Search

Options for treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria beyond antihistamines are limited. This multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial from 3 teaching hospitals in China compared acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and waitlist control for treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria. Visual Abstract. Efficacy of Acupuncture for Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: Options for treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria beyond antihistamines are limited. This multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial from 3 teaching hospitals in China compared acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and waitlist control for treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria. Background: The effectiveness of acupuncture for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), reported in a few small-scale studies, is not convincing. Objective: To investigate whether acupuncture leads to better effects on CSU than sham acupuncture or waitlist control. Design: A multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial. (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR1900022994) Setting: Three teaching hospitals in China from 27 May 2019 to 30 July 2022. Participants: 330 participants diagnosed with CSU. Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waitlist control over an 8-week study period (4 weeks for treatment and another 4 weeks for follow-up). Measurements: The primary outcome was the mean change from baseline in the Weekly Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7) at week 4. Secondary outcomes included itch severity scores, self-rated improvement, and Dermatology Life Quality Index scores. Results: The mean change in UAS7 (range, 0 to 42) for acupuncture from baseline (mean score, 23.5 [95% CI, 21.8 to 25.2]) to week 4 (mean score, 15.3 [CI, 13.6 to 16.9]) was −8.2 (CI, −9.9 to −6.6). The mean changes in UAS7 for sham acupuncture and waitlist control from baseline (mean scores, 21.9 [CI, 20.2 to 23.6] and 22.1 [CI, 20.4 to 23.8], respectively) to week 4 (mean scores, 17.8 [CI, 16.1 to 19.5] and 20.0 [CI, 18.3 to 21.6], respectively) were −4.1 (CI, −5.8 to −2.4) and −2.2 (CI, −3.8 to −0.5), respectively. The mean differences between acupuncture and sham acupuncture and waitlist control were −4.1 (CI, −6.5 to −1.8) and −6.1 (CI, −8.4 to −3.7), respectively, which did not meet the threshold for minimal clinically important difference. Fifteen participants (13.6%) in the acupuncture group and none in the other groups reported adverse events. Adverse events were mild or transient. Limitation: Lack of complete blinding, self-reported outcomes, limited generalizability because antihistamine use was disallowed, and short follow-up period. Conclusion: Compared with sham acupuncture and waitlist control, acupuncture produced a greater improvement in UAS7, although the difference from control was not clinically significant. Increased adverse events were mild or transient. Primary Funding Source: The National Key R&D Program of China and the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a huge threat to the modern pig industry, and current vaccine prevention strategies could not provide full protection against it. Therefore, exploring new anti-PRRSV strategies is urgently needed. Ginsenoside Rg1, derived from ginseng and notoginseng, is shown to exert anti-inflammatory, neuronal apoptosis-suppressing and anti-oxidant effects. Here we demonstrate Rg1-inhibited PRRSV infection both in Marc-145 cells and porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) in a dose-dependent manner. Rg1 treatment affected multiple steps of the PRRSV lifecycle, including virus attachment, replication and release at concentrations of 10 or 50 µM. Meanwhile, Rg1 exhibited broad inhibitory activities against Type 2 PRRSV, including highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) XH-GD and JXA1, NADC-30-like strain HNLY and classical strain VR2332. Mechanistically, Rg1 reduced mRNA levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-α, and decreased NF-κB signaling activation triggered by PRRSV infection. Furthermore, 4-week old piglets intramuscularly treated with Rg1 after being challenged with the HP-PRRSV JXA1 strain display moderate lung injury, decreased viral load in serum and tissues, and an improved survival rate. Collectively, our study provides research basis and supportive clinical data for using Ginsenoside Rg1 in PRRSV therapies in swine.

Objective: To observe the curative effect of acupuncture combining with double moxibustion on yŏng quán (KI 1) treating 40 cases of insomnia of menopausal syndrome. Methods: The research selected 80 cases of insomnia of menopausal syndrome patients treated in this hospital. All of the patients should randomly divide into acupuncture plus moxibustion group and routine acupuncture group with 40 cases in each group. Patients in the routine acupuncture group should give routine acupuncture treatment with selecting guān yuán (RN 4), bilateral z gōng (EX-CA 1), bilateral zú sān l (ST 36), bilateral sān yīn jiāo (SP 6), băi huì (DU 20), ān mián (belonging to the experienced acupoint, locating in the midpoint of line between yì fēng (SJ 17) and fēng chí (GB 20)), and bilateral yŏng quán (KI 1). It should give manipulation method with even supplementation and drainage. It should retain needles for 30 min after there was sensation of qi arrival. The acupuncture treatment should give 3 times a week, and consecutive 8 weeks in all. Patients in the acupuncture plus moxibustion group should add moxibustion therapy based on the acupuncture treatment of routine acupuncture group. The moxibustion therapy should select bilateral yŏng quán (KI 1). It should give the moxibustion therapy with two moxa sticks together for double moxibustion. Each time of treatment should sustain for 10 min. The treatment should give twice a week, and consecutive 8 weeks in all. Results: After the treatment, total effective rate of the routine acupuncture group was 90.0% (36/40), and the acupuncture plus moxibustion group was 97.5% (39/40). Comparison of the total effective rate between two groups indicated that the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After the treatment, the modified Kupperman score and score of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) of two groups compared with that before the treatment, and the result indicated that the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Moreover, comparison of the scores mentioned above between two groups after the treatment indicated that the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Both acupuncture and acupuncture combining with double moxibustion on yŏng quán (KI 1) could improve the symptoms of patients with insomnia of menopausal syndrome. Moreover, the improvement effect of acupuncture plus moxibustion treatment was more obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]