The efficacy and safety of agomelatine, sertraline, and escitalopram for senile post-stroke depression: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of agomelatine, sertraline, and escitalopram for patients with senile post-stroke depression (SPSD, aged over 65 years).

Patients And Methods: A total of 165 patients (aged over 65 years) with post-stroke depression (PSD) were recruited. These patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups and given an anti-depressant or a placebo as follows: group A (agomelatine in combination with conventional cerebrovascular disease medication) 48 patients; group B (sertraline in combination with conventional cerebrovascular disease medication) 47 patients; group C (escitalopram in combination with conventional cerebrovascular disease medication) 50 patients; and, a control group (conventional treatment alone) 20 patients.

[Effects of electroacupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36) on expression of mitophagy-related proteins in skeletal muscle in rats with spleen deficiency syndrome].

Objective: To observe the expression change of mitophagy-related proteins in skeletal muscle in rats with spleen deficiency syndrome and to explain the partial action mechanism of acupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) for spleen deficiency syndrome.

Methods: Forty male SD rats, after normal feeding, were randomly divided into a normal group, a spleen deficiency group, a Zusanli group and a non-acupoint group, ten rats in each group. Except the normal group, the three factors modeling method was used for 14 days to establish the model of spleen deficiency syndrome on the other 3 groups.