Preliminary studies on the mechanism of blistering cupping therapy

Blistering cupping therapy, as a new type of cupping therapy, has attracted more and more attention of clinical doctor and scholars in home and abroad. Blistering cupping therapy achieves better effects through the formation of blistering fluid after suction. However, it is still controversial whether cupping induced blisters are beneficial to recovery of diseases, and the mechanism is still not completely clear. Here on the basis of the traditional cupping method, we aimed to identify the mechanism of blistering cupping from the levels of biomechanics and molecular biology. The negative pressure attraction induced by cupping suck should be of value in increasing pain threshold and relieving pain as well as improving the blood circulation and metabolism. Furthermore, the blistering fluid induced by cupping was the inflammatory substance actually that discharged through the superficial lymphatic vessels, including immunoglobulin, lysozyme, erythrocytes, etc. which could cause the autogenetic inflammatory reaction of selected cupping area, and further activated certain immune pathways including anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, tissue repairing and metabolic regulation. Besides, the formation of scar induced by blistering cupping was not only the result of excessive inflammatory response, but also involved in mobilizing the immune response.

World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies(WFAS)Technical Benchmark of Acupuncture and Moxibustion:Cupping

World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies(WFAS)Technical Benchmark of Acupuncture and Moxibustion:Cupping,developed under the leadership of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,was approved by WFAS.This technical benchmark was issued on October 9,2023,and implemented on December 31,2023.The main contents include the scope,normative references,terms and definitions,procedures and rules,and safety.This article focuses on the above contents,an outlook on the application,popularization,and update plan of this technical benchmark is proposed.

Participation of local exosomes of acupoints in the initiation of acupuncture analgesic effect

Objective: To investigate the local initiation role of local exosomes of acupoints in acupuncture analgesic effect.Methods: Thirty-two rats with adjuvant arthritis were randomly divided into model group(Group CFA),model + electroacupuncture group(Group EA), model + antagonist + electroacupuncture group(Group GW4869 + EA), and model + dimethyl sulfoxide + electroacupuncture group(Group DMSO + EA), with 8 rats in each group. The model rat s of adjuvant arthritis were prepared by intradermal injection of 0.1 mL of Freund’s adjuvant complete into the metatarsal of the right posterior foot to induce inflammation.No intervention was given in Group CFA, while electroacupuncture was performed in the other three groups at 'Zúsānlǐ(足三里 ST 36, bilaterally)' and 'Huántiào(环跳 GB 30, bilaterally)' of the rats with the following electroacupuncture parameters: dilatational wave with a frequency of 2/10 Hz, an intensity of 5/10/15(0.76/1.53/2.3 mA), a duration of 30 min, and an intensity increasing every 10 min. In Group DMSO + EA, DMSO(with a concentration of 0.2%, 50μL/acupoint) was injected at bilateral 'ST 36' of the model rats one hour before electroacupuncture, while GW4869(with a concentration of 3 mg/mL,50μL/acupoint) was injected at bilateral ST 36 of the model rats one hour before electroacupuncture in Group GW4869 + EA. The paw withdrawal latency(PWL) was used as the therapeutic effect index.Results: The PWL of rats in each group at Hour 24 after modeling was significantly lower than that before modeling, indicating that the models were successfully established. After the electroacupuncture treatment, the PWL of rats showed an increasing trend in all groups. The PWL of Group GW4869 + EA(6.74 ±1.09)s was lower than that of Group EA(7.72 ±1.54)s on Day 1 after injection, but the difference was not statistically significant(P> 0.05). The PWL values of Group GW4869 + EA(7.72 ±0.70)s,(7.87 ± 0.58)s were significantly lower than those of Group EA(9.96 士 0.94)s,(9.66 ±0.96)s(both P< 0.05)on Days 2 and 3 after injection, and the differences were statistically significant.Conclusion: It was preliminarily found that acupuncture analgesic effect was significantly reduced after local exosomes of acupoints were blocked, indicating that local exosomes of acupoints may be involved in the initiation process of acupuncture effect.

Size-controllable synthesis and high-performance formic acid oxidation of polycrystalline Pd nanoparticles

A facile approach was developed for the synthesis of polycrystalline palladium nanoparticles(Pd NPs)by using tannic acid(TA) as green reagent and stabilizer in a 30 ℃ water bath. The size of Pd NPs can be tuned in a range of 10–60 nm simply by adjusting the concentration of Pd precursor. The catalytic activity and stability of the as-obtained Pd NPs toward formic acid oxidation were analyzed. It is found that these Pd NPs with different sizes exhibit size-dependent and enhanced formic acid oxidation performance compared to the commercial Pd black catalyst. It should be noted that the Pd catalysts with an average size of 24 nm demonstrate the best catalytic activity and stability among the other prepared Pd NPs, which can be ascribed to its larger electrochemical surface area(ECSA)and polycrystalline structure with defects.

Exosome Is an Important Novel Way of Acupuncture Information Transmission

As a physical stimulation of the body surface,the process of transmitting acupuncture information from acupoints to target organs through meridians and collaterals is complex,and network regulation is the most basic mode of acupuncture.Exosomes are membrane vesicles formed by various types of cells and secreted to the extracellular matrix through a series of regulation.We speculate that exosomes and their carriers,as important carriers of communication among neurons,endocrine cells,and immune cells,may play an important role in the process of acupuncture information transmission.Exosome in the acupoint area is an important interactive form of transformation from physical information to chemical information.Circulating exosome is an important means of delivery for acupuncture to play an important role in the network regulation.The structure and information molecules of exosomes are the important material bases for acupuncture effect.Through experimental research,it was found that acupuncture can regulate the release of exosome and may have a certain relationship with acupuncture effect.Therefore,exosome may play an important role in the process of acupuncture information transmission,which is an important new way of acupuncture information transmission.

Intracellular enzyme-activatable prodrug for real-time monitoring of chlorambucil delivery and imaging

Carboxylesterase,a necessary enzyme in various mammalian cells,has been employed in various biological applications.Herein,we designed and synthesized a novel carboxylesterase-based prodrug,which can realize simultaneous drug-release imaging and cancer chemotherapy.This prodrug comprises three parts：coumarin as the fluorophore and the cleavable architecture,chlorambucil as the anticancer drug,and acetyl group as the enzyme-responsive unit.The presence of carboxylesterase leads to the activation of coumarin fluorescence,and this fluorescence serves as the reporting signal for assessing the enzyme level and drug release.Moreover,the prodrug was incorporated in liposome for monitoring drug release and chemotherapeutic effect in living cells.Upon internalization by HeLa cells,the prodrug can release chlorambucil and exhibit high cytotoxicity.This approach may provide some helpful insights for enhancing therapeutic effect and tracking the release of prodrug.