BACKGROUND: The effects of acupuncture have varied in different randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and there are many factors that influence treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes, with conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors and their impact on the treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes. METHODS: Acupuncture RCTs were searched from 7 databases including Medline (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Biology Medicine disc between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2019. Eligible studies must compare acupuncture to no acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waiting lists, and report at least 1 patient-important outcome. A multi-level meta-regression was conducted using a 3-level robust mixed model and univariate analyses were performed for all independent variables, even those excluded from the multivariable model due to collinearities. We used thresholds of 0.2 and 0.4 for the difference of standardized mean differences (SMDs), categorising them as small (<0.2), moderate (0.2-0.4), or large (>0.4) effects. RESULTS: The pain construct analysis involved 211 effect estimates from 153 studies and 14 independent variables. High-frequency acupuncture treatment sessions produced larger effects compared to low-frequency sessions [large magnitude, the difference of adjusted SMDs 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07 to 0.84; P=0.02]. The non-pain symptoms construct analysis comprised 323 effect estimates from 231 studies and 15 independent variables. Penetrating acupuncture showed moderately larger effects when compared to non-penetrating acupuncture (0.30, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.53; P=0.01). The function construct analysis included 495 effect estimates from 274 studies and 14 independent variables. Penetrating acupuncture and the flexible acupuncture regimen showed moderately larger effects, compared to non-penetrating acupuncture and fixed regimen, respectively (0.40, 95% CI 0 to 0.80; P=0.05; 0.29, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.53; P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS High-frequency acupuncture sessions appear to be a more effective approach to managing painful symptoms. Penetrating acupuncture demonstrated greater effect in relieving non-painful symptoms. Both penetrating acupuncture type and flexible acupuncture regimen were linked to significant treatment effects in function outcomes. Future studies should consider the factors that are significantly associated with the effects of acupuncture in patient-important outcomes.
Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Pain ; Pain Management ; China

Objective To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of acellular nerve allografts(ANA)combined with electroacupuncture on spinal ganglia in rats with sciatic nerve injury(SNI).Methods Totally 50 male adult SD rats were randomly selected for this experiment.Ten rats were prepared for the ANA.Forty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,ANA group and combinational group,with 10 rats in each group.The SNI model was established by cutting off the nerves 10 mm at the 5 mm on the inferior border of piriformis after separating the right sciatic nerves.The rats in the ANA group were bridged with ANA to the two broken ends of injured nerves.The rats in the combinational group were treated with electroacupuncture 2 days after ANA bridging,Huantiao(GB30)and Yanglingquan(GB34)were performed as the acupuncture points,each electroacupuncture lasted 15 minutes and 7 days as a course of treatment,4 courses in all.Sciatic nerve conduction velocity was measured by electrophysiology to evaluate the regeneration of damaged axons.Morphology of spinal ganglia was observed by Nissl staining.The expression of nerve growth factor(NGF)and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining.Results Compared with the normal group,the sciatic nerve conduction velocity in model group decreased significantly(P<0.01),Nissl bodies in neurons of spinal ganglia were swollen and dissolved,with incomplete structure and the number decreased dramatically(P<0.01),while the level of NGF and BDNF also decreased significantly(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the sciatic nerve conduction velocity in ANA and combinational groups strongly increased(P<0.01),the damage of Nissl bodies in neurons of spinal ganglia reduced and the number obviously increased(P<0.01),the level of NGF and BDNF increased considerably(P<0.01).Compared with the ANA group,the sciatic nerve conduction velocity in combinational group increased significantly(P<0.01),the morphology of Nissl bodies in neurons of spinal ganglia were more regular and the number increased(P<0.01),moreover,the level of NGF also increased significantly(P<0.01).Conclusion ANA combined with electroacupuncture can enhance the sciatic nerve conduction velocity,improve the morphology of neurons in spinal ganglia and play a protective effect on spinal ganglia.The mechanism can be related to the higher expression of NGF and BDNF proteins,especially the expression of NGF protein.

Acute liver injury (ALI) is one of the common severe diseases in clinic, which is characterized by redox imbalance and inflammatory storm. Untimely treatment can easily lead to liver failure and even death. Rosmarinic acid (RA) has been proved to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, but it is not clear how to protect ALI through antioxidation and inhibition of inflammation. Therefore, this study explored the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanism of RA on ALI through in vitro and in vivo experiments. In the mouse ALI model, the effects of RA on liver function and inflammatory indexes were studied, the pathological changes of liver were observed by HE, the effect of RA on reactive oxygen species in liver was detected by fluorescence method, and the level of F4/80 in liver tissue was detected by immunohistochemical method. The levels of thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (CASPASE-1) in liver tissue were measured by Western blot. All animal welfare and experimental procedures follow the rules of the Animal Ethics Committee of Southwest Minzu University. In vitro, human hepatoma cell line HepG2 was used to establish the model of oxidative damage induced by H₂O₂. The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 method. The level of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the supernatant was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the activity of lactatede hydrogenase (LDH) was detected by LDH kit, and the level of ROS was detected by fluorescence probe DCFH-DA labeling. The mRNA expression of Txnip, Nlrp3, Caspase 1, Il1β was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR), and the protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (NRF2), TXNIP, NLRP3 and CASPASE-1 were measured by Western blot. The results showed that compared with the model group, the degree of liver swelling, tissue injury, liver function index in RA group were significantly lower than those in model group. And RA significantly attenuated the increases of ROS in liver tissue. The expression levels of TXNIP, NLRP3 and CASPASE-1 in liver tissue were significantly lower than those in model group. Additionally, RA inhibited the expressions of F4/80 and IL-1β. In vitro experiment, compared with model group, RA effectively inhibited the secretion of IL-1β and LDH. The level of ROS also decreased significantly. RA inhibited the mRNA expressions of Txnip, Caspase 1, Il1β. Furthermore, RA significantly increased the expression level of NRF2 protein in nucleus, and decreased the expression level of TXNIP and NLRP3 protein. Specifically, with the addition of ML385, the effect of RA on NRF2, TXNIP, NLRP3, CASPASE-1 protein expression was reversed. Collectively, these findings suggested that RA may inhibit the production of ROS by promoting NRF2 nuclear transfer, and then reduce the activation of NLRP3 inflammatory bodies by TXNIP, reduce cell death and inflammatory response to prevent the liver injury.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 954 cases of central nervous system(CNS)infections in Chongqing.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 954 patients with CNS infectious disease diagnosed and treated in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from 2008 to 2021.The analysis encompassed pathogens,patient gender,age of onset,time of onset,urban-rural distribution,education level,occupational distribution,and other epidemiological characteristics.The clinical manifestations,the positive rate of metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS),and prognosis were also analyzed.Results Among the 945 cases of CNS infectious diseases,the pathogens were viruses in 393(41.2%),Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 361(37.8%),other bacteria in 108(11.3%),Cryptococcus in 75(7.9%),Treponema pallidum in 16(1.7%)and parasites in 1(0.1%).The number of CNS infection cases from 2015 to 2021 increased by 85.6%compared with that from 2008 to 2014(620 vs.334,P<0.001).There was no significant difference in seasonal distribution of pathogens(P>0.05).CNS infectious diseases were more prevalent in rural areas(58.0%,P<0.001),with a male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1.0,and a higher incidence in individuals aged between 35 and 60 years.The majority of patients were educated at Junior high school level or below(68.7%)and were farmers or workers(68.1%).Clinical symptoms of CNS infectious disease mainly included fever,headache,signs of meningeal irritation,nausea and vomiting,which could be accompanied by consciousness disorder and focal neurological deficits.mNGS significantly improves the accuracy of clinical diagnosis.The rate of good prognosis of CNS infectious diseases was 97.5%,while the mortality rate was 0.3%.Conclusions In Chongqing area,the categories and species of CNS infectious pathogens are diverse,widely prevalent,and the clinical manifestations are complex.Moreover,the number of cases has been increasing in recent years.Understanding the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of CNS infectious diseases can help to recognize the regional differences,promote early accurate diagnosis and treatment,and improve prognosis.

Aim To observe the effect of Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis on the apoptosis of chondrocytes,and to investigate the effect of Astrag-alus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis on the sur-vival of fresh ostecartilage allograft.Methods Forty-eight 4-month-old New Zealand white rabbits,half male and half female,were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,positive group and As-tragalus and Angelica 5∶1 group.In addition to the sham operation group,the other groups were both male and female donors and recipients for knee joint osteo-cartilage cross transplantation modeling.After 8 weeks of drug intervention,samples were taken for general observation,HE staining,saffrane-O staining,immu-nohistochemical staining,qPCR and Western blot de-tection.Results Compared with model group,As-tragalus and Angelica 5∶1 group and positive group,the repair site healed better,the morphology of osteo-chondrocytes tended to be normal,and the division and proliferation were obvious.Proteoglycan deposition in-creased and type Ⅱ collagen content was higher,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).qPCR and Western blot results showed that compared with model group,the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax,caspase-3 and caspase-9 in other groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion As-tragalus and Angelica can promote the survival of fresh osteochondral allograft,and its mechanism may be re-lated to promoting collagen production,promoting chondrocyte proliferation and inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and influencing factors of omadacycline(OMC)in the treat-ment of patients with infectious diseases.Methods Data about hospitalized patients who received OMC monothera-py or combination therapy at Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 2022 to December 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.The influencing factors for failure of OMC treatment was analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results A total of 160 patients were included in analysis,with an overall effective treatment rate of 69.4％(n=111).After treatment with OMC,patients in effective group was observed that body temperature improved([36.83±0.52]℃ vs[37.85±0.92]℃,P＜0.001),white blood cell count([7.78±4.07]× 109/L vs[10.06±6.49]× 109/L,P＜0.001),procalcitonin([0.63±1.19]ng/mL vs[4.43±10.14]ng/mL,P=0.001),C-reactive protein([35.16±37.82]mg/L vs[105.08±99.47]mg/L,P＜0.001),and aspartate aminotransferase([50.50±40.04]U/L vs[77.17±91.43]U/L,P=0.004)all decreased signifi-cantly.Only one patient had adverse reactions such as diarrhea,but treatment was not interrupted.Univariate ana-lysis showed that patients in failure treatment group had a higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)score(17.0[9.5-22.0]vs 12.0[9.0-19.0],P=0.046)and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)score(7.0[4.5-10.0]vs 4.0[2.0-9.0],P=0.019).Multivariate analysis showed that end-stage liver disease(OR=77.691,95％CI:5.448-1 107.880,P=0.001),mechanical ventilation(OR=6.686,95％CI:1.628-27.452,P=0.008)and the combination treatment of vancomycin(OR=6.432,95％CI:1.891-21.874,P=0.003)were risk factors for the failure of OMC treatment,while the course of OMC treatment(OR=0.905,95％CI:0.825-0.994,P=0.037)was a protective factor for the effective treatment.Conclusion OMC can be used as an alternative therapy for refractory severe infection,with fewer adverse reaction.End-stage liver disease,mechanical ventilation and combination treatment of vancomycin are risk factors for failure of OMC treatment in in-fected patients.Adequate OMC treatment course can improve patients'clinical outcome,large-scale case studies are needed to confirm the initial conclusion.

Objective To describe the changing trend and related factors of prevalence rates of healthcare-associa-ted infection(HAI)in a tertiary hospital in the past 10 years,and analyze the influencing factors for HAI.Methods A cross-sectional survey on HAI was conducted for 10 consecutive years from 2013 to 2022(one day was selected as the survey day each year),data were collected.The distribution and related factors of prevalence rates of HAI were analyzed by trend-x2 test and Pearson correlation coefficient.Multivariate logistic regression and multilayer percep-tron(MLP)models were constructed to analyze the independent effect and significance of factors.Results From 2013 to 2022,the prevalence rates of HAI ranged from 4.66％to 8.07％in this hospital,showing a linear upward trend.The proportions of ICU patients and utilization rate of central venous catheters within 2 days before the sur-vey showed linear upward trends,while the proportion of patients with urinary catheters within 2 days before the survey and proportion of patients undergoing surgery within 30 days before the survey decreased.The MLP model revealed that the top 3 important factors for HAI were length of hospital stay＞10 days,admission in ICU,and in-dwelling central venous catheters within 2 days before the survey.Multivariate logistic regression model indicated that length of hospital stay＞10 days,indwelling central venous catheters or urinary catheters within 2 days before the survey,surgery within 30 days before the survey,and admission in ICU were independent influencing factors for HAI.Conclusion The incidence of HAI in this hospital presents a linear increase in recent 10 years,the causes should be further analyzed and the direction of intervention should be determined through targeted surveillance.Adopting trend test statistical analysis method,logistic regression,MLP multi-factor model can further explore the data value of HAI prevalence survey.

Aim To explore the effect of Buyang Huanwu Decoction on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by regulating autophagy through PI3K/AKT pathway. Methods The rats were randomly divided into five groups(n=10): sham operation group(Sham), model group(Model), Buyang Huanwu Decoction group(BYHWD), PI3K inhibitor group(LY294002)and Vehicle group(Vehicle). Except Sham group, the other groups were treated with 2h ischemia and 72 h reperfusion for modeling. The Zea Longa score was used to assess the neurological defects, HE was used to observe brain injury in the ischemic penumbra(IP), immunofluorescence was employed to detect LC3, and Western blot was used to detect pathway and autophagy marker proteins. Results Compared BYHWD group with model group, the neurological score of rats decreased, cerebral infarction volume decreased, the pathological lesions of brain IP were relieved, PI3K and p-AKT/AKT expression increased, and LC3Ⅱ/ decreased and p62 increased(P<0.05). The regulatory effect of BYHWD was weakened by LY294002(P<0.05). Conclusion Buyang Huanwu Decoction alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by activating PI3K/AKT pathway to inhibit autophagy.

Objective: To investigate the related factors associated with the structure of the gut microbial community in HIV infection/AIDS cases (HIV/AIDS) in Henan province. Methods: The convenience sampling method was used to select 122 cases who were receiving Antiviral Treatment (ART) or ART-naive in Henan. Whole blood and stool specimens were collected. Genomic DNA of stool samples was extracted, and the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene were sequenced using Illumina NovaSeq 6000 high-throughput sequencing system. The analysis was performed mainly at the genus level, and the 30 genera with the highest abundance were selected as a measure of the gut microbial community structure. The correlation between community structure and related factors was analyzed using redundancy analysis and Envfit function. Results: 122 cases were finally completed sequencing and analysis, the average BMI was (23.62±2.78) kg/m² and the average age was (47±13) years. Among them, male accounted for 66.39% (81/122), and heterosexual transmission route constituted the largest ratio, accounting for 51.64% (63/122). 36 cases were treatment naive (29.51%, 36/122). The top five dominant genera of the total population (122 cases) were Prevotella, Roseburia, Megamonas, Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium and the top five dominant genera of the ART population (86 cases) were Prevotella, Megamonas, Bacteroides, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium. The top five dominant genera of the ART-naive population (36 cases) appeared as Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Bacteroides and Megamonas. In the total population, ART (P<0.001) was the most significant factors of community structure. Other significant factors were: duration of diagnosis (P=0.009), viral load (P=0.022) and anti-HCV (P=0.018). ART was positively correlated with Megamonas and negatively correlated with Prevotella, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium, while the other three factors of duration of diagnosis, viral load and anti-HCV were positively correlated with Prevotella, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium and negatively correlated with Megamonas. In the ART-naive population, duration of diagnosis (P=0.003) were the factors significantly associated with community structure. Duration of diagnosis was positively correlated with Roseburia, Faecalibacterium, Megamonas and Prevotella and negatively correlated with Bacteroides. Conclusion: ART and duration of diagnosis were factors significantly associated with gut microbial community structure and had a significant impact on multiple high-abundance genera.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics* ; HIV Infections/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Male ; Microbiota ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*

Objective: Autologous peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) derived from bone marrow can promote liver regeneration and improve the liver function of patients, but there are few studies on its effect on the long-term outcomes in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Based on previous work, this study observed the clinical outcomes of PBSC treatment in patients with decompensated cirrhosis for 10 years, in order to provide more data support for the safety and efficacy of stem cells in clinical applications. Methods: Data of patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis who completed PBSC treatment in the Department of Gastroenterology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from August 2005 to February 2012 were included. The follow-up endpoint was death or liver transplantation, and patients who did not reach the follow-up endpoint were followed-up for at least 10 years. The patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis who met the conditions for PBSC treatment but did not receive PBSC treatment in our hospital during the same period were used as controls. Results: A total of 287 cases with decompensated liver cirrhosis had completed PBSC treatment, and 90 cases were lost to follow-up within 10 years after surgery. A total of 151 cases with complete survival follow-up data were included in the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline information such as gender, age, etiological composition and liver function score between the two groups. The 10-year survival rate was higher in PBSC than control group (37.56% vs. 26.49%, P<0.05). Cholinesterase, albumin, international normalized ratio, Child-Turcotte-Pugh score, model for end-stage liver disease score, and other indicators were gradually recovered within 3 months to 1 year after PBSC treatment, and stabilized at a more desirable level in the long-term after follow-up for up to 10 years. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of liver cancer between the two groups (25.22% vs.31.85%, P=0.267). The age of onset of hepatocellular carcinoma was later in PBSC than control group [(56.66±7.21) years vs. (52.69±8.42) years, P<0.05]. Conclusions: This long-term observational follow-up study of more than ten years confirms that PBSC treatment can bring long-term benefits to patients with decompensated cirrhosis, with good long-term safety, thus providing more data support on the safety and efficacy of stem cells for clinical applications.
End Stage Liver Disease ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/drug therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cells ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome