Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim最新文献

{"title":"Antithrombotic effect in zebrafish of a fibrinolytic protein EPF3 from Dilong (Pheretima vulgaris Chen) and its transport mechanism in Caco-2 monolayer through cell bypass pathway","authors":"Wan-ling Zhong ,&nbsp;Jian-qiong Yang ,&nbsp;Hai Liu ,&nbsp;Ya-li Wu ,&nbsp;Hui-juan Shen ,&nbsp;Peng-yue Li ,&nbsp;Shou-ying Du","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>EPF3 is a fibrinolysin monomer isolated and purified from <em>Pheretima vulgaris</em> Chen<em>,</em> an earthworm used in traditional Chinese medicine as Dilong for treating blood stasis syndrome. Its composition, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic activities, and relevant mechanisms have been confirmed through in vitro experiments. However, whether it has antithrombotic effects in vivo and can be absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract is unknown. This study evaluates the antithrombotic effect in zebrafish and investigates the gastrointestinal stability and intestinal absorption mechanism of this protein in vitro.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The antithrombotic effect of EPF3 in vivo was verified using the zebrafish thrombus model induced by arachidonic acid and FeCl₃. Then, the protein bands of EPF3 incubated with simulated gastric fluid (SGF), simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), and homogenate of Caco-2 cells (HC2C) were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to evaluate its gastrointestinal stability. Finally, the transport behavior and absorption mechanism of EPF3 were studied using Caco-2 cell monolayer.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>EPF3 could significantly enhance the returned blood volume and blood flow velocity in zebrafish with platelet aggregation thrombus induced by arachidonic acid. It could also prolong the formation time of tail artery thrombus and increase the blood flow velocity in zebrafish with vessel injury thrombus induced by FeCl₃. EPF3 was stable in SIF and HC2C and unstable in SGF. The permeability of EPF3 in Caco-2 monolayer was time-dependent and concentration-dependent. The efflux ratio was less than 1.2 during transport, and the transport behavior was not affected by inhibitors. EPF3 could reversibly reduce the expression of tight junction-related proteins, including zonula occludens-1, occludin, and claudin-1 in Caco-2 cells.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>EPF3 could play a thrombolytic and antithrombotic role in zebrafish. It could be transported and absorbed into the intestine through cellular bypass pathway by opening the intestinal epithelium tight junction. This study provides a scientific explanation for the antithrombotic effect of earthworm and provides a basis for the feasibility of subsequent development of EPF3 as an antithrombotic enteric-soluble preparation.</div><div>Please cite this article as: Zhong WL, Yang JQ, Liu H, Wu YL, Shen HJ, Li PY, Du SY. Antithrombotic effect in zebrafish of a fibrinolytic protein EPF3 from Dilong (<em>Pheretima vulgaris</em> Chen) and its transport mechanism in Caco-2 monolayer through cell bypass pathway. <em>J Integr Med</em>. 2025; 23(4): 415–428.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 415-428"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144144169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of dietary supplements on patients with osteoarthritis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis","authors":"Chang-shun Chen ,&nbsp;Lei Wen ,&nbsp;Fei Yang ,&nbsp;Yong-cheng Deng ,&nbsp;Jian-hua Ji ,&nbsp;Rong-jin Chen ,&nbsp;Zhong Chen ,&nbsp;Ge Chen ,&nbsp;Jin-yi Gu","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.04.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.04.008","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Background&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A growing body of research is exploring the role of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory dietary supplements in the treatment of osteoarthritis, highlighting an increasing emphasis on non-pharmacological interventions. Although more patients are turning to supplements to manage osteoarthritis, their actual effectiveness remains uncertain.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the available evidence concerning the efficacy of various dietary supplements in osteoarthritis treatment.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Search strategy&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science for studies on the use of various dietary supplements in the treatment of osteoarthritis from the creation of each database until Jan 20, 2025.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Inclusion criteria&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;(1) Research object: osteoarthritis. (2) Intervention measures: patients in the treatment group received dietary supplements, while the control group received placebos. (3) Research type: randomized controlled trials (RCTs).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Data extraction and analysis&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Two researchers independently examined the literature and retrieved data based on predefined criteria. The information gathered included the first author, year of publication, sample size, participant demographics, length of the follow-up period, intervention and control measures, and inclusion indications. RCTs comparing dietary supplements to placebo with the pain and function subscales of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) among patients with osteoarthritis were included. The optimal dietary supplement was identified based on the total ranking by summing the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) of these two scores. Furthermore, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to confirm the quality of the evidence.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Overall, 23 studies covering 21 dietary supplements and involving 2455 participants met the inclusion criteria. In the WOMAC pain score, the SUCRA of passion fruit peel extract was 91% (mean difference [MD]: –9.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [–16.0, –2.3]), followed by methylsulfonylmethane (89%), undenatured type II collagen (87%), collagen (84%), and Lanconone (82%). The SUCRA (99%) of passion fruit peel extract (MD: –41.0; 95% CI: [–66.0, –16.0]) ranked first in terms of the WOMAC function score, followed by Lanconone (95%), collagen (86%), ParActin (84%), and &lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus casei&lt;/em&gt; strain Shirota (83%). The top three total rankings are passion fruit peel extract (95.0%), Lanconone (88.5%), and collagen (85.0%). However, the GRADE revealed low evidence quality.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Passion fruit peel extract was the best supplement for improving WOMAC pain and function scores in patients with osteoarthritis, followed by Lanconone and collagen. ","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 357-369"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancements and challenges of acupuncture randomized controlled trials","authors":"Wei Song Seetoh ,&nbsp;Rachel Qin Rui Lim ,&nbsp;Run-bing Xu ,&nbsp;Ming-xun Sun ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Mi-na Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Acupuncture is an ancient treatment method used in traditional Chinese medicine and has been popularized worldwide. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the amount of acupuncture research, mostly comprised of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that aimed to answer the question on the efficacy of acupuncture. However, poor methodology and low replicability in these acupuncture RCTs have resulted in uncertainty about the efficacy of acupuncture. In this review, current advancements and challenges in acupuncture RCTs, regarding the methodological aspects of randomization, blinding, sham acupuncture and quality of reporting, were discussed. While there have been advancements in various aspects, current acupuncture RCTs still face pressing issues such as inadequate randomization and blinding, unviable sham acupuncture controls, and poor reporting quality. Given these limitations, this review seeks to identify the methodological problems that are responsible for these problems and to suggest solutions that could help to overcome them so as to improve the quality of future studies evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture.</div><div>Please cite this article as: Seetoh WS, Lim RQR, Xu RB, Sun MX, Zhang P, Wang MN. Advancements and challenges of acupuncture randomized controlled trials. <em>J Integr Med</em>. 2025; 23(4): 333–343.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 333-343"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144508930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a machine learning-based risk prediction model for mild cognitive impairment with spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome in the elderly","authors":"Ya-ting Ai ,&nbsp;Shi Zhou ,&nbsp;Ming Wang ,&nbsp;Tao-yun Zheng ,&nbsp;Hui Hu ,&nbsp;Yun-cui Wang ,&nbsp;Yu-can Li ,&nbsp;Xiao-tong Wang ,&nbsp;Peng-jun Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>As an age-related neurodegenerative disease, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) increases with age. Within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine, spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome (SKDS) is recognized as the most frequent MCI subtype. Due to the covert and gradual onset of MCI, in community settings it poses a significant challenge for patients and their families to discern between typical aging and pathological changes. There exists an urgent need to devise a preliminary diagnostic tool designed for community-residing older adults with MCI attributed to SKDS (MCI-SKDS).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This investigation enrolled 312 elderly individuals diagnosed with MCI, who were randomly distributed into training and test datasets at a 3:1 ratio. Five machine learning methods, including logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), naive Bayes (NB), support vector machine (SVM), and gradient boosting (GB), were used to build a diagnostic prediction model for MCI-SKDS. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, F1 score, and area under the curve were used to evaluate model performance. Furthermore, the clinical applicability of the model was evaluated through decision curve analysis (DCA).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The accuracy, precision, specificity and F1 score of the DT model performed best in the training set (test set), with scores of 0.904 (0.845), 0.875 (0.795), 0.973 (0.875) and 0.973 (0.875). The sensitivity of the training set (test set) of the SVM model performed best among the five models with a score of 0.865 (0.821). The area under the curve of all five models was greater than 0.9 for the training dataset and greater than 0.8 for the test dataset. The DCA of all models showed good clinical application value. The study identified ten indicators that were significant predictors of MCI-SKDS.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The risk prediction index derived from machine learning for the MCI-SKDS prediction model is simple and practical; the model demonstrates good predictive value and clinical applicability, and the DT model had the best performance.</div><div>Please cite this article as: Ai YT, Zhou S, Wang M, Zheng TY, Hu H, Wang YC, Li YC, Wang XT, Zhou PJ. Development of a machine learning-based risk prediction model for mild cognitive impairment with spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome in the elderly. <em>J Integr Med</em>. 2025; 23(4): 390–397.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 390-397"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144530497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review on mechanistic actions of epigallocatechin-3-gallate in targeting the ominous octet of type 2 diabetes mellitus","authors":"Chee Ning Wong ,&nbsp;Yang Mooi Lim ,&nbsp;Kai Bin Liew ,&nbsp;Yik-Ling Chew ,&nbsp;Ang-Lim Chua ,&nbsp;Siew-Keah Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.05.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a prominent plant-based catechin predominantly derived from <em>Camellia sinensis</em> and widely available on the market as a health supplement, has garnered significant attention for its potential therapeutic benefits, particularly in the context of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This review explores the multifaceted role of EGCG in addressing the “ominous octet”—the 8 core pathophysiological defects associated with T2DM. The literature search was carried out using key terms “EGCG” OR “epigallocatechin-3-gallate” OR “epigallocatechin gallate” AND “diabetes” OR “insulin resistance” OR “hyperglycemia” in the PubMed and Scopus databases. The search was constrained to articles published between January 2018 and April 2024, focusing on the document type. Full-text articles published in English and relevant to EGCG that featured a single active ingredient, included clearly explained diabetes relief mechanism, and included ominous octet aspects were included in the final review. The outcomes of the included studies were reviewed and categorized based on 8 core pathophysiological defects, collectively referred to as the ominous octet in T2DM. This review concludes that EGCG is a potent hypoglycemic agent that has beneficial effects against the ominous octet in addition to its pharmacological activities in modulating gut microbiota dysbiosis, carbohydrate digestion and metabolism, glucose transporter-mediated intestinal glucose-uptake, endothelial dysfunction, and renal damage that are significantly associated with pathogenesis of T2DM. This extensive scientific evidence suggests that EGCG may offer a novel approach to traditional antidiabetic therapies, potentially improving glycemic control and mitigating complications associated with T2DM. The inhibitory effects of EGCG on sodium-glucose transport proteins and their role in reducing renal glucose reabsorption remain unexplored, highlighting a significant research gap. Future research should also aim to broaden the scope by investigating the “egregious eleven,” which comprise a more comprehensive range of diabetic pathophysiological features. This review underscores the therapeutic promise of EGCG for managing T2DM and encourages ongoing research to fully elucidate its clinical applications.</div><div>Please cite this article as: Wong CN, Lim YM, Liew KB, Chew YL, Chua AL, Lee SK. A review on mechanistic actions of epigallocatechin-3-gallate in targeting the ominous octet of type 2 diabetes mellitus. <em>J Integr Med</em>. 2025; 23(4): 344–356.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 344-356"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144200571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acupuncture activates vagus nerve-macrophage axis and improves cardiac electrophysiology and inflammatory response in rats with atrial fibrillation via α7nAChR-JAK2/STAT3 pathway","authors":"Zhi-han Li ,&nbsp;Wen-min Yang ,&nbsp;Qi Huang ,&nbsp;Guang-xia Shi ,&nbsp;Cun-zhi Liu ,&nbsp;Yu-qin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The occurrence and development of atrial fibrillation (AF) are influenced by the autonomic nervous system and inflammation. Acupuncture is an effective treatment for AF. This study explored the protective effects of acupuncture in a rat model of paroxysmal AF and investigated its mechanisms.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Male Sprague-Dawley rats (&lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt; = 130) were randomly divided into blank control (Con), sham operation (Sham), AF, and acupuncture treatment (Acu) groups. A paroxysmal AF model was established by rapid atrial pacing through the jugular vein. Rats in the Acu group were immobilized to receive acupuncture treatment at Neiguan acupoint (PC6) for 20 min daily for seven days. The other groups were immobilized for the same duration over the treatment period but did not receive acupuncture. The AF induction rate, AF duration, cardiac electrophysiological parameters, and heart rate variability were evaluated by monitoring surface electrocardiogram and vagus nerve discharge signals. After the intervention, the rats were euthanized, and atrial morphology was assessed using haematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of macrophage F4/80 antigen (F4/80) and cluster of differentiation (CD) 86 in atrial myocardial tissue was detected using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. The expression levels or contents of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), phosphorylated Janus kinase 2 (p-JAK2), and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) in atrial myocardial tissue were detected using Western blotting, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The role of α7nAChR in acupuncture treatment was verified by intraperitoneal injection of the α7nAChR antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Compared with the AF group, acupuncture significantly reduced AF duration and induction rate, improved cardiac electrophysiology by enhancing vagus nerve activity and regulating autonomic balance. It also decreased the pro-inflammatory M1 macrophage proportion, alleviating myocardial injury and infiltration. MLA weakened acupuncture’s electrophysiological improvement and anti-inflammatory effect. Results suggest that acupuncture triggers the α7nAChR-JAK2/STAT3 pathway and exerts cardioprotection via neuroimmune regulation.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Acupuncture significantly reduced the AF induction rate, shortened AF duration, improved cardiac electrophysiological parameters, enhanced vagus nerve activity, and decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and inflammatory factors in rats with paroxysmal AF. Its positive effects are related to the activation of the α7nAChR-mediated JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway, indicating that the interaction between cardiac vagus nerve and macrophages","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 398-414"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sinisan, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, alleviates acute colitis by facilitating colonic secretory cell lineage commitment and mucin production","authors":"Ya-jie Cai ,&nbsp;Jian-hang Lan ,&nbsp;Shuo Li ,&nbsp;Yue-ning Feng ,&nbsp;Fang-hong Li ,&nbsp;Meng-yu Guo ,&nbsp;Run-ping Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.06.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Ulcerative colitis is closely associated with intestinal stem cell (ISC) loss and impaired intestinal mucus barrier. Sinisan (SNS), a compound Chinese herbal medicine, has a long history in the treatment of intestinal dysfunction, yet whether SNS can relieve acute experimental colitis by modulating ISC proliferation and secretory cell differentiation has not been studied. Our study tested the effect of SNS against acute colitis and focused on the mechanisms involving intestinal barrier recovery.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Network pharmacology analysis and blood entry component analysis of SNS were used to explore the underlying mechanism by which SNS affects the acute dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis model. RNA-sequencing was used to demonstrate the mechanism. Further, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence staining, and alcian blue and periodic acid-Schiff staining were performed in vivo and in the colonic organoids to investigate the cell lineage differentiation-related mechanism of SNS. Furthermore, potential active ingredients from SNS were predicted by network pharmacology analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>SNS dramatically suppressed DSS-induced acute colonic inflammation in mice. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed downregulation of inflammation and apoptosis-related genes, and upregulation of lipid metabolism and proliferation-related genes, such as <em>Irf7</em>, <em>Pparα</em>, <em>Clspn</em> and <em>Hspa5</em>. Additionally, ISC renewal and intestinal secretory cell lineage commitment were significantly promoted by SNS both in vivo and in vitro in colonic organoids, leading to enhanced mucin expression. Furthermore, potential active ingredients from SNS that mediated inflammation, lipid metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis, stem cells and secretory cells were predicted using a network pharmacology approach.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our study shed light on the underlying mechanism of SNS in attenuating acute colitis from the perspective of ISC renewal and secretory lineage cell differentiation, suggesting a of novel therapeutic strategy against colitis.</div><div>Please cite this article as: Cai YJ, Lan JH, Li S, Feng YN, Li FH, Guo MY, et al. Sinisan, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, alleviates acute colitis by facilitating colonic secretory cell lineage commitment and mucin production. <em>J Integr Med</em>. 2025; 23(4): 429–444.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 429-444"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144512589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study","authors":"Jian-feng Tu ,&nbsp;Xue-zhou Wang ,&nbsp;Shi-yan Yan ,&nbsp;Yi-ran Wang ,&nbsp;Jing-wen Yang ,&nbsp;Guang-xia Shi ,&nbsp;Wen-zheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Li-na Jin ,&nbsp;Li-sha Yang ,&nbsp;Dong-hua Liu ,&nbsp;Li-qiong Wang ,&nbsp;Bao-hong Mi","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.03.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.03.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45–75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The <em>Z</em> test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (<em>P</em> = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001), EX-LE5 (<em>P</em> = 0.0006), SP10 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001), BL40 (<em>P</em> = 0.0012) and GB39 (<em>P</em> = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA.</div><div>Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. <em>J Integr Med</em>. 2025; 23(3): 289–296.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 3","pages":"Pages 289-296"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144023381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cynanchum atratum Bunge and Cynanchum versicolor Bunge for Baiwei: An updated review of their botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses and pharmacological activities","authors":"Wei Xie ,&nbsp;Xin-yang Liu ,&nbsp;Xia Li ,&nbsp;Yong-sheng Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.04.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.04.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Cynanchum atratum</em> Bunge (<em>C. atratum</em>) and <em>Cynanchum versicolor</em> Bunge (<em>C. versicolor</em>) are two related species that have been used as “Baiwei” (Cynanchi Atrati Radix Et Rhizoma) in traditional medicine in China and other Asian countries for a long time. However, to date, no comprehensive review of <em>C. atratum</em> and <em>C. versicolor</em> has been published. This review provides a comprehensive summary on the botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses and pharmacology of Baiwei; The authors focus especially on the revision of errors in previous articles and reviews, updating information and providing a comparison of <em>C. atratum</em> and <em>C. versicolor</em>. Furthermore, current research reveals significant disparities in the chemical composition and pharmacological effects between <em>C. atratum</em> and <em>C. versicolor</em>. Up to November 2023, 178 compounds have been isolated from <em>C. atratum</em> and <em>C. versicolor</em>, including C₂₁ steroids, acetophenones, alkaloids and volatile oils. These compounds and extracts have been proven to exhibit significant pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-virus, anti-fungal, memory-enhancing and anti-pyretic action, immune modulatory effects, reducing blood lipid, inhibition of melanin production, and anti-parasitic effects. Therefore, this review presents new insights into these two herbs used as “Baiwei” and further study is warranted to enhance their clinical application.</div><div>Please cite this article as: Xie W, Liu XY, Li X, Jin YS. <em>Cynanchum atratum</em> Bunge and <em>Cynanchum versicolor</em> Bunge for Baiwei: An updated review of their botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses and pharmacological activities. <em>J Integr Med</em>. 2025; 23(3): 230–255.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 3","pages":"Pages 230-255"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144080600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Placebo response in sham acupuncture therapy trials for simple obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Ke-jia Liu ,&nbsp;Rui-min Jiao ,&nbsp;Jing Ji ,&nbsp;Wei-wei Yao ,&nbsp;Chao-ru Han ,&nbsp;Xin-yu Zhao ,&nbsp;Jing-jie Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.04.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.joim.2025.04.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Acupuncture has shown potential therapeutic benefits for individuals with simple obesity. However, some researchers argue that some of the effectiveness of acupuncture may be due to the placebo response.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To understand the placebo response of acupuncture treatment in simple obesity, a systematic review and meta-analysis was designed based on the comparison between sham acupuncture before and after treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Search strategy</h3><div>Eight databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, China Biology Medicine Database, and Chinese Scientific Journals Database) were searched from inception to August 1, 2023. The MeSH search terms comprised obesity and acupuncture.</div></div><div><h3>Inclusion criteria</h3><div>Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using sham or placebo acupuncture as a control in treating obesity were enrolled.</div></div><div><h3>Data extraction and analysis</h3><div>Two researchers independently extracted data, and the results were cross-checked after completion. Each RCT’s detailed sham/placebo acupuncture treatment protocol was assessed according to the SHam Acupuncture REporting guidelines. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system were used to determine the risk of bias and quality of evidence, respectively. Body mass index (BMI) was defined as the primary outcome. Anthropometric parameters and laboratory test parameters related to obesity were defined as secondary outcomes. We used standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) to calculate treatment effects of outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Fifteen RCTs with a total of 1250 patients were included. The BMI significantly decreased after treatment in the sham acupuncture group compared to baseline (SMD 0.37, 95% CI 0.09–0.66; <em>I</em>² = 81%, random model; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). Treatment duration (<em>P</em> = 0.02) and other interventions significantly impacted the placebo response rate (<em>P</em> = 0.00).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The placebo response of sham acupuncture was strong in the RCTs for simple obesity, and the effect sizes differed between various outcomes. The treatment duration and other interventions emerged as potential influencing factors for the placebo response of sham acupuncture.</div><div>Please cite this article as: Liu KJ, Jiao RM, Ji J, Yao WW, Han CR, Zhao XY, Zhao JJ. Placebo response in sham acupuncture therapy trials for simple obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. <em>J Integr Med</em>. 2025; 23(3): 264–273.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Integrative Medicine-Jim","volume":"23 3","pages":"Pages 264-273"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144086604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}