OBJECTIVE: The analgesic effect of acupuncture has been widely accepted. Nevertheless, the mechanism behind its analgesic effect remains elusive, thus impeding the progress of research geared toward enhancing the analgesic effect of acupuncture. This paper investigated the role of acupuncture needle surface textures on acupuncture's analgesic effect by creating four experimental acupuncture needles with different patterns of surface augmentation. METHODS: Four types of acupuncture needles with different surface textures (the lined needle, circle needle, sandpaper needle, and threaded needle) were designed. Additionally, the force/torque measurement system used a robot arm and mechanical sensor to measure the force on the needle during insertion and manipulation. To perform acupuncture analgesia experiments, four experimental acupuncture needles and a normal needle were inserted into the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint of rats with inflammatory pain. By comparing the force and torque and the analgesic efficacy of the different acupuncture needles, these experiments tested the role of acupuncture needle body texture on acupuncture analgesia. RESULTS: The analgesic effects of different acupuncture needle body textures varied. Specifically, the force required to penetrate the skin with the lined needle was not greater than that for the normal needle; however, the needle with inscribed circles and the sandpaper-roughened needle both required greater force for insertion. Additionally, the torque of the lined needle reached 2 × 10^-4 N·m under twisting manipulation, which was four times greater the torque of a normal needle (5 × 10^-5 N·m). Furthermore, the lined needle improved pain threshold and mast cell degranulation rate compared to the normal needle. CONCLUSION Optimizing the texture of acupuncture needles can enhance acupuncture analgesia. The texture of our experimental acupuncture needles had a significant impact on the force needed to penetrate the skin and the torque needed to manipulate the needle; it was also linked to variable analgesic effects. This study provides a theoretical basis for enhancing the analgesic efficacy of acupuncture through the modification of needles and promoting the development of acupuncture therapy. Please cite this article as: Sun MZ, Wang X, Li YC, Liu YH, Yu Y, Ren LJ, Gu W, Yao W. Effects of acupuncture needle modification on acupuncture analgesia. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 66-78.
Needles ; Acupuncture Analgesia/methods* ; Animals ; Rats ; Male ; Acupuncture Points ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The differences in chemical quality characteristics between Xinjiang Rehmannia glutinosa and R. glutinosa were analyzed to provide a theoretical basis for the introduction and quality control of R. glutinosa. In this study, the high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) fingerprints of 6 batches of Xinjiang R. glutinosa and 10 batches of R. glutinosa samples were established. The content of iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides in Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa was determined by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection(HPLC-DAD), high performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detection(HPLC-ELSD), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy(UV-Vis). The determination results were analyzed with by chemical pattern recognition and entropy weight TOPSIS method. The results showed that there were 19 common peaks in the HPLC fingerprints of the 16 batches of R. glutinosa, and catalpol, aucubin, rehmannioside D, rehmannioside A, hydroxytyrosol, leonuride, salidroside, cistanoside A, and verbascoside were identified. Hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA) and principal component analysis(PCA) showed that Qinyang R. glutinosa, Mengzhou R. glutinosa, and Xinjiang R. glutinosa were grouped into three different categories, and eight common components causing the chemical quality difference between Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa in Mengzhou and Qinyang of Henan province were screened out by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA). The results of content determination showed that there were glucose, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, polysaccharides, and nine glycosides in Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa samples, and the content of catalpol, rehmannioside A, leonuride, cistanoside A, verbascoside, sucrose, and glucose was significantly different between Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa. The analysis with entropy weight TOPSIS method showed that the comprehensive quality of R. glutinosa in Mengzhou and Qinyang of Henan province was better than that of Xinjiang R. glutinosa. In conclusion, the types of main chemical components of R. glutinosa and Xinjiang R. glutinosa were the same, but their content was different. The chemical quality of R. glutinosa was better than Xinjiang R. glutinosa, and other components in R. glutinosa from two producing areas and their effects need further study.
Rehmannia/classification* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of percutaneous prying combined with modified rotary reduction with needle in the treatment of supracondylar fracture of humerus in Gartland type Ⅳ children, and to evaluate the postoperative elbow joint function, the incidence of elbow varus deformity and the application prospect of this technique. METHODS: A total of 98 children diagnosed with Gartland type Ⅳ supracondylar humeral fractures between June 2020 and January 2023 were included in this study, comprising of 57 males and 41 females. The age ranged from 2 to 14 years old with an average of (6.24±4.76) years old. There were 48 cases on the left side and 50 on the right side. The time interval from injury to surgery ranged from 2 hours to 2 days, and emergency operation was performed in 26 cases. During the operation, the Kirschner wire was inserted bluntly into the broken end of the fracture using the lever principle, and the reduction was performed by percutaneous prying. Then the modified rotary reduction method with kirschner wire was used to close and reset the Kirschner wire internal fixation, and zero incision was achieved in all cases. Flynn score was used to evaluatal the function and appearance of the elbow joint at 6 months after operation. RESULTS: The operation was successfully completed by all 98 children, and they were followed up for a duration from 6 to14 months with an average of (9.82±3.51) months. The fractures in all cases healed, the time ranged from 6 to 8 weeks with an average of (6.72±1.17) weeks. The Flynn function score of the elbow joint was rated as excellent in 95 cases and good in 3 cases at the 6-month postoperative evaluation. No related complications occurred, such as cubitus varus deformity, osteofascial compartment syndrome, Kirschner wire rupture or rejection, iatrogenic vascular and nerve injury, Volkmann's contracture or ossification myositis. CONCLUSION Percutaneous pry extraction combined with modified rotary reduction with needle in the treatment of humeral supracondylar fracture in extremely instability Gartland type Ⅳ children has the advantages of zero incision, little trauma, safety and good efficacy, and minimization of surgical trauma and scar formation. The postoperative elbow joint function recovery is good.
Humans ; Female ; Child ; Male ; Humeral Fractures/physiopathology* ; Child, Preschool ; Bone Wires ; Adolescent ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with bone cement strengthening and bilateral nail placement in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar fractures. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was used to analyze the clinical data of 78 patients with osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar fractures admitted from October 2017 to May 2019. According to the surgical method, it was divided into percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with unilateral bone cement strengthening group(bone cement group) and percutaneous pedicle screw combined with bilateral nail placement(screw group). In the bone cement group, 40 patients included 16 males and 24 females, with a mean age of (62.1±8.1) years old. In the screw group, 38 patients included 18 males and 20 females with a mean age of (65.1±9.3) years old. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay and postoperative complications were compared between two groups. The kyphosis Cobb angle, anterior edge height ratio, central height ratio and pain visual analogue score(VAS) were compared. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 25 to 36 months. The operation time (70.1±17.3) min of the cement group was shorter than that of the screw group (78.6±18.2) min(P<0.05). There were no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss and length of hospital stay(P>0.05). The VAS in the cement group 1 year 1.5±0.5 and the latest follow-up 0.5±0.3 after operation were lower than 1 year 1.8±0.3 and the latest follow-up 0.8±0.4 in the screw group(P<0.05). The kyphosis Cobb angle, anterior edge height ratio, central height ratio in bone cement group, 1 year (6.2±1.2)°, (86.6±3.5)%, (91.1±2.5)%, the last follow-up (6.4±0.7)°, (85.5±3.3)%, (90.5±6.3)% were better than that of the screw group 1 year (6.8±1.4)°, (83.1±2.4)%, (89.9±3.4)% and the latest follow-up (7.1±1.1)°, (82.6±4.1)%, (87.6±5.9)%(P<0.05). There were 3 cases of bone cement leakage in the cement group, all of which had no clinical symptoms;and 2 cases of pedicle screws were extracted in the screw group, and the screws were removed at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION Percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with bone cement strengthening and bilateral nail placement in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar compression fractures in the elderly can achieve satisfactory efficacy and effectively relieve the pain of patients, but the former internal fixation system is more stable, and the long-term follow-up can effectively maintain the height of the anterior middle column and the correction of kyphosis deformity, and the incidence of chronic low back pain is lower.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Bone Cements ; Middle Aged ; Thoracic Vertebrae/surgery* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures/surgery* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery* ; Case-Control Studies ; Bone Nails ; Pedicle Screws

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of automatic pressure-controlled pressure cupping in patients with lumbar disc herniation, and compare it with traditional cupping. METHODS: A total of 100 patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation from January 2022 to August 2024 were selected and divided into two groups:the automatic pressure-controlled pressure cupping group (controlled pressure cupping group) and the traditional cupping group (control group), 50 cases in each group. In the controlled pressure cupping group, there were 18 males and 32 females, with an age of (51.98±12.69) years;in the control group, there were 16 males and 34 females, with an age of (51.32±12.05) years. The visual analogue scale(VAS), comfort score, and lumbar range of motion were observed before treatment and after the 1st, 3rd, and 7th treatments to evaluate the efficacy and safety. RESULTS: All patients completed the treatment intervention, with complete follow-up data collected. No adverse reactions or complications occurred during treatment and follow-up. After the 3rd treatment, the VAS score of the controlled pressure cupping group was (2.38±0.49), which was lower than that of the control group (2.94±0.68), with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). In the controlled pressure cupping group, the VAS scores after the 1st, 3rd, and 7th treatments were significantly better than those before treatment (P=0.026);in the control group, the VAS scores after the 3rd and 7th treatments were better than those before treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant(P=0.182). Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) on VAS scores at different time points in both groups showed that there were statistically significant differences in inter-group, time, and interaction effects (P<0.05). After the 1st treatment, in the controlled pressure cupping group, 0 patients felt comfortable, 42 patients (84%) felt mild discomfort, and 8 patients (16%) felt moderate discomfort;in the control group, 0 patients felt comfortable, 28 patients (56%) felt mild discomfort, and 22 patients(44%) felt moderate discomfort;the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P=0.005). After the 3rd treatment, in the controlled pressure cupping group, 30 patients(60%) felt comfortable, 20 patients (40%) felt mild discomfort, and 0 patients felt moderate discomfort; in the control group, 9 patients (18%) felt comfortable, 41 patients (82%) felt mild discomfort, and 0 patients felt moderate discomfort;the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in comfort between the two groups after the 7th treatment(P>0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in lumbar range of motion between the two groups before and after treatment(P>0.05);compared with before treatment, the lumbar range of motion of both groups after treatment was significantly improved, with statistically significant differences (P<0.001). CONCLUSION Automatic pressure-controlled pressure cupping can effectively relieve symptoms in patients with lumbar disc herniation, with excellent safety.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Cupping Therapy/methods* ; Pressure ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the RHD genotyping and sequencing results of RhD serology negative samples in the clinic, and to further explore the laboratory methods for RhD detection, in order to provide a basis for clinical precision blood transfusion. METHODS: A total of 27 200 whole blood samples were screened for RhD blood group antigen using microcolumn gel card method.Serologic RhD-negative confirmation tests were performed on blood samples that were negative for RhD on initial screening using three different clonal strains of IgG anti-D reagents. The 10 exons of the RHD gene on chromosome 1 were also analyzed by PCR-SSP to determine RHD genotyping.When the PCR-SSP method did not yield definitive results, the RHD gene of the sample was analyzed by the third-generation sequencing. RESULTS: The results of the initial screening test by the microcolumn gel card method showed that 136 of the 27 200 samples were RhD-negative, of which 86 underwent RhD-negative confirmation testing and RHD genotyping, 88.37% (76/86 cases) of the RhD-negative confirmation test results were negative for the three anti-D reagents, and the results of RHD genotyping showed that 67.44% (58/86 cases) of the cases had a complete deletion of 10 exons, and the remaining 28 cases were RHD*711delC (1 case), RHD*D-CE(1-9)-D (1 case), RHD*D-CE(2-9-)D (2 cases), RHD*D-CE(3-9)-D (4 cases), RHD*DEL1 (c.1227G >A) mutation (16 cases), RHD*weak partial 15(845G >A) mutation (3 cases), and a mutation of c.165C >T base was found in 1 sample by three-generation sequencing. CONCLUSION RHD genotype testing of samples that are serologically negative for RhD antigen shows that some of the samples have RHD gene variants, not all of which are total deletions of RHD, suggesting that there are some limitations of the serologic method for RhD detection. Due to the polymorphism of the RHD gene structure, different RhD variants present different serologic features, which need to be further detected in combination with molecular biology testing, especially for the identification of Asian-type DELs, which is important for clinical precision blood transfusion.
Humans ; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System/genetics* ; Genotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Exons ; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching

Paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury is a serious neurological complication, for which surgery is currently the main treatment method. Due to different surgical approaches, patients are usually expected to maintain a passive prone position for a long time or switch between the supine and prone positions. Affected by multiple factors such as neurogenic sensory disorders, pathological changes in muscle tone and operative duration, the risk of intraoperative acquired pressure injury (IAPI) is significantly increased. Current clinical prevention strategies for IAPI in these patients predominantly focus on localized pressure relief during positioning, lacking systematic, standardized comprehensive prevention protocols or evidence-based guidelines. To address it, Department of Nursing, Orthopedics Branch, China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care, Spinal Trauma Professional Committee, Orthopedics Branch, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Nursing Group of Spine and Spinal Cord Professional Committee of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine organized experts in relevant fields to formulate Guideline for the prevention of intraoperative acquired pressure injury in paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury ( version 2025), based on evidence-based medical evidence and latest research results and clinical practice at home and abroad. Eleven recommendations were put forward from the aspects of preoperative risk assessment, intraoperative prevention strategies, postoperative handover and monitoring, and supportive mechanisms for IAPI prevention, aiming to standardize the prevention measures and management strategies of IAPI in paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury and accelerate the recovery of patients and improve the therapeutic effect.

Background: Isoliquiritigenin, a key pharmacologically active compound derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, can be further modified into various high-value 5-deoxyflavones, demonstrating significant potential for pharmaceutical development. Currently, the supply of isoliquiritigenin primarily depends on plant extraction. However, heterologous synthesis using microbial cell factories presents a promising alternative, offering a solution to resource limitations caused by the dwindling availability of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Objective: This study aimed to employ heterologous synthesis in yeast strains for the stable and high-efficiency production of isoliquiritigenin. Methods: First, a stable chassis strain for isoliquiritigenin production was constructed by integrating optimized biosynthetic pathway enzyme genes. A type IV noncatalytic chalcone isomerase-like protein and a synthetic protein scaffold system were employed to enhance the metabolic channeling of key pathway enzymes. Subsequently, yeast metabolism was fine-tuned to balance precursor supply, and cofactor engineering strategies were implemented to increase nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH) availability, thereby ensuring the catalytic efficiency of the key enzyme chalcone reductase. Results: The engineered strain Y21-2 achieved a 24.4-fold increase in isoliquiritigenin titer compared to the original strain. Additionally, the proportion of the by-product naringenin chalcone was reduced by 67.8%, marking the first instance in which the ratio of C-5 hydroxylated by-products was minimized to 10.4% during the microbial synthesis of 5-deoxyflavones. Conclusion: This work provides a valuable reference for the efficient and sustainable production of isoliquiritigenin, laying a solid foundation for further pathway optimization and the biotechnological synthesis of other high-value natural 5-deoxyflavones.