Meta-analysis and sequential analysis of acupuncture compared to carbamazepine in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

BACKGROUND In this randomized controlled trial(RCT)comparing current acupuncture with carbamazepine for trigeminal neuralgia,meta-and sequential analyses were utilized.AIM To guide clinical decision making regarding the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia with carbamazepine.METHODS The RCT literature on needle comparison was searched in various Chinese biomedical databases including Chinese Biomedical Literature Database,Wanfang Data,VIP Database,as well as international databases such as Excerpt Medica Database,Cochrane Library,PubMed,and Web of Science,along with related clinical registration platforms such as World Health Organization International Clinical Trial Registry Platform,ChiCTR,and Clinical Trials up to 1 April 2020.Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaborative Risk Bias tool,primary outcome measures(pain reduction)were analyzed using STATA metaanalysis,outcome measures were analyzed using trial sequential analysis 0.9.5.10 Beta sequential analysis,GRADE was used to assess the evidence,and adverse reactions were documented.RESULTS This study analyzed 16 RCTs with a total of 1231 participants.The meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in pain reduction between acupuncture and carbamazepine[standardized mean difference(SMD)=1.47;95%confidence interval(CI):0.99-1.95],although the quality of evidence was deemed to be of extremely low quality.Cumulative meta-analysis based on the year of publication indicated that carbamazepine treatment first demonstrated a statistically significant difference in pain reduction in 2014 and remained relatively stable over time[SMD=1.84;95%CI:0.22-3.47].Additionally,the number of adverse events associated with acupuncture was significantly lower compared to carbamazepine.CONCLUSION Acupuncture for trigeminal neuralgia is better than analgesia and safer than carbamazepine;however,firm conclusions still require a high-quality,multicenter,large-sample RCT to confirm these findings.

De novo transcriptome assembly of Aureobasidium melanogenum CGMCC18996 to analyze theβ-poly(L-malic acid)biosynthesis pathway under the CaCO_(3) addition

β-Poly(L-malic acid)(PMLA)is a water-soluble biopolymer used in food,medicine and other industries.To date,the biosynthesis pathway of PMLA has not been fully elucidated.In this study,we sequenced the transcriptom e of strain Aureobasidium melanogenum under 20 g/L CaCO_(3) addition.The resulting sequencing reads were assembled and annotated for the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)analysis and novel transcripts identification.The result indicated that with the CaCO_(3) addition,the tricarboxylic cycle(TCA)cycle and glyoxylate pathway were up-regulated,and it also found that a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase(NRPS)like protein was highly expressed.The DEGs analysis showed a high expression level of malate dehydrogenase(MDHC)and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase(PCKA)in the CaCO_(3) group,which indicated a cytosolic malate activity.We speculated that the malate should be transported to or synthesized in the cytoplasm,which was then polymerized to PMLA by the NRPS-like protein,accompanied by the up-regulated TCA cycle providing ATP for the polymerization.Depending on the analysis,we assumed that an NRPS-like protein,the TCA cycle,and the cytosolic malate together are contributing to the PMLA biosynthesis.

Effect of Jiangan Xiaozhi decoction on endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling pathway in methionine and choline deficiency diet-induced mice

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effects of Jiangan Xiaozhi decoction on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)mice model and its effects on the endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)signaling pathway.Methods:NASH mice model was established by methionine-choline deficient(MCD)diet induction and intragastric administration of Jiangan Xiaozhi decoction.The therapeutic effects of the decoction on NASH mice model were evaluated by measuring the body weight,hepatic index,and blood lipids and analyzing liver function-related biochemical markers,liver hematoxylin and eosin staining,and liver oil red O staining after the administration of the decoction in the mice model.Next,the levels of glucose-regulated protein 78(GRP78),inositol-requiring enzyme 1(IRE1),and X-box binding protein 1(XBP1)in the liver tissue of the mice were measured using Western blotting to investigate the mechanism underlying the treatment of NASH mice model by Jiangan Xiaozhi decoction.Results:Jiangan Xiaozhi decoction improved the body weight and hepatic index;reduced the levels of total cholesterol,transglutaminase,alanine transaminase,and aspartate aminotransferase;and improved pathological changes caused by hepatocyte necrosis,inflammatory cell infiltration,ballooning,and fat accumulation in the liver tissue of NASH mice model.The Western blot results showed that Jiangan Xiaozhi decoction reduced the levels of GRP78,IRE1,and XBP1 proteins in the liver tissues of NASH mice model.Conclusion:Jiangan Xiaozhi decoction has therapeutic effects on NASH mice model.The mechanism of its action may be related to the regulation of level of GRP78,IRE1,and XBP1 proteins in liver tissue and improvement of ERS.

Regulatory effects of evodiamine on glucose metabolism-related factors in CT26 colorectal carcinoma-bearing mice

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of evodiamine(EVO)on the expression of hexokinase(HK),lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA),and pyruvate kinase M(PKM),key enzymes of glycolysis,in the tumor-bearing mice after modeling mouse colon cancer cells(CT26).Methods:A tumor-bearing mouse model was generated by administering axillary injection of CT26 and intraperitoneally injecting different doses of EVO.The therapeutic effects of EVO on CT26 tumor-bearing mice were evaluated by measuring the thymus and spleen indices,tumor volume,tumor suppression rate,and other related indicators in the tumor tissues of mice in each group after the administration of EVO,in addition,histopathological changes in the tumor tissues of the mice in the groups were studied by hematoxylin and eosin staining.The expression levels of HK,LDHA,and PKM in the tumor tissues of each group of mice were measured by performing Western blot to investigate the mechanism of EVO treatment in CT26 tumor-bearing mice.Results:EVO inhibited the growth of tumors in CT26-bearing mice and enhanced their splenic and thymic indices.Western blot results showed that EVO reduced the expression levels of HK,LDHA,and PKM proteins in the tumor tissues of CT26 tumor-bearing mice.Conclusion:EVO has a therapeutic effect on CT26 tumor-bearing mice,and its mechanism of action may be related to the low expression of key enzymes HK,LDHA and PKM of glycolysis in tumor tissues.

Purification and characterization of an antifungal chitinase from Bacillus sp. SL-13

Bacillus sp.SL-13 produced antifungal proteins.The growth of the plant-pathogenic fungi Rhizoctonia solani was considerably inhibited by the presence of the SL-13 culture supernatant.The proteins were purified by DEAE-Sepharose fast flow ion exchange column chromatography and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration,and the main antifungal protein was purified to be chitinase.The molecular weight of chitinase was estimated to be 36 kD by 12%SDS PAGE.The optimal pH and temperature for the chitinase was 7.0 and 50℃.It demonstrated that the enzyme was stable from pH 5 to 9 and form 40?C to 60℃.The enzyme still kept 70%activity when incubated at 121℃,0.11MPa up to 20 minutes and the enzyme is also not lost the activity when treated with protease K and ultraviolet radiation for 1.5hours.It is very suitable for the use in a relatively unstable environment,exhibiting effective biological control.

Characterization of an antifungal chitinase from Bacillus sp.SL-13

Bacillus sp.SL-13 produced antifungal proteins.The growth of the plant-pathogenic fungi Rhizoctonia solani was considerably inhibited by the presence of the SL-13 culture supernatant.It is very suitable for the use in a relatively unstable environment,exhibiting effective biological control.