European Journal of Integrative Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Jiakun Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhongtong Ma ,&nbsp;Jintong Shi ,&nbsp;Wenjuan Shen ,&nbsp;Jiali Wei ,&nbsp;Mei Han","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102417","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is an involuntary loss of urine on physical exertion, sneezing, or coughing. Acupuncture, a worldwide accepted traditional and complementary medicine, has been widely used in China to treat SUI. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for women with SUI.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022361059) and this systematic review (SR) was funded by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, SinoMed, Web of Science, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched from their inception to October 2023, for relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on the treatment of acupuncture with/without pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). Study screening and data extraction were carried out independently by two authors. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) tool 2.0. Meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3.5.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 31 RCTs with 2885 patients were included in this SR. The results showed that the combination of acupuncture with PFMT had a better effect than PFMT only in decreasing urine leakage (RR = -1.87, 95 % CI [-2.24, -1.49], 13 studies, 956 patients) and Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICI-Q-SF) scores (RR = -2.26, 95 % CI [-2.64, -1.88], 14 studies, 1015 patients) in women with SUI. Acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture demonstrated improvements in urinary leakage (RR = -4.22, 95 % CI [-5.52, -2.93], 5 studies, 286 patients), and ICI-Q-SF scores with MD and 95 % CI of -3.88(-4.59, -3.17), -8.71(-10.85, -6.57), and -3.10(-3.38, -2.82), respectively. Subgroup analyses of manual acupuncture or electroacupuncture and duration of PFMT treatment can appropriately reduce heterogeneity. For the Egger's test of 1-h pad leakage and of ICI-Q-SF scores, suggesting that there was a small possibility of publication bias in this SR (<em>p</em> = 0.1257 and <em>p</em> = 0.8058, respectively). Adverse events appeared in 12 participants in the acupuncture group and 9 in the sham group.(relative risk = 1.33, 95 % CI = [0.56, 3.15], <em>P</em> = 0.70). The quality of RCTs included in this review was generally poor.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Acupuncture has potential in the treatment of SUI in women, and no significant adverse events were reported. However, considering issues with the methodological quality of the included studies, the reliability of this review conclusion may be affected to a certain extent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 102417"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143179983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the therapeutic potential of elemene emulsion injection as an adjuvant for chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy: Transcriptome analysis and experimental validation","authors":"Xiuying Liu ,&nbsp;Jingjing Zhu ,&nbsp;Jingjing Liu ,&nbsp;Yichao Feng ,&nbsp;Jiaying Wang ,&nbsp;Jianxun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102425","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102425","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Elemene emulsion injection (EEI) is prepared from monomers extracted from Chinese medicine. It has been used as an adjuvant anti-tumor medication in clinical settings for over 30 years. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) are a successful immunotherapy strategy for tumor treatment. This study aimed to investigate the role and potential mechanisms of EEI as an adjuvant to CAR-T cells for tumor treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>CCK8 staining was utilized to detect the effect of EEI on tumor cell viability. CD19 CAR-T and Trop2 CAR-T cells were constructed, and EEI was added to the experimental system. Untreated CAR-T cells served as a control group. After co-culture with tumor cells, the effect of EEI on CAR-T cell function was assessed. Flow cytometry, luciferase reporter gene, IncuCyte, and cytokine assays were used to evaluate the effects of the EEI on CAR-T cell cytotoxicity and phenotype <em>in vitro</em>. RNA sequencing was utilized to analyze the effect of EEI on CAR-T cell gene expression. Network pharmacology was applied to predict potential EEI therapeutic targets for CRS, which were verified via a THP-1 macrophage inflammation model.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>EEI enhanced the cytotoxicity of CAR-T cells against tumors. RNA-seq revealed that EEI modulated cytokine activity and Th17 cell differentiation in CAR-T cells. Subsequent experiments confirmed that the proportion of CD4+ <em>T</em> cells in CAR-T cells increased. The secretion of cytokines was greatly reduced under the effect of EEI. In the THP-1 macrophage inflammation model, EEI significantly reduced the levels of cytokines associated with inflammation induced by CAR-T cells.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This research proposed and tested a combination therapy involving EEI and CAR-T cells. The combination of CAR-T cells with EEI for tumor immunotherapy may enhance the clinical efficacy while providing synergistic effects and reducing toxicity.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>Scientific Research Startup Funds for High-level Talents from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (Grant No. 9,011,451,310,032)</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 102425"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143180501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of Reiki in the third trimester on breastfeeding self-efficacy, pregnancy-related complaints, and quality of life: Randomized controlled study","authors":"Seda Karaçay Yikar,&nbsp;Dilara Keklik,&nbsp;Evşen Nazik","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102423","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102423","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>This study was carried out to determine the effects of Reiki applied to pregnant women in the last trimester on breastfeeding self-efficacy, complaints during pregnancy, and quality of life.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study was conducted as a two-group randomized controlled trial at a city hospital. A total of 68 pregnant women (34 in the Reiki group and 34 in the control group) receiving antenatal care participated in the study. The Reiki group received eight Reiki sessions, with the first being given face to face on the day they were enrolled in the study and seven remotely. Data were collected in three stages: on the first day of the study, four weeks after the first interview, and six weeks postpartum. Data were collected using a \"Personal Information Form, the ``Scale of Complaints during Pregnancy and Their Effect on Quality of Life (SCPEQL),'' and the ``Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (BSES).''</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The BSES scores of women in the Reiki and control groups yielded a significant difference between the first measurement and the one made after four weeks (MD 5.47, 95 % CIs [1.75 to 9.18]). There was no statistical difference between the BSES post-test scores of the groups (MD 2.92, 95% CIs [−0.65 to 6.48]). No significant difference was found between the mean SCPEQL scores of the groups, either (MD 11.47, 95% CIs [−27.03 to 4.09]). During the study, no adverse events were noted in either groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The results of this study showed that Reiki applied during pregnancy was effective in increasing women's breastfeeding self-efficacy, but there was no effect on the improvement of pregnancy-related complaints and quality of life.</div></div><div><h3>The clinical trial registration number</h3><div>NCT05942989.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 102423"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143180500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feasibility of implementing clinical hypnosis and learning self-hypnosis with neurologists to improve well-being","authors":"Constance Flamand-Roze,&nbsp;Capucine Mouthon-Reignier,&nbsp;Nicolas Chausson,&nbsp;Didier Smadja","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102428","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102428","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Numerous studies have highlighted the risk of burnout among neurologists. However, only a few suggest exploring the feasibility of implementing measures to help neurologists manage the anxiety and fatigue inherent in their profession. Furthermore, effective communication is crucial for workplace well-being. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of providing clinical hypnosis sessions to a group of neurologists and to instruct them in self-hypnosis and hypnotic communication methods, given the proven effectiveness of hypnosis.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We emailed 20 volunteer neurologists from the neurology department of the Centre Hospitalier Sud Francilien (CHSF, France), explaining the purpose and progress of our study. We employed surveys that included validated quantitative scales to evaluate fatigue, anxiety, depression, quality of life, workplace well-being, and communication in the department. Next, we conducted two practice and learning sessions focused on hypnosis, self-hypnosis, and communication techniques in two different groups. Each session lasted two hours and included a theoretical component, a recorded hypnosis session (20 min), or a role-playing segment to practice hypnotic communication techniques. Participants were encouraged to practice the exercises. After six months, the same evaluation questionnaires were given out again. We introduced a questionnaire to assess how regularly the exercises are practiced. The data were analyzed using frequencies, means, medians, and interquartiles.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Out of the twenty neurologists, sixteen (80 %) participated in every session and finished all evaluation scales both before the sessions and six months later. Twelve participants (75 %) reported regularly using the practices. Responses suggested an improvement in fatigue at six months in eight participants, 12 experienced less anxiety and reported better quality of life. Participants who showed the most significant improvement frequently practiced hypnosis and communication techniques.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Using self-hypnosis and hypnotic communication demands personal commitment. However, those who practiced these methods tended to manage anxiety and fatigue more effectively. Regular practice is challenging but could eventually be a valuable strategy to enhance neurologists’ quality of life and communication. These practices are pretty simple to implement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 102428"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143179984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Yoga therapy for eye health and disease: A scoping review","authors":"Deenadayalan Boopalan ,&nbsp;Archana Prabu Kumar ,&nbsp;Mahesh Kannan Vanamoorthy ,&nbsp;Venugopal Vijayakumar ,&nbsp;Poornima Ravi ,&nbsp;Madhesh Kasi ,&nbsp;Maheshkumar Kuppusamy","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102427","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102427","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Yoga is widely practiced as a complementary, alternative, and integrative therapy to manage various health conditions. Existing literature indicates that yoga may play a role in eye care. The objective of this review was to investigate the available evidence of yoga in eye care.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This scoping review followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework and adhered to The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). It gathered literature from PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google Scholar using keywords and MeSH terms related to yoga and eye care, until 31st October 2024. The eligibility criteria for included studies were predefined using the PICO framework.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 29 studies, involving 1,938 participants aged 10 to 86 years, included healthy individuals and those with conditions like glaucoma, myopia, hypertension, and pseudoexfoliation syndrome. Interventions comprised asanas, pranayama, trataka, yogic ocular exercises, and relaxation techniques. Six studies reported reduced intraocular pressure (IOP), with other benefits including improved visual acuity, refractive power, and reduced eye strain. Adverse events included increased IOP, corneal thickness, and rare complications like vitreous detachment. Interventions varied in frequency and duration, with limited details on therapist training and supervision.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This scoping review highlights promising evidence supporting yoga therapy's role in promoting eye health and managing specific ocular conditions. However, further high quality randomized controlled trials are recommended to establish its safety, efficacy and to strengthen the clinical evidence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 102427"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143179985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of integrated Ayurveda treatment protocol in uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled study","authors":"Suketha Kumari ,&nbsp;Rekha Patil ,&nbsp;Basavaraj R Tubaki","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), measured as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) of &gt;7 %, is prevalent. An integrated Ayurveda treatment protocol (ITP) has potentially beneficial effects. This study aims to compare the efficacy of ITP with standard diabetic care in patients with uncontrolled T2DM.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This was a randomized, controlled, open-label clinical study. The study included patients (<em>n</em> = 200) with uncontrolled T2DM, on metformin (Glucophage) ≥1000 mg/day. Patients were randomized to either the standard treatment protocol (STP) or ITP group. The intervention in STP group was metformin (Glucophage) ≥ 1000mg/day with diet and lifestyle measures, while ITP group received metformin (Glucophage) ≥ 1000 mg /day, madhumehari ghana tab (ayurveda medicine), ayurvedic diet, and yoga for 90 days. The primary endpoint was a change in HbA1C. Secondary endpoints were homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA IR), fasting insulin, fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PPBG), weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, lipid profile, diabetes quality of life (DQOL), hemoglobin, and serum creatinine.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>Outcome difference assessment revealed significant improvement in HbA1C in ITP group compared with STP group (mean difference:1.04, 95 % confidence interval [CI]:1.27 to -0.80). ITP showed significant changes when compared to STP in HOMA IR (mean difference:1.41, 95 % CI:2.40 to -0.42), FBG (mean difference:22.25, 95 % CI:42.10 to -14.97), PPBG (-52.27, 95 % CI:70.50 to -34.05), serum triglycerides (mean difference:25.21, 95 % CI:42.30 to -8.12), and DQOL (mean difference:21.88, 95 % CI: 26.83 to -16.92). Furthermore, ITP group also demonstrated significant results in weight, BMI, body fat, visceral fat percentage, and body surface area. Comparable results were observed in serum insulin, total cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein, and serum creatinine in between the groups. Changes were not significant for hemoglobin %, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein in both groups. There were mild adverse events in both groups, with 8 in STP group and 4 in ITP group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>ITP intervention produced significant improvements in glycemic parameters, insulin resistance parameters, anthropometric measures, and quality of life compared to standard care in uncontrolled T2DM.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical trial registration</h3><div>CTRI/2020/12/029,762</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 102424"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143180502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Korean Medicine professions' perspectives on the applicability of ChatGPT in facial palsy practice: A web-based survey","authors":"Ji-Su Lee ,&nbsp;Sung-A Kim ,&nbsp;Taegon Kim ,&nbsp;Seunghoon Lee ,&nbsp;Tae-Hun Kim ,&nbsp;Jung Won Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102422","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102422","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Since November 2022, when Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) was released, studies have been conducted to explore its potential use in various text-based areas. In the field of Korean Medicine (KM), studies evaluating the feasibility of ChatGPT are mainly focused on the educational domain. This study aimed to 1) identify the current level of ChatGPT-generated responses in answering questions from patients and KM practitioners, specifically exemplified by facial palsy and 2) explore the potential applicability of ChatGPT in KM practice through a perception survey of experts.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study evaluates the applicability of ChatGPT concerning facial palsy through a survey of board-certified acupuncturists. The survey comprises two parts: assessing response quality for patients and for KM doctors in clinical practice. Ethical approval was obtained, and a 36-item questionnaire was administered online to 33 participants. Responses were analyzed for quality, relevance, and applicability using a combination of Likert scales and a standardized assessment tool.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among 33 eligible participants, 30 board-certified acupuncturists agreed to participate (response rate: 90.9 %). Survey results showed that the applicability of ChatGPT was lower for specialized KM practitioner inquiries than for general patient inquiries. Although the responses were considered useful to the readers (part 1: 96.7 %, part 2: 63.3 %) and understandable (part 1: 66.7 %, part 2: 60 %), the proportion of positive evaluations was relatively low in the domains assessing reliability and sufficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Though ChatGPT is generally viewed positively for its potential utility, its direct application in KM clinical practice treating facial palsy at its current level seems challenging. To improve reliability, the information generated by ChatGPT should be critically reviewed by qualified expert medical personnel. To enhance sufficiency, further training of the artificial intelligence model with additional KM information is required.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 102422"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142748555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for perimenopausal insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","authors":"Luquan Qin ,&nbsp;Zhiyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Chuanfang Zhang ,&nbsp;Hua Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Acupuncture is widely recognized as an alternative therapy for perimenopausal insomnia (PMI) in China, yet it lacks robust evidence-based support. This systematic review evaluated the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating PMI.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a comprehensive search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating acupuncture for PMI across eight databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, CSPD, CSTJ, and CBM) from their inception until May 17, 2024. We assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB). and performed a random-effects meta-analysis and GRADE assessment.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The meta-analysis included 16 studies with 1,112 participants. We found evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture in improving several outcomes. Acupuncture significantly improved sleep quality compared to sham-acupuncture or waitlist control (Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) MD -3.94, 95 %CI [-5.52, -2.35], 6 RCTs, 412 participants, moderate certainty) and medication (PSQI MD -2.62, 95 %CI [- 4.11, -1.12], 7 RCTs, 520 participants, low certainty). Clinical improvement rates were higher for acupuncture compared to medication or waitlist (RR 1.38, 95 %CI [1.12, 1.69], <em>P</em> = 0.002, low certainty). Objective measures using wrist actigraphy monitor or polysomnography favoured acupuncture over sham-acupuncture or medication for improving sleep efficiency (SMD 1.00, 95 %CI [0.70, 1.31], 5 RCTs, 330 participants, moderate certainty), total sleep time (SMD 0.84, 95 %CI [0.61, 1.06], 5 RCTs, 330 participants, moderate certainty) and wake after sleep onset (SMD -0.80, 95 %CI [-1.20, -0.40], 4 RCTs, 281 participants, low certainty), but not sleep awakenings (SMD 0.03, 95 %CI [-0.22, 0.27] 4 RCTs, 256 participants, low certainty). The effects of acupuncture on the Kupperman index and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were inconclusive due to insufficient data. Adverse events were infrequent and symptoms were generally mild. There was a lower risk of adverse events from acupuncture compared to medication (RR 0.05, 95 %CI [0.0, 0.83], 3 RCTs, 183 participants, low certainty) and no difference compared to sham acupuncture (RR 1.25, 95 %CI [0.5, 3.1], moderate certainty).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The current body of research suggests acupuncture is an effective and safe treatment option for PMI, offering benefits over Western medication, though the available evidence remains limited.</div></div><div><h3>Registration</h3><div>PROSPERO CRD42023443190</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 102404"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142759416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phytochemical profiling of Prunus armeniaca kernel extracts and exploration of their multifaceted antioxidant and antibacterial effects through in vitro and in silico studies","authors":"Mohamed Amine El-Hajjaji ,&nbsp;Kawtar Fikri-Benbrahim ,&nbsp;Mohammed El Ouassete ,&nbsp;Nidal Naceiri Mrabti ,&nbsp;Najoua Soulo ,&nbsp;Asmae El Ghouizi ,&nbsp;Badiaa Lyoussi ,&nbsp;Zineb Benziane Ouaritini","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102421","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102421","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div><em>Prunus armeniaca</em> \"Apricot\" kernels are considered a by-product widely employed in traditional medicine for treating various ailments due to their potential therapeutic properties. The current investigation sought to assess the properties of aqueous and methanol extracts of <em>Prunus armeniaca</em> kernels (PAK).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The phytochemical composition of the studied extracts was evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), β-carotene bleaching, reducing power (RP), and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assays were used to assess antioxidant activity. Using the disc diffusion method and the microdilution test in 96-well microplates against four bacterial strains, the antimicrobial activity of the aforementioned extracts was evaluated. The potential of several phenolic compounds as bacterial inhibitors was assessed through extensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular docking analyses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The phytochemical analysis revealed the identification of several phenolic constituents, with tocopherol (11.61 ± 0.9 mg/g of dry extract) and resveratrol (25.3 ± 0.4 mg/g of dry extract) emerging as the major compounds in the aqueous and methanolic extracts, respectively. Both extracts exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ values of 1.47 ± 0.08 and 1.97 ± 0.15 mg/mL (DPPH), EC₅₀ = 3.682 ± 0.123 and 12.415 ± 0.344 mg/mL (RP), TAC values of 6.486 ± 0.275 and 5.323 ± 0.826 mg AAE/g, and β-carotene values of 56 ± 0.553 % and 50 ± 0.645 % respectively. Moreover, the aqueous extract showed the highest antibacterial activity against <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> with a MIC value of 0.625 mg/mL, and an inhibition zone diameter of 11.5 ± 0.71 mm. The combined analysis of docking results and DFT calculations for various phenolic compounds against <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (Glycyl-penicillin-binding protein 2a) and <em>Escherichia coli</em> (DNA Gyrase B) revealed significant interactions and reactivities.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These results clearly indicate that PAK contains a high concentration of bioactive compounds, especially tocopherol and resveratrol, and may serve in the treatment of various diseases thanks to its extracts' promising antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 102421"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142748556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes in sperm quality with an antioxidant formula in mild-moderate male infertility: A prospective study","authors":"Carolyn Ee ,&nbsp;Jennifer Hunter ,&nbsp;Alan Bensoussan ,&nbsp;William Ledger ,&nbsp;Andrew Davidson ,&nbsp;Paul Fahey ,&nbsp;Christopher Nicol ,&nbsp;Harleen Kaur ,&nbsp;Mitchell Low ,&nbsp;Kate Templeman ,&nbsp;Mahmoud A. Al-Dabbas ,&nbsp;Caroline Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102412","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2024.102412","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>This study aimed to examine for an association between an antioxidant formula and sperm quality, as well as safety, in males with mild to moderate sub-fertility.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A prospective, open-label single-arm study examined the association between 24 weeks treatment with a proprietary formula containing 15 vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (including L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine, selenium, folic acid, L-cysteine and Co-enzyme Q10) and sperm quality in healthy males aged 20 – 60 with idiopathic teratospermia, asthenospermia and/or mild-moderate oligospermia. The primary outcome was simultaneous change in sperm concentration, progressive motility and morphology between screening, week 16 and week 24. Secondary outcomes included safety, pregnancy rates, sperm oxidative stress, sperm DNA fragmentation, and serum/plasma nutrient levels.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Sixty-one participants, with a mean age of 35.8 years, were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. No improvement in overall sperm quality was observed (i.e. simultaneous improvement in all three measures) as only two of the three sperm quality measures improved. Mean sperm concentration decreased by 0.24 standard deviations (SD) while mean morphology and motility improved by 0.28 and 0.04 SD respectively, however, these changes did not reach clinical significance (set at ≥ 0.4 SD improvement in means). There were no changes in secondary outcomes apart from an increase in homocysteine and vitamin B12 levels and decrease in high DNA stainability. Fifteen pregnancies were reported (pregnancy rate 29 %). Twenty-one of 62 (33.8 %) participants reported 36 adverse events (AEs), one of which was serious, leading to study withdrawal. Most AEs were of mild intensity and resolved.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Twenty-four weeks of an antioxidant formula was not associated with clinically significant changes in overall sperm quality. The formula was generally safe and well tolerated. Our findings are limited by the single- arm design, and randomised controlled trials are required to confirm or refute our findings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"72 ","pages":"Article 102412"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142748554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}