Am J Chinese Med
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Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a major polyphenol component of green tea (Camellia sinensis) and demonstrates anti-oxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. EGCG has been shown to protect retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) against oxidative stress-induced cell death. The pathogenesis of diseases in the retina is usually initiated by local inflammation at the RPE cell layer, and inflammation is mostly associated with leukocyte migration and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. ⋯ Moreover, TNF-α-induced phosphor-NF-κB nuclear translocation, increased phosphor-NF-κB expression and IκB degradation, and increased the degree of monocyte-RPE adhesion. Pretreating the cells with EGCG ameliorated the inflammatory effects of TNF-α. The results indicated that EGCG significantly exerts anti-inflammatory effects in ARPE-19 cells, partly as a suppressor of TNF-α signaling and that the inhibition was mediated via the NF-κB pathway.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Electro-acupuncture decreases postoperative pain and improves recovery in patients undergoing a supratentorial craniotomy.
We performed this study to examine the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and recovery in patients after a supratentorial tumor resection. Eighty-eight patients requiring a supratentorial tumor resection were anesthetized with sevoflurane and randomly allocated to a no treatment group (Group C) or an EA group (Group A). After anesthesia induction, the patients in Group A received EA at LI4 and SJ5, at BL63 and LR3 and at ST36 and GB40 on the same side as the craniotomy. ⋯ In the EA group, the incidence of PONV and degree of dizziness and feeling of fullness in the head within the first 24 hours after the operation was much lower than in the control group (p < 0.05). In the EA group, more patients had a better appetite than did the patients in group C (51.2% vs. 27.5%) (p < 0.05). The use of EA in neurosurgery patients improves the quality of postoperative analgesia, promotes appetite recovery and decreases some uncomfortable sensations, such as dizziness and feeling of fullness in the head.
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Case Reports
Clinical efficacy of aconitum-containing traditional Chinese medicine for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a common chronic complication of diabetes. Routine clinical management uses analgesics to relieve pain in combination with drugs for nerve repair. The drugs are often not effective for the severe pain cases, and these western medications also have side effects. ⋯ Adverse reactions were not observed during the therapy. Thus, aconitum represents a promising and safe treatment for the well-being of patients and their diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. Future controlled clinical trials using traditional Chinese medicines containing aconitum in treating the neuropathic pain are warranted.
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Secondary mechanisms, including inflammation and microglia activation, serve as targets for the development and application of pharmacological strategies in the management of spinal cord injury (SCI). Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), an active ingredient of Ligusticum wallichii (chuanxiong), has shown anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects against SCI. However, it remains uncertain whether the inflammation-suppressive effects of TMP play a modulatory role over microglia activation in SCI. ⋯ TMP also significantly attenuated microglia activation and neutrophil infiltration at 48 hours after the SCI induction. In addition, iNOS expression in the spinal tissue was attenuated with TMP treatment. These results suggest that TMP plays a modulatory role in microglia activation and may protect the spinal cord from or potentially delay secondary spinal cord injury.
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Panax ginseng is one of the most frequently used herbs in the world. Numerous trials have evaluated its clinical benefits. However, the quality of these studies has not been comprehensively and systematically assessed. ⋯ Most studies classified risk of bias as "unclear". Overall, the quality of Panax ginseng RCT methodology has improved since the CONSORT checklist was introduced. However, more can be done to improve the methodological quality of, and reporting in, RCTs.