Integrative Medicine Research最新文献

{"title":"Therapeutic effects of Gunryeong-tang on the cardio-renal axis in an animal model of pulmonary hypertension","authors":"Se Won Na ,&nbsp;Hye Yoom Kim ,&nbsp;Jung Joo Yoon ,&nbsp;Mi Hyeon Hong ,&nbsp;Ai Lin Tai ,&nbsp;Yun Jeong Yang ,&nbsp;Chae Yeon Yoo ,&nbsp;Ho Sub Lee ,&nbsp;Dae Gill Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101218","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101218","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Background:</em> In the realm of cardiovascular and renal health, the modulation of oxidative stress and inflammation within the cardio-renal axis plays a pivotal role. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of Gunryeong-tang (GRT), a traditional Korean herbal formula combining Oryeongsan (Wulingsan) and Sagunza-tang (Sijunzi-tang), specifically in addressing cardio-renal axis dysfunction induced by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH-r). <em>Methods:</em> PAH-r models were induced through intraperitoneal injection of monocrotaline (MCT) at a daily dose of 50 mg/kg for 5 days to simulate pulmonary hypertension, a common cause of cardio-renal syndrome. The primary focus is on evaluating its anti-fibroinflammatory effects and its ability to modulate oxidative stress and inflammation. The treatment group received oral administration of GRT (100 mg/kg/day). <em>Results</em>: Various parameters were assessed, including right ventricular (RV) enlargement and fibrosis, lung weight, pulmonary fibrosis, expression of cardiac hypertrophy markers, and involvement of specific pathways (TGF-β/p-Smad2 and HMGB-1/TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB). Renal dysfunction markers, such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), glomerular dilatation, tubular fibrosis, and protein expression of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), were evaluated to highlight the formula's anti-fibroinflammatory effects. Treatment resulted in significant improvements in the PAH-r group. It alleviated RV enlargement and fibrosis, suppressed lung weight increase, and mitigated pulmonary fibrosis. The administration downregulated cardiac hypertrophy markers (CTGF, TGF-β, and α-SMA mRNA levels) and inhibited the TGF-β/p-Smad2 and HMGB-1/TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathways, showcasing GRT's anti-fibroinflammatory properties. Additionally, the treatment ameliorated renal dysfunction, as evidenced by reduced BUN and Ccr levels, improved glomerular dilatation, and reduced protein expression of KIM-1 and NGAL. GRT demonstrates significant therapeutic potential in managing cardio-renal axis dysfunction induced by PAH-r, emphasizing its multifaceted benefits in modulating oxidative stress and inflammation within this axis. <em>Conclusions</em>: This study provides valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms, highlighting the modulation of cardiac hypertrophy markers and specific pathways. These findings underscore the promising role of GRT as a viable treatment option for cardio-renal axis dysfunction associated with PAH-r.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"14 4","pages":"Article 101218"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886927","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":"A national survey on the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and artificial intelligence: attitudes and perceptions from the individuals with health needs","authors":"Xinyin Hu ,&nbsp;Yinger Gu ,&nbsp;Hye Won Lee ,&nbsp;Xiaoteng Chen ,&nbsp;Ying Li ,&nbsp;Xinyue Li ,&nbsp;Qiaoping Zhao ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Haifeng Huang ,&nbsp;Lisi Wang ,&nbsp;Nv Xia ,&nbsp;Wenjie Wu ,&nbsp;Lingling Lou ,&nbsp;Pingchun Yang ,&nbsp;Ke Ren ,&nbsp;Jinglu Guo ,&nbsp;Cheng Wang ,&nbsp;Longlong Fan ,&nbsp;Zheng Yao ,&nbsp;Guomei You ,&nbsp;Fan Qu","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101219","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101219","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an indispensable role in the healthcare system. Artificial intelligence (AI) opens a new pathway for TCM modernization, while also addressing critical healthcare challenges. The present national survey was conducted to assess the attitudes and perceptions of individuals with health needs regarding the integration of TCM with AI.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional national survey was conducted at 13 medical institutions across China. A structured, self-reported questionnaire was administered to 2587 individuals with health needs, including patients seeking TCM/Western medical treatment and individuals undergoing routine physical examinations, between June 27th and July 11th, 2025.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 1641 (63.4 %) respondents were familiar with the TCM-AI equipment, and 61.7 % respondents were willing to try TCM diagnosis and treatment services combined with AI. 43.5 % respondents trusted the diagnosis results provided by the TCM-AI equipment. In the subgroup analysis, respondents aged 18–34, with a bachelor's degree or associate's degree as their educational background, and working as employees of state organs, showed greater acceptance and trust towards the integration of TCM and AI (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.005). The top three most promising applications were the intelligent syndrome differentiation system (46.9 %), TCM four diagnostic instruments (39.9 %), and intelligent TCM formula (39.0 %).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The integration of TCM and AI demonstrates promising acceptance among health-seeking individuals in China, with younger and educated populations who have health demands for TCM showing particularly high trust, and intelligent syndrome differentiation systems highlight a clear pathway for AI to modernize TCM practice by augmenting diagnostic accuracy and treatment personalization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"14 4","pages":"Article 101219"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866397","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":"Use and perception of generative artificial intelligence in traditional Korean medicine education: A cross-sectional survey of undergraduate students in Korea","authors":"Seungwon Shin ,&nbsp;Jihyun Sang ,&nbsp;Ji-sun You","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101216","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101216","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>This study aimed to examine the usage, awareness, and satisfaction related to generative AI (GenAI) among undergraduate students at a Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) college in Korea and to identify factors associated with GenAI use and satisfaction.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A structured questionnaire consisting of 56 items across six domains was administered, covering demographics, general and TKM-specific GenAI use, satisfaction, educational experiences, and future expectations. Descriptive statistics, univariable analysis, multivariable logistic regression, and correlation analysis were performed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 234 students across six academic years participated in the survey. Most respondents were aware of GenAI (88.5 %) and used it for general purposes (79.9 %). However, only 16.2 % actively used it for TKM learning. While 70.4 % were satisfied with using GenAI in general, only 45.8 % felt satisfied with its use for TKM education. Factors significantly associated with GenAI use or satisfaction included enrollment in the TKM curriculum, older age, prior major, scholarship receipt, and self-directed GenAI learning. Although only 18.8 % had experienced GenAI in formal TKM courses, 96.2 % viewed GenAI as necessary in TKM education.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>A notable gap exists between students’ interest and the limited integration of GenAI in TKM curricula. To close this gap, GenAI should be systematically incorporated into educational programs, accompanied by faculty training and institutional support to enhance students’ digital readiness and learning outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"14 4","pages":"Article 101216"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866395","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":"Using artificial intelligence for the development of a living evidence map: The pharmacopuncture example","authors":"Chan-Young Kwon","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101217","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101217","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Evidence map is a tool that visualizes the research status to identify research gaps and set priorities, but it has the limitation of the burden of continuous literature monitoring. Pharmacopuncture is a therapeutic modality used in Korean medicine that involves the injection of medicinal extracts into acupoints. This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based automated system for building and maintaining a living evidence map in the field of pharmacopuncture research and verify its performance.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A web-based system that automates literature search, selection, data extraction, and classification using PubMed API and Gemini AI was developed. The accuracy of nine tasks was evaluated and time efficiency was measured using manual review by experts as a standard reference. A visualization system using interactive bubble charts was implemented to provide a research gap identification function.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The AI system achieved an overall accuracy of 94.00% (error rate of 6.00%) for 202 articles, including detailed data extraction for 90 articles. Task-specific performance varied from sample size extraction (0% error rate) to pharmacopuncture name extraction (22.22% error rate), with high accuracy of over 90% in most tasks. Time efficiency was improved by 68.9% (190 vs. 59 minutes, including quality control), demonstrating that daily updates are practically feasible.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The developed visualization system significantly improves the existing static evidence organization method by intuitively identifying research gaps. The AI-based living evidence map enables continuous evidence monitoring in the field of pharmacopuncture research with high accuracy and significant time savings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"14 4","pages":"Article 101217"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866396","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":"A national survey on how to improve the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and artificial intelligence: Attitudes and perceptions from medical staff","authors":"Yinger Gu ,&nbsp;Xinyin Hu ,&nbsp;Hye Won Lee ,&nbsp;Zheng Yao ,&nbsp;Tianyi Zhou ,&nbsp;Nv Xia ,&nbsp;Pingchun Yang ,&nbsp;Jinglu Guo ,&nbsp;Haifeng Huang ,&nbsp;Lisi Wang ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Cheng Wang ,&nbsp;Qiaoping Zhao ,&nbsp;Lingling Lou ,&nbsp;Wenjie Wu ,&nbsp;Ke Ren ,&nbsp;Guomei You ,&nbsp;Longlong Fan ,&nbsp;Jue Zhou ,&nbsp;Fangfang Wang ,&nbsp;Fan Qu","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101214","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101214","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>With the significant development of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) urgently require the help of AI technology. The present study was to evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of medical staff towards the integration of TCM and AI development.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional national survey was conducted at 13 medical institutions across China. A structured and self-reported questionnaire, consisting of six sections with a total of 14 items, was administered to 1100 medical staff between June 27th and July 11th, 2025.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In the process of clinical practice, 62.1 % of medical staff were willing to try TCM diagnosis and treatment services combined with AI. The top three important processes of integration of TCM and AI were medical research, personalized generation of regimen, and intelligent inquiry. The top three concerns about the potential risks associated with the integration of TCM and AI were the misinterpretation of cultural contexts, flexibility in dialectical treatment, and simplification of traditional TCM experience by algorithms. The top three most promising applications were the intelligent syndrome differentiation system (54.6 %), the TCM four diagnostic instruments (49.1 %), and the acupuncture and Tui Na robot (47.8 %). The top three most important factors in the application of AI in TCM were accuracy (78.0 %), convenience of operation (67.5 %), and participation of medical staff (60.9 %).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The integration of TCM and AI has a brilliant and promising future, prioritizing diagnostic accuracy while addressing cultural/clinical adaptation challenges in key applications, such as syndrome differentiation systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"14 4","pages":"Article 101214"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866393","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":"Acupuncture for patients with Cancer in a Japanese palliative care team: A prospective case series study","authors":"Shoko Masuyama ,&nbsp;Hitoshi Yamashita ,&nbsp;Tamami Amino ,&nbsp;Ryouko Kawamoto ,&nbsp;Ryota Tsuji ,&nbsp;Hiromoto Nakanishi ,&nbsp;Hiroshi Yoshida","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The joint guidelines of the Society for Integrative Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommend acupuncture for pain symptoms in some patients with cancer. This study assessed whether adding acupuncture to usual palliative care alleviates the subjective symptoms of hospitalized patients with cancer in Japan, at least in the short term.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Between 2015 and 2019, we conducted a prospective case series study at a regional core hospital in Osaka. Acupuncture was included in the usual care of patients with cancer. The primary outcome was immediate changes in each patient’s subjective symptoms measured by a 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS). A 20 % reduction in VAS was set as the minimal clinically important difference (MCID).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 83 cancer patients (mean age: 66.1) were treated with acupuncture. A significant reduction was observed in the VAS scores for pain, edema, nausea, neck/shoulder/back stiffness, and breathlessness during at least one treatment session. The percentage of patients that improved beyond the MCID was as follows: 67 % for pain, 75 % for edema, 60 % for paresthesia, 80 % for nausea, 88 % for stiffness, 38 % for malaise, and 83 % for breathlessness, based on the maximum improvement recorded per session.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Japanese-style acupuncture, with relatively finer needles and gentler stimulation, has shown promise as a palliative treatment for patients with cancer, potentially offering temporary relief from pain, edema, nausea, stiffness, and breathlessness. Based on our findings, a pragmatic randomized controlled trial with an appropriate control group is recommended.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 101212"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144918078","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":"A cost-utility analysis of pharmacopuncture versus physiotherapy for chronic low back pain: A multicenter, pragmatic randomized controlled trial","authors":"Ye-Seul Lee ,&nbsp;Soo Jin Kim ,&nbsp;Kyung Sun Park ,&nbsp;Yoon Jae Lee ,&nbsp;Changsop Yang ,&nbsp;Chang-Hyun Han ,&nbsp;In-Hyuk Ha","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101210","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101210","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a significant global health issue, contributing to disability and economic strain. Nonpharmacological treatments, such as acupuncture and integrative approaches like pharmacopuncture (PPT), have shown potential in alleviating the burden of cLBP. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of PPT compared to physical therapy (PT) for managing cLBP from both healthcare system and societal perspectives.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A multicenter, two-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted, involving 100 patients with cLBP. Patients were randomized into either the PPT group or the PT group, receiving 10 treatment sessions over five weeks. Utility was measured using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level scale (EQ-5D-5L) to calculate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and costs were evaluated from healthcare and societal perspectives, including medical costs and productivity loss. Productivity loss was assessed using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated by dividing the differences in costs by the differences in QALYs between the two groups. Bootstrapping and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess robustness.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PPT was more cost-effective than PT, particularly from a societal perspective where it demonstrated lower overall costs and improved QALY. From a healthcare system perspective, the ICER of PPT was 16,575 USD per QALY, indicating cost-effectiveness. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study highlights PPT as a potentially cost-effective alternative to conventional PT for cLBP, though further research with larger sample sizes and extended follow-up is recommended to validate these results.</div></div><div><h3>Trial registration</h3><div>ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04833309), Clinical Research Information Service (KCT0006088).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"14 4","pages":"Article 101210"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866398","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 the potential transdiagnostic treatment effects of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture on insomnia disorder comorbid with chronic pain: A scoping review","authors":"Yan Ling Kwok ,&nbsp;Ran Wang ,&nbsp;Hiu To Tang ,&nbsp;Siyu Chen ,&nbsp;Albert Yeung ,&nbsp;Zhaoxiang Bian ,&nbsp;Danny J. Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Over 20 % of adults with insomnia disorder also experience chronic pain, termed insomnia disorder comorbid with chronic pain (ICCP), increasing risks for physical and mental diseases. Current treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia show inconsistent pain relief, and non-opioid analgesics may exacerbate insomnia, underscoring the need for alternative approaches. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and acupuncture, guided by traditional Chinese medicine, may offer transdiagnostic benefits for ICCP, but a comprehensive review is lacking. This scoping review evaluates their therapeutic effects and mechanisms for ICCP.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>PubMed, Wanfang, ClinicalTrials.gov and Google Scholar were searched up to December 31, 2024, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults (≥18 years) with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition-defined insomnia and the International Association for the Study of Pain-defined chronic pain, treated with CHM or acupuncture. Effect sizes (modified Cohen’s d) assessed efficacy of interventions, and the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool evaluated the risk of bias.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Six RCTs (487 participants) were included. CHM (modified Guipi decoction) showed medium to large effects for insomnia (<em>d</em> = 0.70–1.17) and pain (<em>d</em> = 0.67–1.42) versus diazepam/estazolam. Acupuncture had medium to large effects for insomnia (<em>d</em> = 0.64–0.99) and pain (<em>d</em> = 0.80–1.33) compared to treatment as usual. Combined CHM (Da Huoluo capsules) and acupuncture showed medium effects (<em>d</em> = 0.72 for insomnia; <em>d</em> = 0.57 for pain) versus multi-medications/traction. Most studies (83.33 %) had high risk of bias.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>CHM and acupuncture show promise for ICCP management, but high risk of bias warrants cautious interpretation and further high-quality RCTs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"14 4","pages":"Article 101208"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866465","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":"Modified Saengmaeksan, an herbal formula containing six herbs, improves hypertension through RhoA/Rho kinase-mediated vasorelaxation","authors":"Young Mi Seok ,&nbsp;Hye-Lin Kim ,&nbsp;Hyo In Kim ,&nbsp;Hobin Moon ,&nbsp;Yohan Han ,&nbsp;Eun Sang Cho ,&nbsp;Hyun Hee Leem ,&nbsp;Hyo Jung Kim ,&nbsp;Sujin Shin ,&nbsp;Se-Jin Kim ,&nbsp;Jin Ki Jung ,&nbsp;Wei Huang ,&nbsp;Kyung Oh Jung ,&nbsp;Doo Suk Lee ,&nbsp;Sung Giu Jin ,&nbsp;Hyunwoo Kim ,&nbsp;Changsop Yang ,&nbsp;Kyungjin Lee ,&nbsp;Jinbong Park","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101207","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101207","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Saengmaeksan is a traditional herbal formula used in Korean medicine. We composed a modified formula based on Saengmaeksan (mSMS) with Puerariae Radix, Platycodonis Radix, Liriopis seu Ophiopogonis Tuber, Schisandrae Fructus, Coicis Semen, and Dioscoreae Rhizoma to investigate its in vivo and ex vivo antihypertensive effects and underlying mechanisms.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The antihypertensive efficacy of mSMS was assessed using <span>l</span>-NAME-induced hypertensive mice and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The animals were treated with mSMS, and blood pressure was monitored weekly. Vascular effects were evaluated through organ bath studies and aortic histology, while oxidative stress was assessed using DCF-DA staining. Renal protection was examined via H&amp;E and immunofluorescence staining for AT1R expression. The molecular mechanisms were explored through Western blot analysis and GTP-RhoA assays.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>mSMS significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both hypertensive models, with the ethanol extract demonstrating superior efficacy. mSMS inhibited the RhoA/Rho kinase pathway, leading to reduced phosphorylation of MYPT1 and CPI17, and improved vascular relaxation. Additionally, mSMS attenuated aortic wall thickening, oxidative stress, and renal damage, with a marked decrease in AT1R expression in the kidneys.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>mSMS exhibits potent antihypertensive effects through the inhibition of the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway, reduction of vascular remodeling, oxidative stress, and renal protection. These findings support the potential of mSMS as a novel therapeutic agent for hypertension, offering a multi-targeted approach with fewer side effects compared to conventional therapies. Further clinical studies are required to confirm its clinical efficacy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"14 4","pages":"Article 101207"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866392","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 efficacy and safety of multiple acupuncture therapies in primary insomnia: A Bayesian network meta-analysis","authors":"Liguo Liu ,&nbsp;Yiming Chen ,&nbsp;Minne Tian ,&nbsp;Zhennan Wu ,&nbsp;Peiming Zhang ,&nbsp;Tiankang Zhang ,&nbsp;Jinsong Yang ,&nbsp;Haotian Qu ,&nbsp;Zhiyong Fan ,&nbsp;Shan Wu ,&nbsp;Liming Lu ,&nbsp;Yu Kui","doi":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101206","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imr.2025.101206","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Acupuncture (AT) therapy is an effective treatment for primary insomnia. However, no comprehensive study has compared and evaluated the efficacy and safety of multiple AT therapies and hypnotics.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We searched eight databases from inception to July 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of AT treatment for primary insomnia, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, and VIP Chinese Science and Technique Journals database. After screening, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and clinical effectiveness rate were extracted from the included RCTs as outcome measures. We performed network meta-analysis using the Stata and R software.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Sixty-four RCTs involving 4443 patients were included in this study. Multiple AT therapies had better efficacy in improving PSQI scores than hypnotics, with AT combined with moxibustion (MOX) and AT combined with auriculotherapy (AU) as the best interventions. Regarding clinical effectiveness, acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) had the greatest potential of being the best intervention, and no serious adverse events related to AT therapies were observed in any of the studies.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This review suggests that most AT therapies improve sleep indicators and have good clinical efficacy compared to hypnotics, especially AT combined with AU, AT combined with MOX, and ACE. The safety of AT therapies is reliable; however, the overall quality of the included trials was low, and higher-quality RCTs are required to provide sufficient evidence.</div></div><div><h3>Protocol registration</h3><div>PROSPERO, CRD42017067402.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13644,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Medicine Research","volume":"14 4","pages":"Article 101206"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019895","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}