{"title":"Turkish validity and reliability of the Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale.","authors":"Burcu Küçükkaya, Hafsa Kübra Işık, Gülay Rathfısch","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04613-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04613-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Haptotherapy fosters a sense of unity between the body, mind, and emotions. In addition, it contributes to expanding the woman's perception of her pregnancy and developing a more positive attitude towards pregnancy and childbirth. The study aims to examine the Turkish validity and reliability of the Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale, which will be used to evaluate the well-being levels of haptonomy and haptotherapy practices in women.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>The study was methodological type.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study conducted between October 20 and December 20, 2023, with 242 women who volunteered to participate by sharing forum pages on social media (Facebook, Instagram) via the web. Data were collected using a personal information form, including sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics and the Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale consists of 14 items and five sub-dimensions. In confirmatory factor analysis, all path coefficients were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The overall Cronbach's Alpha and sub-dimension values of the scale are above 0.90. There is a positive and very strong correlation between all sub-dimensions of the scale (p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale was found to be valid and reliable for the Turkish sample.</p><p><strong>Trials registration: </strong>https://clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT06467188; registered June 14, 2024.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11365241/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142104286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correction: Tinospora cordifolia as a potential neuroregenerative candidate against glutamate induced excitotoxicity: an in vitro perspective.","authors":"Anuradha Sharma, Gurcharan Kaur","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04629-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04629-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11363355/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142104281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Network pharmacology-based mechanism analysis of dauricine on the alleviating Aβ-induced neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans.","authors":"Ranran Zhang, Xiaoyan Huang, Chunling Zhou, Qian Zhang, Dongsheng Jia, Xiaoliang Xie, Ju Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04589-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04589-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dauricine (DAU), a benzyl tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the root of Menispermum dauricum DC, exhibits promising anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) effects, but its underlying mechanisms remain inadequately investigated. This paper aims to identify potential targets and molecular mechanisms of DAU in AD treatment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Network pharmacology and molecular docking simulation method were used to screen and focus core targets. Various transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans models were chosen to validate the anti-AD efficacy and mechanism of DAU.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There are 66 potential DAU-AD target intersections identified from 100 DAU and 3036 AD-related targets. Subsequent protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis identified 16 core targets of DAU for anti-AD. PIK3CA, AKT1 and mTOR were predicted to be the central targets with the best connectivity through the analysis of \"compound-target-biological process-pathway network\". Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities between DAU and PIK3CA, AKT1, and mTOR. In vivo experiments demonstrated that DAU effectively reduced paralysis in AD nematodes caused by Aβ aggregation toxicity, downregulated expression of PIK3CA, AKT1, and mTOR homologues (age-1, akt-1, let-363), and upregulated expression of autophagy genes and the marker protein LGG-1. Simultaneously, DAU increased lysosomal content and enhanced degradation of the autophagy-related substrate protein P62. Thioflavin T(Th-T)staining experiment revealed that DAU decreased Aβ accumulation in AD nematodes. Further experiments also confirmed DAU's protein scavenging activity in polyglutamine (polyQ) aggregation nematodes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Collectively, the mechanism of DAU against AD may be related to the activation of the autophagy-lysosomal protein clearance pathway, which contributes to the decrease of Aβ aggregation and the restoration of protein homeostasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11363685/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142104284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
You Goh, Muhammad Zulfiqah Sadikan, Heethal Jaiprakash, Nurul Alimah Abdul Nasir, Renu Agarwal, Igor Iezhitsa, Nafeeza Mohd Ismail
{"title":"Tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) protects against retinal cell apoptosis and preserves visual behavior in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetic retinopathy.","authors":"You Goh, Muhammad Zulfiqah Sadikan, Heethal Jaiprakash, Nurul Alimah Abdul Nasir, Renu Agarwal, Igor Iezhitsa, Nafeeza Mohd Ismail","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04614-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04614-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tocotrienol is a vitamin E analogue that is known to exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Hence, in the current study, the effects of TRF on the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat retinas were investigated. The effect of TRF on the visual behaviour of rats was also studied.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Diabetes was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and was confirmed by a blood sugar level of at least 20 mmol/L, 48 h, post-injection. Diabetic rats were divided into a group treated with vehicle (DV) and the other treated with TRF (100 mg/kg; DT). A group of non-diabetic rats treated with vehicle (N) served as the control group. All treatments were administered orally for 12 weeks. Rats were then subjected to an assessment of general behaviour in an open field arena and a two-chamber mirror test to assess their visual behaviour. At the end of the experimental period, rats were sacrificed, and their retinas were isolated to measure the expression of pro- (Casp3, Bax) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl2) markers using RT-qPCR and ELISA. TUNEL staining was used to detect the apoptotic retinal cells.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Treatment with TRF lowered the retinal expression of Casp3 protein by 2.26-folds (p < 0.001) and Bax protein by 2.18-fold (p < 0.001) compared to vehicle-treated rats. The retinal anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 expression was 1.87-fold higher in DT compared to DV rats (p < 0.001). Accordingly, the Bax/Bcl2 ratio in the TRF-treated group was significantly greater in DT compared to DV rats. Retinal Casp3, Bax, and Bcl2 gene expression, as determined by RT-qPCR, also showed changes corresponding to protein expression. In the open field test, DV rats showed greater anxiety-related behaviour than group N, while the behaviour of DT rats was similar to the N group of rats. DT rats and group N rats preferred the inverse mirror chamber over the mirror-containing chamber in the two-mirror chamber test (p < 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Oral TRF therapy for 12 weeks lowers retinal cell apoptosis by decreasing pro- and increasing anti-apoptotic markers. The preservation of visual behaviour in a two-chamber mirror test supported these retinal molecular alterations in diabetic rats.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11365272/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142104285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ryan Moran, Sara Baird, Carolyn G DiGuiseppi, David W Eby, Sarah Hacker, Chelsea Isom, Vanya Jones, Kelly C Lee, Guohua Li, Lisa J Molnar, Rudy Patrick, David Strogatz, Linda Hill
{"title":"Dietary supplement use is common in older adult drivers: an analysis from the AAA LongROAD study.","authors":"Ryan Moran, Sara Baird, Carolyn G DiGuiseppi, David W Eby, Sarah Hacker, Chelsea Isom, Vanya Jones, Kelly C Lee, Guohua Li, Lisa J Molnar, Rudy Patrick, David Strogatz, Linda Hill","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04623-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04623-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dietary supplement (DS) use is common and increasing among older adults, though much data available on use frequencies are from surveys and performed cross-sectionally. This paper sought to assess the frequency and pattern of dietary supplement use among older adults over time.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A secondary analysis of data from the AAA LongROAD study, a longitudinal prospective cohort study of older adult drivers, using data from baseline and the first two years of follow up included a total of 2990 drivers aged 65-79 years recruited at five study sites across the US from July 2015 to March 2017. Participants underwent baseline and annual evaluations, which included a \"brown bag\" medication review. DS were identified and categorized according to type and key components. Prevalence and pattern of DS use over time and relationship to demographics were measured with frequency and Chi squared analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>84% of participants took at least one dietary supplement during the 2-year study period, and 55% of participants continually reported use. DS accounted for approximately 30% of the total pharmacologic-pill burden in all years. Participants who were White non-Hispanic, female, 75-79 years of age at baseline, and on more non-supplement medications took significantly more dietary supplements (P < 0.05). Vitamin D, multivitamins, calcium, and omega-3 formulations were the most common supplements, with stable use over time. Use of individual herbal supplements and cannabis products was uncommon (< 1% participants per year).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>DS use among older adults is common and relatively stable over time and contributes to polypharmacy. In clinical settings, providers should consider the influence of DS formulations on polypharmacy, and the associated cost, risk of medication interactions, and effect on medication compliance.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11363526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142104282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing chronic migraine preventive therapy: low-level 810 nm laser acupuncture as an add-on treatment for patients with unsatisfactory pharmacological effect, a pilot single-blind randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Huan-Yun Wu, Chi-Sheng Wang, Yuan-Chen Liu, Ching-Chun Chung, Wan-Ling Chen, Chia-I Tsai, Chiann-Yi Hsu, Chi-Hsiang Chou","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04617-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04617-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Laser acupuncture is a proven non-invasive treatment with effects comparable to traditional acupuncture in different types of headaches, but there is still insufficient evidence for chronic migraine (CM) in adults. We aim to investigate the efficacy and safety of laser acupuncture (LA) as an add-on preventive therapy on CM.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted from January 2022 to November 2023. CM patients with unsatisfactory pharmacological effects were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either LA or sham treatment over a course of 8 sessions spanning 4 weeks. The co-primary outcomes were changes in monthly migraine days (MMD) and acute headache medications usage days per month from baseline. Evaluations were taken at baseline (12 weeks before randomization), at 4th week (treatment completed), 8th week and 12th week from baseline.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 60 patients (30 in each group) were included in the intention-to-treat analyses. Baseline headache characteristics between trial groups were similar. Compared with the sham group, the LA group had a significant reduction in MMD (5.2 vs. 1.5 days at 8th week, p = 0.015; 7.3 vs. 1.8 days at 12th week, p = 0.001), and acute headache medications usage days per month (3.1 vs. 0.4 days at 4th week, p = 0.007; 3.2 vs. 0.0 days at 8th week, p = 0.005; 3.9 vs. 0.0 days at 12th week, p < 0.001). No serious adverse event was observed in both groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Laser acupuncture was effective in reducing MMD and acute headache medications usage with promising safety. Specifically, the efficacy of LA exhibited a progressively more pronounced effect within the follow-up period. We suggested that LA is a promising add-on preventive therapy for CM, and trials focused on investigating the mechanism of LA's effect and its long-term effects on CM prevention are justified.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>The study was retrospectively registered at ISRCTN.org Identifier: ISRCTN11208146 ( https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN11208146 ). The registration date: 19, January, 2024. The date of first participant registration: 04, May, 2022.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11351446/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142092239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Potential mechanism prediction of indole-3-propionic acid against diminished ovarian reserve via network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental verification.","authors":"Ahui Liu, Zhijun Liu, Haofei Shen, Wenjing Du, Yanbiao Jiang, Liyan Wang, Rui Zhang, Panpan Jin, Xuehong Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04611-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04611-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the major causes of ovarian aging and dysfunction. Indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) is an indole compound derived from tryptophan with free radical scavenging and antioxidant properties, and thus may have potential applications in protecting ovarian function, although the exact mechanisms are unknown. This study aims to preliminarily elucidate the potential mechanisms of IPA that benefit ovarian reserve function through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental verification.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The related protein targets of IPA were searched on SwissTargetPrediction, TargetNet, BATMAN-TCM, and PharmMapper databases. The potential targets of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) were identified from OMIM, GeneCards, DrugBank, and DisGeNET databases. The common targets were uploaded directly to the STRING database to construct PPI networks. We then performed GO and KEGG enrichment analysis on the targets. Subsequently, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were used to validate the binding conformation of IPA to candidate targets. Furthermore, we carried out in vitro experiments to validate the prediction results of network pharmacology.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified a total of 61 potential targets for the interaction of IPA with DOR. The PPI network topological parameter analysis yielded 13 hub genes for DOR treatment. The GO biological process enrichment analysis identified 293 entries, mainly enriched in aging, signal transduction, response to hypoxia, negative regulation of apoptotic process, and positive regulation of cell proliferation. The KEGG enrichment analysis mainly included lipid and atherosclerosis, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, AGE-RAGE, relaxin, estrogen, and other signaling pathways. The molecular docking further revealed the direct binding of IPA with six hub proteins including NOS3, AKT1, EGFR, PPARA, SRC, and TNF. In vitro experiments showed that IPA pretreatment attenuated H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-induced cellular oxidative stress damage, while IPA exerted cytoprotective and antioxidant damage effects by regulating the six hub genes and antioxidant proteins.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We systematically illustrated the potential protective effects of IPA against DOR through multiple targets and pathways using network pharmacology, and further verified the cytoprotective effect and antioxidant properties of IPA through in vitro experiments. These findings provide new insights into the targets and molecular mechanisms whereby IPA improves DOR.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11348684/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142079168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lesten Eliez Chisomo Chatepa, Bonface Mwamatope, Ibrahim Chikowe, Kingsley George Masamba
{"title":"Effects of solvent extraction on the phytoconstituents and in vitro antioxidant activity properties of leaf extracts of the two selected medicinal plants from Malawi.","authors":"Lesten Eliez Chisomo Chatepa, Bonface Mwamatope, Ibrahim Chikowe, Kingsley George Masamba","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04619-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04619-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated and compared the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of the solvent extracts of Azadirachta indica A. Juss and Vernonia amygdalina Del leaves. Methanolic and aqueous extracts showed high (P ≤ 0.05) extract yields (in %), compared to chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts from both V. amygdalina and A. indica leaves. The study exhibited high phytochemical content in methanol and aqueous extracts compared to chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts, confirming the potential for medicinal use. V. amygdalina methanol and aqueous extracts had higher (P ≤ 0.05) total phenolic content (TPC), in mg GAE/gDW, (158.810±0.846 and 217.883±0.265, respectively) than chloroform (37.574±0.118) and ethyl acetate (104.758±0.236) but higher ethyl acetate content in A. indica extracts. Low polar solvents extracted high (P ≤ 0.05) total flavonoids, in mgQE/gDW, (367.051±0.858 and 149.808±0.009) compared to high polar solvents (14.863±0.071 and 54.226±0.014 ) in V. amygdalina while as in A. indica leaf extracts, low polar solvents showed high TFC ( 658.469±3.451 and 275.288±10.490) compared to high polar solvents (26.312±0.063 and 48.858±0.063) respectively. In vitro total antioxidant capacity, in mg/g, was higher in polar solvents than in low-polar solvents, ranging from 34.300±1.784 to 121.015±6.839 for A. indica ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts. A strong correlation between TPC and tannic acid content was observed, except in A. indica methanolic extracts of A. indica. Ferric reducing power was high, except for V. amygdalina chloroform and methanol leaf extracts, which were lower (P≤ 0.05) than that of the standard ascorbic acid. The study revealed that high polar solvents, such as methanol and water, are more efficient in the extraction of antioxidants from A. indica but lower in V. amygdalina extracts. High phytochemical content and antioxidative capacity could be significant in treating various diseases in humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11348721/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142079167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yiqing Zhou, Jie Su, Yingjie Dong, Ziwen He, Yajun Wang, Suhong Chen, Guiyuan Lv
{"title":"Buddleoside-rich Chrysanthemum indicum L. extract modulates macrophage-mediated inflammation to prevent metabolic syndrome induced by unhealthy diet.","authors":"Yiqing Zhou, Jie Su, Yingjie Dong, Ziwen He, Yajun Wang, Suhong Chen, Guiyuan Lv","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04583-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04583-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a precursor to the development of many diseases (atherosclerosis, diabetes, etc.). It is marked by disruptions in glucose and lipid metabolism, along with hypertension. Numerous types of risk factors contribute to the development of the MetS, inflammation and insulin resistance are present throughout the metabolic abnormalities. Chrysanthemum indicum L. is a traditional Chinese plant used for both tea and medicine, known for its high content of total flavonoids, which are important secondary metabolites. Our research led to the extraction of a Buddleoside-Rich Chrysanthemum indicum L. extract (BUDE) which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. Nonetheless, the specific role and mechanism of BUDE in preventing MetS remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study initially evaluated the role of BUDE in preventing MetS. Subsequently, it investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of BUDE in the liver and pancreas in response to unhealthy diets. It then examined the level of insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell function induced by inflammation. Additionally, an lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage inflammation model was used to further investigate the ameliorative effects of BUDE in inflammation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>BUDE has hypotensive, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. It can also resolve the imbalance between macrophage subpopulations, impede the triggering of the NF-κB signaling pathway, reduce the secretion of inflammatory mediators, ameliorate insulin resistance, and safeguard organs such as the liver and pancreas from inflammatory damage. These effects collectively contribute to preventing the development of MetS.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>BUDE has the ability to modulate macrophage-mediated inflammation, leading to improved insulin resistance. Additionally, it delivers antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects, offering a potential for preventing MetS.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11344343/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142046337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Efficacy of acupuncture in patients with carotid atherosclerosis: a randomized controlled clinical trial.","authors":"Xichang Huang, Lingcui Meng, Lin Zhao, Shuang Yang, Danhui Lai, Jianxing Zhang, Xiaoxi Wu, Yanhui Jiang, Junhe Zhou, Peng Zhou, Wenbin Fu","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04601-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04601-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The current clinical management of carotid atherosclerosis is based on the control of risk factors and medicine. However, the risk of adverse events associated with the medicine resulting in concerns and low medication compliance makes it necessary to seek a safer alternative therapy. This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture as a treatment for carotid atherosclerosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this randomized controlled trial, patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques were included and randomly assigned (1:1) to receive real acupuncture or sham acupuncture for 12 weeks. The follow-up period was 12 weeks. The primary outcome included carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), plaque score (PS), plaque volume (PV) and grey-scale median (GSM). Secondary outcome was pulse wave velocity (PWV). Adverse events results were recorded as safety outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From January 2021 to February 2022, 60 eligible patients were included. 55 patients (91.7%) completed the intervention and the 12-week follow-up and there was no statistical difference in demographics between the groups. At the end of treatment, the real acupuncture group had significantly reduced PS (P = 0.002), PV (P = 0.000), and improved GSM (P = 0.044). There was no significant difference in the reduction in cIMT (Left cIMT: P = 0.338, Right cIMT: P = 0.204) and PWV between the groups (the left BS: P = 0.429; the left ES: P = 0.701; the right BS: P = 0.211; the right ES: P = 0.083). Three mild adverse reactions occurred during the study.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study found that acupuncture had a certain effect on reducing the thickness and volume of carotid plaque and improving the stability of plaque with minor side effects. These findings suggest that acupuncture may be a potential alternative therapy for carotid atherosclerosis.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>This trial has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ChiCTR2100041762). Submitted 30 December 2020, Registered 4 January 2021 Prospectively registered.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11340065/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142035220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}