The American journal of Chinese medicine
-
Acupuncture is a therapy effective in treating postoperative ileus (POI); its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in inflammation and injury to the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), both of which are considered to be contributors to POI. C-kit, encoding KIT, a specific marker of ICCs, is predicted to be targeted by miR-19a, an inflammation-related miRNA. ⋯ High serum miR-19a level in patients after colorectal resection was also reduced by acupuncture. Conclusively, the IL-6 released by macrophages during gastrointestinal surgery upregulated miR-19a, which downregulated KIT in ICCs and finally resulted in POI. Acupuncture can interfere with the "IL-6-miR-19a-KIT" axis, suggesting that it may be a therapeutic mechanism that works against POI.
-
Puerariae radix, the dried root of Pueraria lobate Ohwi, is known to prevent bone loss in ovariectomized mice; however, the precise molecular mechanisms are not understood. In this study, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of action of Puerariae radix extract (PRE) on receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis. PRE dose-dependently inhibited osteoclast differentiation and formation, decreased the bone-resorbing activity of osteoclasts, and downregulated the expression of osteoclast differentiation marker genes. ⋯ In addition, PRE markedly suppressed cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) activation and the induction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1β (PGC1β), which stimulate osteoclastogenesis - an effect that was not observed for puerarin and 17-β estradiol. Finally, PRE treatment significantly repressed the expression of c-Fos and the nuclear factor of activated T-cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), which is a master transcription factor for osteoclastogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Overall, these results strongly suggest that PRE is an effective inhibitor of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and may be a potent therapeutic agent for bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and periodontitis.
-
Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture for Chronic Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
The aim of this systematic review was to assess evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and electroacupuncture in patients with chronic neck pain. We searched nine databases including Chinese, Japanese and Korean databases through 30 July 2016. The participants were adults with chronic neck pain and were treated with acupuncture or electroacupuncture. ⋯ When acupuncture was added onto conventional treatment it relieved pain better, and electroacupuncture relieved pain even more. It is difficult to draw conclusion because the included studies have a high risk of bias and imprecision. Therefore better designed large-scale studies are needed in the future.
-
Meta Analysis
Electro-Acupuncture is Beneficial for Knee Osteoarthritis: The Evidence from Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic degenerative disease of the elderly. Electro-acupuncture (EA) is considered as a beneficial treatment for KOA, but the conclusion is controversial. This systematic review compiled the evidence from 11 randomized controlled trials to objectively assess the effectiveness and safety of EA for KOA. ⋯ Furthermore, these studies implied that EA should be performed for at least 4 weeks. Conclusively, the results indicate that EA is a great opportunity to remarkably alleviate the pain and improve the physical function of KOA patients with a low risk of adverse reaction. Therefore, more high quality RCTs with rigorous methods of design, measurement and evaluation are needed to confirm the long-term effects of EA for KOA.
-
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease, which can be triggered by oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the renoprotective effect of the ethyl acetate extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza (EASM) on DN and examined the underlying molecular mechanism. We observed that EASM treatment attenuated metabolic abnormalities associated with hyperglycemic conditions in the experimental DN model. ⋯ To mimic the hyperglycemic conditions in DN patients, we used high glucose (25[Formula: see text]mmol/L) media to stimulate mouse mesangial cells (MMCs), and EASM inhibited high glucose-induced reactive oxygen species. We also observed that EASM enhanced the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which mediated the anti-oxidant response, and its downstream gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) with concomitant decrease of expression of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (keap1) both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that EASM alleviates the progression of DN and this might be associated with activation of Nrf2.