Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture on fatigue improvement and gut microbiota in mice with cancer-related fatigue(CRF),and explore its possible mechanism of action.Methods The mice model of CRF of breast cancer after chemotherapy was established by tumor bearing and chemotherapy.After acupuncture intervention,fatigue was evaluated by general condition,forced swimming and open field experiment.Then 16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze the structural abundance of gut microbiota in mice.Results Acupuncture could significantly improve the fatigue degree and general condition of the mice model of CRF of breast cancer after chemotherapy.At the same time,acupuncture could adjust the abundance of gut microbiota structure,up-regulate the abundance levels of Lactobacillus,Bacteroides,firmicutes,actinobacteria,and down-regulate the abundance levels of Proteobacteria and Staphylococcus.There were also differences in the abundance of flora structure among the groups,but the abundance of beneficial bacteria was relatively high in the acupuncture group,and the abundance of pathogenic bacteria was relatively high in the other two groups.Conclusion Acupuncture may play a role in the treatment of CRF by regulating the abundance of gut microbiota structure,increasing intestinal beneficial bacteria,inhibiting pathogenic bacteria,improving body immunity,and alleviating adverse reactions caused by chemotherapy for breast cancer.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Tongdu Xingshen needling method （通督醒神针刺法） on post-stroke cognitive impairment. MethodsSD rats were randomly divided into a normal group （n=12）， a sham surgery group （n=12）， a model group （n=12）， and a electroacupuncture group （n=13）. The rats in the model group and electroacupuncture group were subjected to the wire bolus method to establish the rats model with learning memory impairment after cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion. After successful modelling， the rats in the electroacupuncture group were given electroacupuncture interventions at “Shenting （GV 24）” and “Baihui （GV 20）” once a day for 30 minutes for 14 days. The other three groups did not receive other interventions but grasp. A 5-day localisation navigation experiment was conducted on the 9th day of intervention， and a spatial exploration experiment was conducted on the 14th day of intervention to evaluate the learning and memory abilities of the rats. After the spatial exploration experiment， hippocampal tissues were taken from each group of rats， and the changes in the volume of cerebral infarction were observed by TTC staining； the changes in the morphology of pyramidal neurons and the density of dendritic spines in the CA1 area of the hippocampus were observed by Golgi staining； protein immunoblotting was used to detect the relative protein expression of the subunits of the α-amino-3-carboxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid （AMPA） receptor including glutamate receptor 1 （GluR1）， glutamate receptor 2 （GluR2）， glutamate receptor 3 （GluR3） and auxiliary proteins TARPγ2， TARPγ8 in hippocampal tissues of rats in each group； the real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect GluR1， GluR2， GluR3 mRNA levels in the hippocampal tissues of rats. ResultsIn the localisation navigation experiment， compared with the normal group and sham surgery group， the escape latency and total distance of rats in the model group were significantly extended （P＜0.05） at day 1， 2， 3， 4， and 5； and the escape latency and total distance of rats in the electroacupuncture group tended to be significantly shorter than those in the model group （P＜0.05）. In the spatial exploration experiment， compared with the normal group and the sham surgery group， the number of rats crossing the platform in the model group was significantly reduced （P＜0.05）， and the number of crossings of the platform in the electroacupuncture group increased significantly （P＜0.05）. The results of TTC staining showed that the volume of cerebral infarction increased clearly in the model group compared with the sham surgery group （P＜0.05）， and apparently decreased in the electroacupuncture group compared with the model group （P＜0.05）. Golgi staining showed that the number of dendritic branches of pyramidal neurons and dendritic spines in hippocampal CA1 region significantly decreased in the model group compared with the normal group and the sham surgery group （P＜0.05）. The number of dendritic branches of pyramidal neurons and the density of dendritic spines in hippocampal CA1 region significantly increased in the electroacupuncture group compared with the model group （P＜0.05）. The protein relative expression levels of GluR1， GluR2， GluR3， TARPγ2 and TARPγ8， and the mRNA levels of GluR1， GluR2 and GluR3 in hippocampus decreased in the model group compared with the normal group and the sham surgery group （P＜0.05）. The protein relative expression levels of GluR1， GluR2， GluR3， TARPγ2 and TARPγ8， and the mRNA levels of GluR1， GluR2 and GluR3 in hippocampus increased in the electroacupuncture group compared with model group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe Tongdu Xingshen needling method can improve learning memory impairment after cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion， which may be related to up-regulation of the expression of AMPA receptor and their auxiliary protein TARP， and promoting the synaptic plasticity of hippocampal tissues.

Post-stroke cognitive impairment （PSCI） refers to a series of syndromes from mild cognitive impairment to dementia caused by stroke. The mitogen-activated protein kinases （MAPK）signaling pathway is a key pathway for transmitting cellular signals in mammals ，and p 38 is a classic branch of it. p 38 MAPK signaling pathway is involved in various pathophysiological processes such as cell growth ，differentiation，apoptosis and inflammatory response in central nervous system diseases. At present ，great progress has been made in clinical and basic experimental studies on prevention and treatment of PSCI by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM），but there is a lack of relevant systematic summary. Therefore ，this article summarizes the role of p 38 MAPK signaling pathway in PSCI and the pharmacological research progress of TCM in prevention and treatment of PSCI through p 38 MAPK signaling pathway.