OBJECTIVE: To preliminarily investigate the effect of buccal acupuncture therapy on ameliorating postoperative pain and enhancing recovery quality among patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancers. METHODS: Fifty-two participants were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to either the buccal acupuncture or the control group. The acupuncture protocol entailed targeting 5 predetermined acupoints [CA-2 (Upper jiao), CA-3 (Middle jiao), CA-4 (Lower jiao), CA-6 (back), and CA-7 (waist) and two adjustable acupoints [CA-1 (head) and CA-8 (sacrum)] on each side of the face. The outcomes included the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores for each day within 7 days postoperatively, 15-Item Quality of Recovery Scale (QoR-15) scores, analgesics consumption during and after surgery, incidences of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and perioperative levels of interleukin-6 and glucose. Adverse events related to acupuncture were recorded. RESULTS: Of the initial 52 participants, 46 completed the study and were included in the analysis. Findings indicated that the buccal acupuncture group experienced significantly reduced resting NRS scores in post-anesthesia care unit and throughout the postoperative phase (P=0.001 and P=0.003, respectively), along with enhanced QoR-15 scores on the 3rd postoperative day (P=0.008), compared to the control group. No notable differences were identified in the remaining indicators (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Buccal acupuncture therapy demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing postoperative pain and improving recovery quality for patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancers, presenting a viable intervention without associated adverse outcomes. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2200060441).
Humans ; Male ; Pilot Projects ; Female ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Pain, Postoperative/therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult

Objective:To introduce a new design of super-micro flap for endoscopic ear surgery, and to evaluate the application effect of super-micro flap in endoscopic tympanoplasty. Methods:Between January, 2023 and March, 2024, 58 patients（64 ears） with tympanosclerosis underwent tympanoplasty with super-micro flap. Continuous irrigating mode endoscopic ear surgery（CIM-EES） was used to complete type Ⅱ or Ⅲ tympanoplasty with the tragus cartilage with followed up for 12 to 24 months. The operation time, postoperative efficacy and complications were statistically analyzed. Results:Of the 64 ears, 63 ears had primary healing of the tympanic membrane, and 1 ear had cartilage necrosis due to multi-drug resistant bacteria infection. The second operation was performed one year later, and the success rate of operation was 98.40%. The average operation time was （48.40±8.86） minutes. The average hearing threshold of 0.5 kHz to 4.0 kHz before operation was （59.63±10.62） dB HL, and the average air conduction threshold of 0.5 kHz to 4.0 kHz one year after operation was（38.79±10.91） dB HL, which was significantly improved compared with that before operation（P<0.01）. Bone conduction threshold also improved significantly （24.49±8.55） dB HL vs（21.88±7.58） dB HL（P<0.01）. No outer tympanic membrane healing and ear canal scar stenosis occurred. Conclusion:The design of super-micro flap can effectively solve the interference of flap floating during continuous irrigating mode in endoscopic ear surgery, relieve the difficulty of flap reposition, simplify the operation process, help to shorten the operation time, and reduce the possibility of circular scar stenosis of conventional free flap, which provides a new flap design option for endoscopic ear surgery.
Humans ; Tympanoplasty/methods* ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Surgical Flaps ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Myringosclerosis/surgery* ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Tympanic Membrane/surgery* ; Adolescent ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: A growing body of research is exploring the role of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory dietary supplements in the treatment of osteoarthritis, highlighting an increasing emphasis on non-pharmacological interventions. Although more patients are turning to supplements to manage osteoarthritis, their actual effectiveness remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the available evidence concerning the efficacy of various dietary supplements in osteoarthritis treatment. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science for studies on the use of various dietary supplements in the treatment of osteoarthritis from the creation of each database until Jan 20, 2025. INCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) Research object: osteoarthritis. (2) Intervention measures: patients in the treatment group received dietary supplements, while the control group received placebos. (3) Research type: randomized controlled trials (RCTs). DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Two researchers independently examined the literature and retrieved data based on predefined criteria. The information gathered included the first author, year of publication, sample size, participant demographics, length of the follow-up period, intervention and control measures, and inclusion indications. RCTs comparing dietary supplements to placebo with the pain and function subscales of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) among patients with osteoarthritis were included. The optimal dietary supplement was identified based on the total ranking by summing the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) of these two scores. Furthermore, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to confirm the quality of the evidence. RESULTS: Overall, 23 studies covering 21 dietary supplements and involving 2455 participants met the inclusion criteria. In the WOMAC pain score, the SUCRA of passion fruit peel extract was 91% (mean difference [MD]: -9.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [-16.0, -2.3]), followed by methylsulfonylmethane (89%), undenatured type II collagen (87%), collagen (84%), and Lanconone (82%). The SUCRA (99%) of passion fruit peel extract (MD: -41.0; 95% CI: [-66.0, -16.0]) ranked first in terms of the WOMAC function score, followed by Lanconone (95%), collagen (86%), ParActin (84%), and Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (83%). The top three total rankings are passion fruit peel extract (95.0%), Lanconone (88.5%), and collagen (85.0%). However, the GRADE revealed low evidence quality. CONCLUSION Passion fruit peel extract was the best supplement for improving WOMAC pain and function scores in patients with osteoarthritis, followed by Lanconone and collagen. However, further large-scale, well designed RCTs are required to substantiate these promising findings. Please cite this article as: Chen CS, Wen L, Yang F, Deng YC, Ji JH, Chen RJ, Chen Z, Chen G, Gu JY. Effects of dietary supplements on patients with osteoarthritis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(4): 357-369.
Humans ; Dietary Supplements ; Osteoarthritis/drug therapy* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

AIM To explore the effects of Zishui Qinggan Decoction on the mouse model of depression induced by chronic restraint stress(CRS)via ERK/GSK3β/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway.METHODS Except for those of the blank group,the mice of other groups were induced into depression models by CRS,and divided into the model group,the fluoxetine hydrochloride group(10 mg/kg)and the low,medium and high dose Zishui Qinggan Decoction groups(8.835,17.670 and 35.340 g/kg)for the corresponding drug intervention and simultanous CRS treatment.The mice had their sugar water preference experiment and behavior experiment on the 7th and 14th day after administration;the observation of the hippocampal morphological changes by HE staining,the detection of the superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity and malondialdehyde(MDA)level in serum by kits,the detection of levels of serum 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)by ELISA,the detection of the hippocampal mRNA expressions of BDNF,TNF-α and IL-1β by RT-qPCR method,and the detection of the hippocampal protein expressions of ERK1/2,p-ERK1/2,GSK3β,p-GSK3β,CREB and BDNF by Western blot method 14 days after administration.RESULTS Compared with the model group,after 14 days of administration,both fluoxetine hydrochloride group and medium-dose Zishui Qinggan Decoction group displayed increased preference rate of sugar water(P<0.01),shortened immobility time of tail suspension and forced swimming(P<0.01),improved hippocampal damage of nerve cells,decreased levels of serum MDA,TNF-α and IL-1β(P<0.05,P<0.01),increased SOD activity and 5-HT level(P<0.05,P<0.01),decreased hippocampal mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β(P<0.01),and decreased expressions of BDNF mRNA and p-ERK1/2,p-GSK3β,CREB and BDNF proteins(P<0.05,P<0.01).CONCLUSION Zishui Qinggan Decoction can improve the depression-like behaviors in mice exposed to CRS,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of hippocampal ERK/GSK3β/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases are common clinical conditions. The number of patients with TMJ diseases is large, and the etiology, epidemiology, disease spectrum, and treatment of the disease remain controversial and unknown. To understand and master the current situation of the occurrence, development and prevention of TMJ diseases, as well as to identify the patterns in etiology, incidence, drug sensitivity, and prognosis is crucial for alleviating patients′suffering.This will facilitate in-depth medical research, effective disease prevention measures, and the formulation of corresponding health policies. Cohort construction and research has an irreplaceable role in precise disease prevention and significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment levels. Large-scale cohort studies are needed to explore the relationship between potential risk factors and outcomes of TMJ diseases, and to observe disease prognoses through long-term follw-ups. The consensus aims to establish a standard conceptual frame work for a cohort study on patients with TMJ disease while providing ideas for cohort data standards to this condition. TMJ disease cohort data consists of both common data standards applicable to all specific disease cohorts as well as disease-specific data standards. Common data were available for each specific disease cohort. By integrating different cohort research resources, standard problems or study variables can be unified. Long-term follow-up can be performed using consistent definitions and criteria across different projects for better core data collection. It is hoped that this consensus will be facilitate the development cohort studies of TMJ diseases.

Objective To investigate the effect of Yigong San(YGS)on learning and memory abilities of rats with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced cognitive decline and explore its possible mechanism in light of intestinal microbiota.Methods Forty SD rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,donepezil(1.3 mg/kg)group,and high-dose(5.25 g/kg)and low-dose(2.63 g/kg)YGS treatment groups.After 24 days of treatment with the corresponding drugs or water by gavage,the rats in the latter 4 groups received an intraperitoneal injection of LPS(0.5 mg/kg)to establish models of Alzheimer's disease(AD).Water maze test and HE staining were used to evaluate the changes in learning and memory abilities and pathomorphology of the hippocampus.The changes in gut microbial species of the rats were analyzed with 16S rRNA sequencing,and the levels of IL-6,TNF-α,and IL-1β in the brain tissue and serum were detected using ELISA.Results Compared with the AD model group,the YGS-treated rats showed significantly shortened escape latency on day 5 after modeling,reduced neuronal degeneration and necrosis in the hippocampus,lowered pathological score of cell damage,and decreased levels IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1β in the brain tissue and serum.The YGS-treated rats showed also obvious reduction of Alpha diversity indicators(ACE and Chao1)of intestinal microbiota with significantly increased abundance of Prevotellaceae species at the family level and decreased abundance of Desulfovibrionaceae,which were involved in such metabolic signaling pathways as cell community prokaryotes,membrane transport,and energy metabolism.Conclusion YGS improves learning and memory abilities and hippocampal pathomorphology in AD rat models possibly by regulating the abundance of intestinal microbial species such as Prevotellaceae to affect the metabolic pathways for signal transduction,cofactors,and vitamin metabolism.

Objective To explore the mechanism by which Yigong San(YGS)improves learning and memory abilities of APP/PS1 transgenic mice in light of cerebral fluid metabolism regulation.Methods Three-month-old male APP/PS1 transgenic mice and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were both randomized into control group,model group,donepezil(1.67 mg/kg)group,and YGS(7.5 g/kg)group and received the corresponding treatments via gavage once daily for one month.After the treatments,the mice were assessed for learning and memory functions using Morris water maze test and examined for hippocampal and cortical pathologies and amyloid plaques using HE,immunohistochemical and thioflavin S staining;ELISA and Evans blue method were used for detecting Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels in the brain tissue and serum and assessing blood-brain barrier(BBB)integrity.Immunofluorescence colocalization was used to investigate AQP4 polarization on astrocytes.Western blotting was performed to detect the expressions of VE-cadherin,ZO-1,occludin,β-amyloid precursor protein(APP),BACE1,insulin-degrading enzyme(IDE),LRP1,RAGE,and AQP4 proteins.Results Compared with the control mice,APP/PS1 mice showed significant impairment of learning and memory abilities,increased degeneration or necrosis of hippocampal and cortical neurons,pathological scores,Aβ-positive plaques,elevated Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels in the brain tissue and serum,increased BBB permeability,upregulated RAGE expression,lowered expressions of VE-cadherin,LRP1,ZO-1,occludin,and AQP4 proteins,and reduced AQP4-expressing GFAP-positive cells.YGS treatment significantly improved the performance of the transgenic mice in Morris water maze test,reduced hippocampal and cortical pathologies and Aβ-positive plaques,and ameliorated the abnormal changes in Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels,BBB permeability,protein expressions of RAGE,VE-cadherin,LRP1,ZO-1,occludin and AQP4,and the number of AQP4-expressing GFAP-positive cells.Conclusion YGS improves learning and memory changes in APP/PS1 mice by ameliorating neuronal damage and Aβ pathology in the brain and regulating brain fluid metabolism.

Objective To investigate the effect of Yigong San(YGS)on learning and memory abilities of rats with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced cognitive decline and explore its possible mechanism in light of intestinal microbiota.Methods Forty SD rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,donepezil(1.3 mg/kg)group,and high-dose(5.25 g/kg)and low-dose(2.63 g/kg)YGS treatment groups.After 24 days of treatment with the corresponding drugs or water by gavage,the rats in the latter 4 groups received an intraperitoneal injection of LPS(0.5 mg/kg)to establish models of Alzheimer's disease(AD).Water maze test and HE staining were used to evaluate the changes in learning and memory abilities and pathomorphology of the hippocampus.The changes in gut microbial species of the rats were analyzed with 16S rRNA sequencing,and the levels of IL-6,TNF-α,and IL-1β in the brain tissue and serum were detected using ELISA.Results Compared with the AD model group,the YGS-treated rats showed significantly shortened escape latency on day 5 after modeling,reduced neuronal degeneration and necrosis in the hippocampus,lowered pathological score of cell damage,and decreased levels IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1β in the brain tissue and serum.The YGS-treated rats showed also obvious reduction of Alpha diversity indicators(ACE and Chao1)of intestinal microbiota with significantly increased abundance of Prevotellaceae species at the family level and decreased abundance of Desulfovibrionaceae,which were involved in such metabolic signaling pathways as cell community prokaryotes,membrane transport,and energy metabolism.Conclusion YGS improves learning and memory abilities and hippocampal pathomorphology in AD rat models possibly by regulating the abundance of intestinal microbial species such as Prevotellaceae to affect the metabolic pathways for signal transduction,cofactors,and vitamin metabolism.

Objective To explore the mechanism by which Yigong San(YGS)improves learning and memory abilities of APP/PS1 transgenic mice in light of cerebral fluid metabolism regulation.Methods Three-month-old male APP/PS1 transgenic mice and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were both randomized into control group,model group,donepezil(1.67 mg/kg)group,and YGS(7.5 g/kg)group and received the corresponding treatments via gavage once daily for one month.After the treatments,the mice were assessed for learning and memory functions using Morris water maze test and examined for hippocampal and cortical pathologies and amyloid plaques using HE,immunohistochemical and thioflavin S staining;ELISA and Evans blue method were used for detecting Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels in the brain tissue and serum and assessing blood-brain barrier(BBB)integrity.Immunofluorescence colocalization was used to investigate AQP4 polarization on astrocytes.Western blotting was performed to detect the expressions of VE-cadherin,ZO-1,occludin,β-amyloid precursor protein(APP),BACE1,insulin-degrading enzyme(IDE),LRP1,RAGE,and AQP4 proteins.Results Compared with the control mice,APP/PS1 mice showed significant impairment of learning and memory abilities,increased degeneration or necrosis of hippocampal and cortical neurons,pathological scores,Aβ-positive plaques,elevated Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels in the brain tissue and serum,increased BBB permeability,upregulated RAGE expression,lowered expressions of VE-cadherin,LRP1,ZO-1,occludin,and AQP4 proteins,and reduced AQP4-expressing GFAP-positive cells.YGS treatment significantly improved the performance of the transgenic mice in Morris water maze test,reduced hippocampal and cortical pathologies and Aβ-positive plaques,and ameliorated the abnormal changes in Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels,BBB permeability,protein expressions of RAGE,VE-cadherin,LRP1,ZO-1,occludin and AQP4,and the number of AQP4-expressing GFAP-positive cells.Conclusion YGS improves learning and memory changes in APP/PS1 mice by ameliorating neuronal damage and Aβ pathology in the brain and regulating brain fluid metabolism.

A rapid quantitative immunochromatographic assay for procalcitonin(PCT)using metal-organic frameworks modified with gold and platinum nanoparticles(MAPs)as labels was established in this work.The detection probe was prepared by conjugating MAPs with anti-PCT monoclonal antibody via an electrostatic adsorption method.Anti-PCT polyclonal antibody and sheep anti-mouse IgG were sprayed onto the nitrocellulose(NC)membrane as the test line and quality control line,respectively,to construct immunochromatographic strip for PCT quantitative detection via signal-amplification-based sandwich immunoassay.The results showed that the MAP-based immunochromatographic test had high sensitivity,high specificity,and good stability.The dynamic range for detection of PCT was 0.61 pg/mL-320 ng/mL,the detection limit was 0.25 pg/mL,and the intra-day and inter-day precision(Relative standard deviation)were less than 15%.The results of real sample analysis showed that a quite low volume of sample was required for detection of PCT in whole blood,which was of great significance for the early diagnosis,monitoring and treatment,and prognosis of inflammation.