OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the effects of deep acupuncture at Weizhong acupoint (BL40) on bladder function and brain activity in a rat model of overactive bladder (OAB), and investigated the possible mechanisms around the acupuncture area that initiate the effects of acupuncture. METHODS: Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups, comprising a control group, model group, group treated with deep acupuncture at BL40, group treated with shallow acupuncture at BL40, group treated with acupuncture at non-acupoint next to BL40, and group treated with acupuncture at Xuanzhong (GB39). Urodynamic evaluation was used to observe the urination, and functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to observe the brain activation. The mechanism of acupuncture at BL40 in regulating bladder function was explored by toluidine blue staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the mechanism was verified by stabilizing mast cells (MCs) or blocking tibial nerve. RESULTS: Deep acupuncture at BL40 significantly increased the intercontraction interval in OAB rats and enhanced the mean amplitude of low frequency fluctuation of primary motor cortex (M1), periaquaductal gray matter (PAG), and pontine micturition center (PMC). It also increased the zero-lag functional connectivity between M1 and PAG and between PAG and PMC. Shallow acupuncture at BL40 and acupuncture at non-acupoint or GB39 had no effect on these indexes. Further studies suggested that deep acupuncture at BL40 increased the number and degranulation rate of MCs as well as the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine, substance P, and histamine in the tissues around BL40. Blocking the tibial nerve by lidocaine injection or inhibiting MC degranulation by sodium cromoglycate injection obstructed the effects of acupuncture on restoring urinary function and modulating brain activation in OAB rats. CONCLUSION Deep acupuncture at BL40 may be more effective for inhibiting OAB by promoting degranulation of MCs around the acupoint and stimulating tibial nerve, thereby regulating the activation of the brain area that controls the lower urinary tract. Please cite this article as: Liu X, Zhang CY, Du XY, Li SS, Wang YQ, Zheng Y, Deng HZ, Fang XQ, Li JY, Wang ZQ, Xu SF, Mi YQ. Acupuncture at Weizhong (BL40) attenuates acetic acid-induced overactive bladder in rats by regulating brain neural activity through the modulation of mast cells and tibial nerves. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 46-55.
Animals ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive/physiopathology* ; Mast Cells/physiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Female ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Rats ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Tibial Nerve/physiopathology* ; Acetic Acid ; Urinary Bladder/physiopathology*

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection posed a huge threat and burden to public healthcare in late 2022. Non-drug measures of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion, are commonly used as adjuncts in China to help in severe cases, but their effects remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: To observe the clinical effect of TCM non-drug measures in improving respiratory function and symptoms among patients with severe COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This study was designed as a multicenter, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial. Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. The treatment group received individualized TCM non-drug measures in combination with prone position ventilation, while the control group received prone position ventilation only for 5 consecutive days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measures were the percentage of patients with improved oxygen saturation (SpO₂) at the end of the 5-day intervention, as well as changes of patients' respiratory rates. The secondary outcome measures included changes in SpO₂ and total score on the self-made respiratory symptom scale. The improvement rate, defined as a 3-day consecutive increase in SpO₂, the duration of prone positioning, and adverse events were recorded as well. RESULTS: Among the 198 patients included in the intention-to-treat analysis, 159 (80.3%) completed all assessments on day 5, and 39 (19.7%) patients withdrew from the study. At the end of the intervention, 71 (91%) patients in the treatment group had SpO₂ above 93%, while 61 (75.3%) in the control group reached this level. The proportion of participant with improved SpO₂ was significantly greater in the intervention group (mean difference [MD] = 15.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.4, 27.1; P = 0.008). Compared to the baseline, with daily treatment there were significant daily decreases in respiratory rates in both groups, but no statistical differences between groups were found (all P ≥ 0.05). Compared to the control group, the respiratory-related symptoms score was lower among patients in the treatment group (MD = -1.7; 95% CI: -2.8, -0.5; P = 0.008) after day 3 of treatment. A gradual decrease in the total scores of both groups was also observed. Thirty-one adverse events occurred during the intervention, and 2 patients were transferred to the intensive care unit due to deterioration of their illness. CONCLUSION: TCM non-drug measures combined with prone positioning can effectively treat patients with severe COVID-19. The combined therapy significantly increased SpO₂ and improved symptom scores compared to prone positioning alone, thus improving the patients' respiratory function to help them recover. However, the improvement rate did not differ between the two groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300068319). Please cite this article as: Yin X, Jin Z, Li F, Huang L, Hu YM, Zhu BC, Wang ZQ, Li XY, Li JP, Lao LX, Mi YQ, Xu SF. Effectiveness and safety of adjunctive non-drug measures in improving respiratory symptoms among patients with severe COVID-19: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2024; 22(6): 637-644.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; China ; COVID-19/complications* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Moxibustion/methods* ; Oxygen Saturation ; Prone Position ; Respiration, Artificial ; Treatment Outcome

The operation standardization, quantitative standard and safety of acupuncture treatment are important links in the development of acupuncture modernization. In recent years, with the continuous development of ultrasonic imaging technology, ultrasonic medicine has the characteristics of visualization, quantitative analysis and real-time dynamics, which could play a unique role in acupuncture treatment. In this paper, the research progress of the combined application of ultrasonic medicine and acupuncture treatment is described from three aspects: ultrasound guidance helping to standardize acupuncture operation, ultrasound guidance helping to improve and evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture, and ultrasound guidance helping to improve the safety of acupuncture, aiming to providing new ideas for the application of modern medicine in traditional medicine.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Acupuncture ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Medicine, Traditional ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Jianpi Peiyuan acupoint thread embedding therapy on perimenopausal obesity (PMO). METHODS: Ninety-six patients of PMO were randomly divided into an observation group (48 cases) and a control group (48 cases). The control group received health education and lifestyle intervention. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, the observation group was treated with acupoint thread embedding at the main acupoints of Shangwan (CV 13), Zhongwan (CV 12), Xiawan (CV 10), Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Fenglong (ST 40), etc. as well as the supplementary acupoints in accordance with the syndrome differentiation, once every 2 weeks for 8 weeks (4 times in total). The indexes of obesity (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, hip circumference and body mass), modified Kupperman score, insomnia severity index (ISI) score, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score, and self-rating depression scale (SDS) score of the two groups were observed before and after treatment, and the safety was evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and body mass in the two groups were lower than before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, Kupperman, ISI and SAS scores in the observation group were lower than before treatment (P<0.05), and ISI score in the control group was lower than before treatment (P<0.05). Kupperman, ISI and SAS scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in SDS between the two groups or within groups (P>0.05). No serious adverse reactions occurred during the experiment. CONCLUSION Jianpi Peiyuan acupoint thread embedding therapy can reduce the degree of obesity in PMO patients, and improve patients' the perimenopausal symptoms, insomnia and anxiety, with good safety.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Perimenopause ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Anxiety ; Obesity

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture at Weizhong (BL 40) with deqi on bladder urination function. METHODS: A total of 60 healthy subjects were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 30 subjects in each group. Under the guidance of ultrasound, acupuncture was applied Weizhong (BL 40) on both sides. In the observation group, the needling depth was reached to the tibial nerve, and lifting-thrusting twirling method was used to induce deqi. In the control group, the needling depth was reached to the superficial fascia, and no manipulation was operated to induce deqi. The needles were retained for 10 min and acupuncture was given once in both groups. The bilateral ureteral ejection frequency and volume of the bladder were observed by ultrasound before and after acupuncture, and the score of clinical evaluation scale of deqi sensation was observed in both groups. RESULTS: After acupuncture, the frequency of bilateral ureteral ejection in the observation group and the bladder volume in the two groups were increased compared before acupuncture (P<0.05), and the frequency of bilateral ureteral ejection, bladder volume and score of clinical evaluation scale of deqi sensation in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION Acupuncture at Weizhong (BL 40) with deqi improves the bladder urination function. Ultrasound visualization improves the standardization and safety of acupuncture, intuitively evaluates the acupuncture effect, and provides an objective basis for the correlation between meridian points specificity and zang-fu organs.
Humans ; Urination ; Urinary Bladder ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Meridians

The dry eye is a common ocular surface disease caused by multiple factors with multiple pathogenesis. With the increasing morbidity of dry eye in our country year by year, dry eye has gradually attracted people's attention. The pathogenesis of dry eye is more complicated whose critical influencing factors include inflammation, corneal and conjunctival epithelial cell changes, tear film composition changes, corneal nerve changes, and meibomian gland dysfunction and so on. The tear film hypertonicity leads to the hypertonicity of the ocular surface epithelial cells, stimulating the cascade of inflammation, which is the most critical part among the pathogenesis of dry eye. A variety of inflammatory mediators and immune cells are involved in this process, and more and more people have reached a consensus that the dry eye is an antigen-specific autoimmune inflammatory disease and they are closely correlated with each. In clinical treatment, various anti-inflammatory drugs and drugs promoting tear secretion mark the rapid development of drug therapy for dry eye to some extent, but dry eye treatment is not only to improve symptoms, but to carry out treatment according to specific etiology. Recently, researches on the immune mechanism of dry eye have been increasing. This article reviewed on the immune progress of dry eye to realize the clinical significance and systematically understand the role of which in the occurrence and development of dry eye.

ObjectiveTo discuss the effect of forgetting curve based self-management on cognitive function， daily living ability and treatment efficacy of patients with mild cognitive impairment （MCI）. MethodsSimple random sampling method was adopted to enroll 162 MCI patients who met the diagnostic criteria of "Expert Consensus on the Prevention and Treatment of Cognitive Impairment in China" in Nanchong Physical and Mental Hospital and Gaoping Ledele Seniors-Oriented Apartment from April 2020 to June 2021. The selected individuals were classified into study group and control group according to random number table methods， each with 81 cases. Both groups received routine intervention， based on this， study group received the forgetting curve based self-management. The interventions lasted for 3 months in two groups， and patients were assessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale （MoCA） and Activity of Daily Living Scale （ADL） at the baseline and end of interventions. Then the clinical efficacy was compared between groups. ResultsAfter intervention， an increase was found in MoCA and ADL scores in both groups （t_{control group}=25.004， 12.503， t_{study group}=48.211， 24.949， P<0.01）， and post-intervention MoCA and ADL scores in study group were higher than those in control group （t=28.527， 9.433， P<0.01）. The overall efficacy rate was 86.42% in control group， which was lower than 96.30% in study group， with statistical difference （χ²=5.004， P<0.05）. ConclusionForgetting curve based self-management may ameliorate the cognitive function and daily living ability in MCI patients， thus improving the treatment efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have significantly improved the treatment efficacy of a variety of malignant tumors. However, patients may experience a series of special side effects during treatments with ICI. Immune-related myositis after ICI treatment is characterized by autoimmune rheumatic and musculoskeletal damage, which is relatively rare. To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of ICI-associated myositis in urological tumors, we summarized the clinical manifestations, electrophysiological and pathological characteristics, treatments and outcomes in 8 patients. METHODS: The clinical data of the 8 patients with immune-related myositis after ICI treatment for urological tumors treated in the Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital from March 2018 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed for demographic characteristics, drug regimen, clinical symptoms, laboratory indices, electromyography examination, pathological manifestations and outcomes. RESULTS: The eight patients included 2 females and 6 males with a median age of 68 years, all treated with ICI for urological neoplasms, including 2 upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), 3 renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and 3 bladder cancer (BCa). The median time between the first ICI treatment and the detection of immune-related myositis was 39.5 days, and the median duration of treatment was 2 sessions. The main symptoms were muscle pain and weakness, 5 cases with ptosis, 3 cases with secondary rhabdomyolysis, 5 cases with myocarditis, 1 case with myasthenia gravis, and 1 case with enterocolitis. Among them, patients with immune-related myocarditis had a shorter interval from the first anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) therapy to the onset of immune-related myositis (P=0.042) compared with patients without myocarditis. The 8 patients had significant elevation of transaminases and muscle enzyme profile indexes, and 5 patients showed positive auto-antibodies. 3 patients had perfected muscle biopsies and showed typical skeletal muscle inflammatory myopathy-like pathological changes with CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD20⁺ lymphocytes and CD68⁺ macrophage infiltration. After the diagnosis of immune-related myositis, all the 8 patients immediately discontinued ICI therapy and improved after intravenous administration of methylprednisolone alone or in combination with gamma-globulin. CONCLUSION Immune-related myositis after ICI treatment is an immune-related adverse reactions (irAEs) with unique clinical and pathological features, commonly combined with cardiovascular adverse reactions. Immediate discontinuation of ICI and initiation of glucocorticoid therapy may improve the patient's condition in a timely manner.
Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/adverse effects* ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Female ; Humans ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/adverse effects* ; Kidney Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Male ; Myocarditis/drug therapy* ; Myositis/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

Objective: To investigate the association between blood pressure and all-cause mortality in Shanxi, China. Methods: The '2002 China Nutrition and Health Survey' baseline data in Shanxi province was used. A retrospective investigation was performed in 2015. The effects of SBP and DBP on the all-cause mortality were analyzed using the Cox regression model. The hazard ratio ( Results: The follow-up rate was 76.52% over 13 years, while the cumulative mortality rate for all participants was 917.12/100,000 person-years. The mortality rose with an increasing SBP ( Conclusion Adults with SBP > 160 mmHg and DBP > 100 mmHg had a higher mortality risk. Sex and age difference was noted in both DBP and mortality risk.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; China ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Hypertension/mortality* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mortality/trends* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Young Adult

Objective To compare the effect of different sutures and suture method on corneal neovascularization ( CNV) in rabbit models. Methods NV was induced by placing sutures at the corneal periphery of rabbits (n = 45). To observe the NV status, 45 rabbits were randomly divided into 5 equal groups. Group A applied 8-0 absorbable suture (A1 single loop parallel suture, A2 single loop vertical suture). In group B, 10-0 nylon suture was used (B1 double loop parallel suture, B2 double loop vertical suture, B3 three loop radial suture). The development of CNV was observed with slit lamp microscope and photographed. Therefore the effective model for neovascularization induction was selected. Histological examination, immunofluorescent staining and ELISA analysis for the vascular endothelial growth factor( VEGF) were performed before suture, 7 and 14 days after suture. Results Sutures fell off and CNV gradually atrophied in group Al and A2; At the 14th day after suture, Sparse or short cluster CNV grew into the corneal margin in group B1 and B2, while CNV was vigorous and grew in bundles in group B3. The expression of VEGF in aqueous humor increased in B3 group after suturing, and increased in 14 days as compared with 7 days after suture. Corneal edema, neovascularization and little immunofluorescence staining for VEGF were detected in group B3 after 7 days suture. More neovascularization and immunofluorescence staining for VEGF were detected in group B3 after 14 days suture. Conclusion Corneal NV can be induced successfully in rabbit model by suturing. The method of 10-0 thread with three sets of circular seams (B3) is stable and effective.