OBJECTIVE: To explore the inhibitory effects of Nardostachys Jatamansi DC. volatile oil (NJVO) on psychological factors substance P (SP)/cortisol (CORT)-induced hyperpigmentation. METHODS: The model of psychologically-induced hyperpigmentation of B16F10 cells was created using SP (10 nmol/L) + CORT (10 µmol/L) for 72 h. The levels of melanin content, tyrosinase (TYR) activity using NaOH lysis and L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) oxidation methods were assessed, respectively. The effect of NJVO on SP/CORT-induced normal human skin tissue pigmentation was detected by Masson staining. Protein expressions of tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase-relative protein 2 (DCT), and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor were determined using Western blot. The melanosome number, maturation, and melanosomal structure changes were detected through transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence experiments. In vivo, zebrafish pigment content was evaluated in SP/CORT-induced zebrafish hyperpigmentation model. RESULTS: NJVO significantly reduced the melanin content (P<0.01) and inhibited tyrosinase activity (P<0.01), the pigmentation of the normal skin tissue in the NJVO group was significantly lower than that in the SP/CORT group (P<0.05). And NJVO considerably downregulated expressions of melanogenesis-related proteins (TYR, TRP-1, DCT) in cells (P<0.01). In addition, the number of melanosomes was decreased and the dentrites formation of B16F10 cells was inhibited after NJVO treatment (P<0.01). In vivo, NJVO significantly reduced the pigment content in the zebrafish body (P<0.01). CONCLUSION NJVO effectively reversed SP/CORT-induced hyperpigmentation by suppressing the activity and expression of TYR and TRPs and inhibiting melanosome maturation in mouse B16F10 melanoma cells.
Animals ; Hyperpigmentation/psychology* ; Zebrafish ; Oils, Volatile/therapeutic use* ; Melanins/metabolism* ; Humans ; Monophenol Monooxygenase/metabolism* ; Mice ; Nardostachys/chemistry* ; Substance P ; Hydrocortisone ; Skin Pigmentation/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Melanosomes/ultrastructure* ; Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; Melanoma, Experimental ; Oxidoreductases/metabolism* ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases/metabolism*

This consensus will introduce the characteristics of fillers used in the surgical cavities of domestic nasal surgery patients based on relevant literature and expert opinions. It will also provide recommendations for the selection of cavity fillers for different nasal diseases, with chronic sinusitis as a representative example.
Humans ; Nasal Cavity/surgery* ; Nasal Surgical Procedures ; China ; Consensus ; Sinusitis/surgery* ; Dermal Fillers

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic interstitial lung disease, is characterized by aberrant wound healing, excessive scarring and the formation of myofibroblastic foci. Although the role of alternative splicing (AS) in the pathogenesis of organ fibrosis has garnered increasing attention, its specific contribution to pulmonary fibrosis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we identified an up-regulation of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 7 (SRSF7) in lung fibroblasts derived from IPF patients and a bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse model, and further characterized its functional role in both human fetal lung fibroblasts and mice. We demonstrated that enhanced expression of Srsf7 in mice spontaneously induced alveolar collagen accumulation. Mechanistically, we investigated alternative splicing events and revealed that SRSF7 modulates the alternative splicing of pyruvate kinase (PKM), leading to metabolic dysregulation and fibroblast activation. In vivo studies showed that fibroblast-specific knockout of Srsf7 in conditional knockout mice conferred resistance to bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Importantly, through drug screening, we identified lomitapide as a novel modulator of SRSF7, which effectively mitigated experimental pulmonary fibrosis. Collectively, our findings elucidate a molecular pathway by which SRSF7 drives fibroblast metabolic dysregulation and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to elucidate the therapeutic potential of osthole for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), focusing on its ability to alleviate chronic pruritus (CP) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of osthole in both a 2,4-dichloronitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mouse model and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) stimulated huma immortalized epidermal (HaCaT) cells. The anti-itch effect of osthole was specifically assessed in the AD mouse model. Using methods such as hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot (WB), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Osthole improved skin damage and clinical dermatitis scores, reduced scratching bouts, and decreased epidermal thickness AD-like mice. It also reduced the levels of interleukin (IL)-31 and IL-31 receptor A (IL-31 RA) in both skin tissues and HaCaT cells. Furthermore, Osthole suppressed the protein expression levels of phosphor-p65 (p-p65) and phosphor-inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-Bα (p-IκBα). Meanwhile, it increased the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and PPARγ in HaCaT cells. CONCLUSION These findings indicated that osthole effectively inhibited CP in AD by activating PPARα, PPARγ, repressing the NF-κB signaling pathway, as well as the expression of IL-31 and IL-31 RA.

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

OBJECTIVE: Prunella vulgaris L. has long been used for liver protection according to traditional Chinese medicine theory and has been proven by modern pharmacological research to have multiple potential liver-protective effects. However, its effects on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are currently uncertain. Our study explores the effects of P. vulgaris polysaccharides on NASH and intestinal homeostasis. METHODS: An aqueous extract of the dried fruit spikes of P. vulgaris was precipitated in an 85% ethanol solution (PVE85) to extract crude polysaccharides from the herb. A choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) was administrated to male C57BL/6 mice to establish a NASH animal model. After 4 weeks, the PVE85 group was orally administered PVE85 (200 mg/[kg·d]), while the control group and CDAHFD group were orally administered vehicle for 6 weeks. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and other methods were used to assess the impact of PVE85 on the liver in mice with NASH. 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis was employed to evaluate the gut microbiota abundance and diversity in each group to examine alterations at various taxonomic levels. RESULTS: PVE85 significantly reversed the course of NASH in mice. mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators associated with NASH and protein expression of hepatic nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) were significantly reduced after PVE85 treatment. Moreover, PVE85 attenuated the thickening and cross-linking of collagen fibres and inhibited the expression of fibrosis-related mRNAs in the livers of NASH mice. Intriguingly, PVE85 restored changes in the gut microbiota and improved intestinal barrier dysfunction induced by NASH by increasing the abundance of Actinobacteria and reducing the abundance of Proteobacteria at the phylum level. PVE85 had significant activity in reducing the relative abundance of Clostridiaceae at the family levels. PVE85 markedly enhanced the abundance of some beneficial micro-organisms at various taxonomic levels as well. Additionally, the physicochemical environment of the intestine was effectively improved, involving an increase in the density of intestinal villi, normalization of the intestinal pH, and improvement of intestinal permeability. CONCLUSION PVE85 can reduce hepatic lipid overaccumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis in an animal model of CDAHFD-induced NASH and improve the intestinal microbial composition and intestinal structure. Please cite this article as: Zhu MJ, Song YJ, Rao PL, Gu WY, Xu Y, Xu HX. Therapeutic role of Prunella vulgaris L. polysaccharides in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and gut dysbiosis. J Integr Med. 2025; 2025; 23(3): 297-308.
Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/drug therapy* ; Male ; Dysbiosis/drug therapy* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Polysaccharides/therapeutic use* ; Prunella/chemistry* ; Mice ; Liver/metabolism* ; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Diet, High-Fat

BACKGROUND: Modern acupuncture anesthesia is a combination of Chinese and Western medicine that integrates the theories of acupuncture with anesthesia. However, some clinical studies of acupuncture anesthesia lack specific descriptions of randomization, allocation concealment, and blinding processes, with subsequent systematic reviews indicating a risk of bias. OBJECTIVE: Clinical trial registration is essential for the enhancement of the quality of clinical trials. This study aims to summarize the status of clinical trial registrations for acupuncture anesthesia listed on the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the ICTRP for clinical trials related to acupuncture anesthesia registered between January 1, 2001 and May 31, 2023. Additionally, related publications were retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang Data. Registrations and publications were analyzed for consistency in trial design characteristics. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Clinical trials that utilized one of several acupuncture-related therapies in combination with pharmacological anesthesia during the perioperative period were eligible for this review. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Data extracted from articles included type of surgical procedure, perioperative symptoms, study methodology, type of intervention, trial recruitment information, and publication information related to clinical enrollment. RESULTS: A total of 166 trials related to acupuncture anesthesia from 21 countries were included in the analysis. The commonly reported symptoms in the included studies were postoperative nausea and vomiting (19.9%) and postoperative pain (13.3%). The concordance between the publications and the trial protocols in the clinical registry records was poor, with only 31.7% of the studies being fully compatible. Inconsistency rates were high for sample size (39.0%, 16/41), blinding (36.6%, 15/41), and secondary outcome indicators (24.4%, 10/41). CONCLUSION The volume of acupuncture anesthesia clinical trials registered in international trial registries over the last 20 years is low, with insufficient disclosure of results. Postoperative nausea and vomiting as well as postoperative pain, are the most investigated for acupuncture intervention. Please cite this article as: Li Y, Liu YN, Guo Z, Gu ME, Wang WJ, Zhu Y, Zhuang XJ, Chen LM, Zhou J, Li J. Current situation of clinical trial registration in acupuncture anesthesia: A scoping review. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 256-263.
Humans ; Acupuncture Analgesia ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Anesthesia ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Registries

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a well-accepted therapy for atopic dermatitis (AD). However, there are currently no evidence-based guidelines integrating TCM and Western medicine for the treatment of AD, limiting the clinical application of such combined approaches. Therefore, the China Association of Chinese Medicine initiated the development of the current guideline, focusing on key issues related to the use of TCM in the treatment of AD. This guideline was developed in accordance with the principles of the guideline formulation manual published by the World Health Organization. A comprehensive review of the literature on the combined use of TCM and Western medicine to treat AD was conducted. The findings were extensively discussed by experts in dermatology and pharmacy with expertise in both TCM and Western medicine. This guideline comprises 23 recommendations across seven major areas, including TCM syndrome differentiation and classification of AD, principles and application scenarios of TCM combined with Western medicine for treating AD, outcome indicators for evaluating clinical efficacy of AD treatment, integration of TCM pattern classification and Western medicine across disease stages, daily management of AD, the use of internal TCM therapies and proprietary Chinese medicines, and TCM external treatments. Please cite this article as: Du XR, Wu MY, Tao MC, Lin Y, Gu CY, Wu MF, Cao Y, Chen DC, Li W, Wang HW, Wang Y, Wang Y, Lu HZ, Liu X, Su XF, Li FL. Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of atopic dermatitis with integrative traditional Chinese and Western medicine. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):641-653.
Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Integrative Medicine ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

Objective To investigate the underlying mechanisms of the effect of Fufang Changtai Decoction(FFCT)in inhibiting colorectal cancer(CRC)through the ferroptosis pathway using network pharmacology combined with experimental validation.Methods The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)and Swiss Target Prediction databases were employed for the systematic screening of potent active ingredients and therapeutic targets of FFCT.In addition,the identification of CRC-associated genes and ferroptosis-related genes(FRGs)was accomplished using the Gene Cards and FerrDb databases,respectively.Venn diagrams,coupled with Cytoscape software,facilitated the comprehensive analysis of key FRGs involved in FFCT's intervention in CRC by mapping the TCM compound-therapeutic target network.Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the mitochondrial ultrastructure of SW480 and HCT116,2 Human CRC cell lines,after treatment with FFCT-containing serum.Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels were measured using a ROS detection kit.To assess the role of ferroptosis,ferroptosis inhibitor liproxstatin-1(Lip-1)was co-administered with FFCT-containing serum.The effects on cancer cell viability and proliferation were evaluated using CCK-8 and colony formation assays.Key molecular targets involved in the regulatory effects of FFCT on the expression of FRGs were further analyzed using PCR Array and Western blot.The findings were then validated with human CRC tissue microarrays.Results A total of 103 active ingredients of FFCT,739 therapeutic targets,9 101 disease-related genes,and 564 FRGs were identified.Venn diagram analysis identified 81 FRGs associated with FFCT intervention.Network analysis revealed that NQO1,TP53,and PTGS2 served as hub nodes in the regulatory network.Findings from the in vitro experiments showed that FFCT induced ferroptosis changes,including mitochondrial condensation,membrane thickening,and cristae reduction,in SW480 and HCT116 cells.FFCT treatment significantly increased intracellular ROS levels in a dose-dependent manner(P<0.05)and reduced cancer cell viability and proliferative capacity(P<0.01).These inhibitory effects were partially reversed by Lip-1,suggesting that FFCT's antitumor activity was closely associated with the ferroptosis pathway.PCR Array and Western blot analyses further confirmed that FFCT significantly downregulated NQO1 mRNA and protein expression in cancer cells(P<0.001),which was consistent with network pharmacology predictions.Immunofluorescence analysis of clinical CRC tissue microarrays revealed that NQO1 expression was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in adjacent non-tumor tissues(P<0.001).Conclusion FFCT may induce intracellular ferroptosis by downregulating the oncogenic gene NQO1,thereby exerting anti-CRC effects.