corneal myofibroblasts and plays a key role in corneal fibrosis. However, the role of LIM and cysteine-rich domains-1 (LMCD1) in TGF-β1-induced corneal myofibroblast differentiation and corneal fibrosis remains elusive. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the expression, regulatory mechanism, and role of LMCD1 in TGF-β1-induced corneal myofibroblast differentiation and corneal fibrosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Treatments like thrombolysis and thrombectomy have strict time limits, and other options like drugs and nanomedicines are not very effective or well-tested.
  • * Acupuncture is a recommended alternative therapy for IS that helps the brain heal in several ways, like improving brain cell health and protecting blood vessels, even though how it works isn’t completely clear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Diverse studies have revealed discrepant evidence concerning the causal association between Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and COVID-19 vaccination in relation to migraines. Investigating the correlation between the former two factors and migraines can facilitate policymakers in the precise formulation of comprehensive post-pandemic interventions while urging the populace to adopt a judicious perspective on COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods: We undertook a Mendelian randomization (MR) study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), this study accentuates the role of the tourism and hospitality sector in promoting sustainability. The primary purpose is to unravel the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and energy-specific sustainable behavior of employees (ESBE), with particular emphasis on the mediating roles of green intrinsic motivation and personal environmental norms. Utilizing a three-wave data collection approach, we secured 325 valid responses from sector employees at various levels (manager-non managers) and applied Structural Equation Modeling through the SMART-PLS tool to assess the hypothesized relationships.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neurodegenerative diseases refer to a battery of medical conditions that affect the survival and function of neurons in the brain, which are mainly presented with progressive loss of cognitive and/or motor function. Acupuncture showed benign effects in improving neurological deficits, especially on movement and cognitive function impairment. Here, we reviewed the therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture at the neural circuit level in movement and cognition disorders, summarizing the influence of acupuncture in the dopaminergic system, glutamatergic system, γ-amino butyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) system, serotonergic system, cholinergic system, and glial cells at the circuit and synaptic levels.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: In the realm of pain management, traditional Chinese medicine, specifically acupuncture, has garnered increasing attention. This meta-analysis pioneers the evaluation of acupuncture's effectiveness in treating insomnia among hypertensive patients.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across several databases-PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, WANFANG, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Sinomed, and the Chinese Journal of Science and Technology (VIP).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Motor aphasia is common among patients with stroke. Acupuncture is recommended as an alternative therapy for poststroke aphasia, but its efficacy remains uncertain.

Objective: To investigate the effects of acupuncture on language function, neurological function, and quality of life in patients with poststroke motor aphasia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Stroke is the main cause of disability in the middle and old age. Hemiplegia, especially lower limb paralysis, often leads to the loss of self-care ability and a series of secondary injuries. The main method to improve hemiplegic limb movement is exercise therapy, but there are still many patients with disabilities after rehabilitation treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the inconsistencies in previous research regarding the use of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to assess white matter changes in patients with post-stroke aphasia (PSA).
  • Researchers conducted a meta-analysis by reviewing multiple databases to compile relevant studies related to DTI and PSA, providing a quantitative overview and narrative for studies lacking data.
  • Results revealed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in key white matter tracts in the PSA group compared to healthy controls, with notable changes in different brain regions, such as the left hemisphere’s arcuate fasciculus and Broca's area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

SMAD3 downregulation is documented in transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)-induced corneal fibroblasts differentiation to myofibroblasts ("fibroTOmyoDiff") or corneal wound healing. However, the exact regulatory mechanism of TGF-β1/SMAD3 pathway in this context remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role and related mechanism of SMAD3 down-regulation in TGF-β1-induced human corneal fibroTOmyoDiff.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture in improving motor dysfunction after ischemic stroke (IS) and to investigate the effect of acupuncture on corticospinal tract (CST) remodeling using diffusion tensor imaging.

Methods: Published literature on the effect of acupuncture on CST remodeling after IS using diffusion tensor imaging in the form of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were systematically retrieved and screened from Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, CNKI, CBM, VIP, and Wanfang databases from inception to December 2022. The methodological quality of the included studies was critically and independently evaluated by 2 reviewers using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for RCTs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: According to several studies, a specific dietary pattern can reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment. However, the robustness of these results has not been tested. The study intends to investigate the association between nutrition intake and cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults (≥45-years) and provide reliable, evidence-based references for healthcare decision-makers, researchers, and policymakers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Neural plasticity is key for language recovery in poststroke aphasia (PSA) and may enhance recovery through acupuncture.
  • Acupuncture's impact on neurotransmitters and glutamate receptors after brain injury is a potential strategy to improve PSA.
  • Further research is needed to understand how acupuncture influences neuroplasticity and the overall recovery of language function in stroke patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Stress related to post-stroke depression (PSD) can disrupt gut microbiome balance, influencing the severity of the illness in affected individuals.
  • * Acupuncture has potential in treating stroke and PSD by acting as a microecological regulator that restores gut microbiota, and this article discusses recent studies and prospects for future research in this area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In a case of thalamencephalic and mesencephalic injury secondary to electrical trauma, a 29-year-old patient has been receiving manual acupuncture for 17 months in National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion. As a result of treatment, the patient's self-care ability and quality of life have greatly improved. In order to fully understand how acupuncture can benefit neurological sequelae resulting from electrical trauma, further research is needed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

. Poststroke dysphagia is one of the most common stroke complications with high morbidity and long course, while acupuncture treatment is easily accepted by patients due to its reliability, feasibility, simple operation, low price, and quick effect. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of manual acupuncture in poststroke dysphagia patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Elderly patients with ischemic stroke (IS) have worse functional outcomes and poorer quality of life after suffering a stroke than younger patients. The identification of effective agents is critical to optimizing the therapy of IS in elderly patients.

Purpose: To examine the efficacy of diterpene ginkgolides meglumine injection (DGMI) vs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Vertigo is a cardinal symptom of posterior circulation infarction (POCI). Acupuncture is demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on posterior circulation infarction vertigo (PCIV). However, the mechanism of acupuncture therapy is not clarified.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and language training for treating motor aphasia after stroke within 15 to 90 days of onset.
  • It will include 252 participants, randomly divided into two groups to compare traditional treatments against a sham-control method for 6 weeks.
  • The outcomes will be measured using specific communication assessments and the incidence of adverse effects will be tracked to ensure safety throughout the trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Aphasia is one of the most common complications in patients with ischemic stroke. Studies have shown that acupuncture can improve the symptoms of aphasia patients. However, the effect of acupuncture on language function in patients with ischemic stroke is still controversial.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Aphasia is a common symptom in stroke patients, presenting with the impairment of spontaneous speech, repetition, naming, auditory comprehension, reading, and writing function. Multiple rehabilitation methods have been suggested for the recovery of poststroke aphasia, including medication treatment, behavioral therapy, and stimulation approach. Acupuncture has been proven to have a beneficial effect on improving speech functions in repetition, oral speech, reading, comprehension, and writing ability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pain is a kind of complex physiological and psychological symptom, which makes the person debilitated and uncomfortable. Some persistent pain is unbearable for the patients, reducing the quality of life and bringing considerable pressure to the individuals and society. Pain killers seem to be effective in analgesia for patients, but their safety and addiction are crucial issues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF