Beijing University Of Chinese Medicine Research Articles

Herbal Formula Longteng Decoction Promotes the Regression of Synovial Inflammation in Collagen-Induced Arthritis Mice by Regulating Type 2 Innate Lymphocytes.

The etiology and pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not yet been fully elucidated, with greater adverse drug effects in traditional treatment of RA. It is particularly necessary to develop and study Chinese herbal formula as a supplement and alternative drug for the treatment of RA. The traditional Chinese medicine compound Longteng Decoction (LTD), as an empirical prescription in the treatment of RA in Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, has been widely used in clinic. Type 2 innate lymphocytes (ILC2s) have specific transcription factors and signature cytokines that are very similar to Th cells, which have been proved to be necessary in addressing RA inflammation, and are potential targets for RA prevention and treatment. Our previous studies have confirmed that LTD can intervene in the differentiation of peripheral blood Th17 and Treg cells, reduce joint pain index and swelling degree, shorten the time of morning stiffness, reduce ESR, and inhibit joint inflammation. However, it is unclear whether LTD can promote the regression of RA synovial inflammation by regulating the immune response mechanism of ILC2s.Therefore, our team established a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model and conducted an experimental study with LTD as the intervention object. The results showed that joint swelling, synovial inflammatory infiltration, and articular cartilage destruction were alleviated in CIA mice after intervention with LTD. The proliferation and differentiation of Th17 inflammatory cells and the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-17 and IFN-γ) were inhibited. In addition, LTD can also activate ILC2s to secrete the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4, activate the STAT6 signaling pathway, and act synergistic with Treg cells to inhibit the infiltration of type M1 macrophages in synovial tissue and promote its transformation to M2 phenotype. Taken together, these results confirm that LTD can be used as an adjunct or alternative to RA therapy by modulating the ILC2s immune response network and slowing down the inflammatory process of synovial tissue.

Efficacy of acupuncture based on acupoint combination theory for irritable bowel syndrome: a study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, and changes in defecation patterns. No organic disease is found to explain these symptoms by routine clinical examination. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for IBS patients compared with those of conventional treatments. We also aim to identify the optimal acupoint combination recommended for IBS and to clarify the clinical advantage of the “multiacupoint co-effect and synergistic effect.”Methods and analysisA total of 204 eligible patients who meet the Rome IV criteria for IBS will be randomly stratified into acupuncture group A, acupuncture group B, or the control group in a 1:1:1 ratio with a central web-based randomization system. The prespecified acupoints used in the control group will include bilateral Tianshu (ST25), Shangjuxu (ST37), Neiguan (PC6), and Zusanli (ST36). The prespecified acupoints used in experimental group A will include bilateral Tianshu (ST25), Shangjuxu (ST37), and Neiguan (PC6). The prespecified acupoints used in experimental group B will include bilateral Tianshu (ST25), Shangjuxu (ST37), and Zusanli (ST36). Each patient will receive 12 acupuncture treatments over 4 weeks and will be followed up for 4 weeks. The primary outcome is the IBS-Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS) score. The secondary outcomes include the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), Work and Social Adjustment Score (WSAS), IBS-Quality of Life (IBS-QOL), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores. Both the primary outcome and the secondary outcome measures will be collected at baseline, at 2 and 4 weeks during the intervention, and at 6 weeks and 8 weeks after the intervention.Ethics and disseminationThe entire project has been approved by the ethics committee of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (2020BZYLL0903).DiscussionThis is a multicenter randomized controlled trial for IBS in China. The findings may shed light on the efficacy of acupuncture as an alternative to conventional IBS treatment. The results of the trial will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trials Register ChiCTR2000041215. First registered on 12 December 2020. http://www.chictr.org.cn/.

Electroacupuncture in promoting neural repair after spinal cord injury: Inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway and regulating downstream proteins expression.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the serious central nervous system injuries and the incidence of SCI continues to increase. Previous studies have indicated that electroacupuncture (EA) is beneficial for promoting recovery after SCI. In the present study, we attempted to evaluate how EA can promote the neural repair in SCI model rats by observing changes in the Notch signaling pathway. Experimental rats were randomly divided into four groups. Each group had its own intervention period: 1 day, 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days, and five randomized subgroups: blank control (B) group, blank electroacupuncture (BE) group, sham operation (S) group, model control (M) group and EA group. Animals in the EA group and the BE group were treated with EA at Dazhui (GV14) and Mingmen (GV4) acupoints for 20 min. After the intervention period, the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score was used to evaluate the neurological function. We found that BBB score increased in EA-treated groups. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe pathological changes in the injured spinal cord and the results showed that EA therapy could promote the repair of injured spinal cord tissue. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot methods were used to detect the expression of proteins Delta1, Presenilin1, Hes1, and Hes5 in the injured spinal cord. The results showed that the expression levels of Delta1, Presenilin1, Hes1, and Hes5 increased significantly after SCI and decreased after EA treatment. Our study suggested that the possible mechanism by which EA could benefit the recovery after SCI in rats may include inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway and regulating the downstream proteins expression. In addition, our study can provide reference for selecting acupoints and treatment cycle in the treatment of SCI.

Abstracts from Society for Acupuncture ResearchPandemics, Pain, & Public Health:Roles and Relevance of Traditional East Asian MedicineJune 14–17, 2021

Abstracts from Society for Acupuncture ResearchPandemics, Pain, &amp; Public Health:Roles and Relevance of Traditional East Asian Medicine<i>June 14–17, 2021</i>

Technical specification for Instructions for Clinical Application of Chinese Patent Medicines in China Association of Chinese Medicine

In order to solve the problems of confusion in clinical medication and imperfect instructions in Chinese patent medicines(CPMs), the Standardization Department of the China Association of Chinese Medicine and Center for Pharmacovigilance and Rational use of Chinese Medicine in Beijing University of Chinese Medicine jointly compiled the Instructions for Clinical Application of Chinese Patent Medicines(CPMs). As the interpretation and supplement of drug instruction information, it aims to guide clinical safety and rational use of CPMs. In addition, the technical specification for clinical application description of CPMs has been formulated, which covers the seven processes of &quot;carding instructions, clinical investigation, data retrieval, data screening, evidence classification, path transformation and writing format&quot;. It will enable readers of Instructions for Clinical Application of Chinese Patent Medicines to understand the work behind the compilation.

Treatment Effect of Mammary Duct Exploration Combined with Focal Resection on Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis.

ObjectiveThis study aims to summarize the treatment of granulomatous lobular mastitis with a low recurrence rate and high satisfaction rate.MethodsIn this study, the epidemiology and treatment effect was analyzed based on the general data and treatment effects. Patients treated for granulomatous lobular mastitis at the Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Beijing Contemporary Hospital from October 24, 2016, to May 8, 2019, were selected as subjects for the study.ResultsThe results revealed that the common features of granulomatous lobular mastitis were nipple retraction, history of induced abortion, nipple discharge, history of thyroid disease, history of lactation mastitis, and mental illness. The cure rate of the disease was 100%, the recurrence rate was 0.38%, and the patient satisfaction rate was 97.71%.ConclusionThe combination of mammary duct exploration and focal resection has a positive effect on the treatment of this disease and is worthy of clinical popularization.

Pyroptosis: the pathological process that dominates granulomatous lobular mastitis.

The aim of this study is to explore the pathogenesis of granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) via pathology and molecular biology. This single-center study included 28 female patients who received a diagnosis of pathologically confirmed GLM from January 2020 to September 2020 at Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Tissue samples and serum were collected during radical surgery. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were employed to determine caspase-1 and gasdermin D (GSDMD). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the ultrastructure of cells. Finally, the results were analyzed. The expression of activated GSDMD and caspase-1 were all increased in the lesion group (P < 0.05). The TEM results showed clear features of pyroptosis. We concluded that pyroptosis was important in the development of GLM and inhibitad apoptosis to some degree. The inhibition of pyroptosis response may help to discover new drugs for GLM.

Scientific Knowledge Graph of Acupuncture for Migraine: A Bibliometric Analysis from 2000 to 2019.

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the trend and knowledge mapping of acupuncture for migraine through bibliometrics.MethodsIt retrieved the literature on acupuncture for migraine in the Web of Science database from 2000 to 2019, and then resorted to CiteSpace to conduct bibliometric analysis to attain the knowledge mapping.ResultsThe total number of publications each year has increased year by year, and the average annual growth rate from 2000 to 2009 was 15.57%, while from 2010 to 2019 was 6.35%, with a faster growth rate from 2000 to 2009. According to the cluster analysis of institutions, authors, cited references, and keywords, 10, 7, 12, and 10 categories were gained from 2000 to 2019. The most productive countries, institutions, and authors are the USA and China, Technical University of Munich and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Linde K and Liang FR from 2000 to 2019, whose frequency is 119/103, 28/24, and 28/24, respectively. However, the most important of them are Canada, Sichuan University, and Witt CM. Owing to their highest centrality, they are 0.86, 0.54, and 0.27 separately. Moreover, cited references that contributed to the most co-citations are Linde K (2005), yet, the most vital cited reference is Karst M (2001). Keywords such as migraine, acupuncture, headache, pain, and randomized controlled trial are the most frequently used. However, needle acupuncture is the crucial keyword. In the cluster analysis of institutions, authors, cited references, and keywords from 2000 to 2019, the largest cluster categories are #0 migraine prophylaxis, #1 randomized controlled trial, #0 episodic migraine, and #0 topiramate treatment. Then, randomized controlled trials of acupuncture prevention and treatment of migraine are the most important research content in this field.ConclusionThrough the bibliometric analysis of the research on acupuncture for migraine in the Web of Science database in the past 20 years, the trends and the Knowledge Graph of the country, institution, author, cited reference, and the keyword are acquired, which have an important guiding significance for quickly and accurately positioning the key information in the field.

The effect of baduanjin exercise in rehabilitation for functional ankle instability

Introduction: Patients with functional ankle instability (FAI) have problems with joint control, balance, gait, and postural symmetry. Baduanjin is a type of traditional Chinese exercise that has been shown to be effective in treating many diseases and symptoms. However, to date, the effect of Baduanjin in patients with FAI has not been proved. This pilot trial is an assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial, and its objective is to study the efficacy and safety of Baduanjin on the rehabilitation of patients with FAI. Methods: Seventy-two participants, who are eligible according to specified inclusion and exclusion criteria, will be randomized (in a 1:1 ratio), using a random number table, into two groups: a Baduanjin group and a conventional treatment group. The Baduanjin group will be subjected to the Baduanjin exercise in addition to the conventional treatment therapy. Participants' exercise programs will be implemented for 4 weeks (5 days a week). All participants will be assessed at baseline, and after two and 4 weeks of treatment. The surface electromyography results of the bilateral erector spinae, tibialis anterior, and peroneus longus will be the primary outcomes, while the balance function under different conditions and the level of FAI in daily life measured using the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool will be the secondary outcomes. Ethics and Dissemination: The trial has been approved by the Research Ethical Committee of Dongzhimen Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (no. DZMEC-KY-2019-18), and it will follow the principles of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statements as well as the Declaration of Helsinki. The findings of this study will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The results will also be disseminated to the participants via phone calls or e-mail. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Register ID: ChiCTR1900021939 (March 17, 2019). http://www.chictr.org.cn/.

Prevalence and associated factors of erectile dysfunction, psychological disorders, and sexual performance in primary vs. secondary infertility men

BackgroundMany infertile couples might experience erectile dysfunction (ED) and significant changes in the quality of sexual life and psychological state though information is limited in secondary infertile men in China. To determine whether primary or secondary infertility is associated with ED, psychological disorders, and sexual performance.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional survey conducted at the Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (06/2019-01/2020). The participants completed a questionnaire including general information, sexual life, simplified International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with ED, depression, and anxiety.ResultsED was more frequent in secondary vs. primary infertility (46.5 % vs. 26.7 %, P < 0.001). Compared with men with primary infertility, those with secondary infertility showed lower IIEF-5 scores (P < 0.001), higher occurrence of TOIF (P = 0.001), had a higher awareness of partner’s ovulation when having ED (P = 0.001), lower GAD-7 scores (P = 0.016), lower libido (P = 0.005), fewer intercourses per month (P = 0.001) and a lower sexual satisfaction score (P = 0.027). In the multivariate analysis, primary infertility was found to be an independent risk factor of anxiety (OR: 1.812, 95 %CI: 1.015–3.236). Some overlap is observed in factors associated with ED, psychological disorders, and sexual performance between primary and secondary infertility, but some factors are distinct.ConclusionsThe prevalence of ED in secondary infertility men was higher than that of primary infertility men, and the quality of sexual life was decreased. Primary infertility is an independent risk factor of anxiety.

Research Trends of Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis on Acupuncture Therapy: A Bibliometric Analysis.

ObjectiveWe aimed to explore the hotspots and frontiers of systematic review/meta-analysis on acupuncture therapy according to bibliometric methods.MethodsSystematic review/meta-analysis articles on acupuncture therapy were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. We used CiteSpace 5.6.R5 to analyze annual publication, categories, countries, institutions, journals, authors, cited references, and keywords through visual maps to explore the research hotspots and trends.ResultsAn analysis of 1189 articles in English showed that the total number of publications continually increased in the last 12 years. General medicine was the most used category, and the country and institution ranking highest in this field were China and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, respectively. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine was the most prolific journal, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was the most cited journal. Myeong Soo Lee was the most productive author, and J.P.T. Higgins ranked first in frequency among the cited authors. In the cited references, the top two were Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA). As for keywords, there were 6 main frontiers including interventions, disease, patient, comparisons, study types, and outcomes. The first disease was pain, while the intervention was electroacupuncture (EA).ConclusionThe present study examined the research trends in systematic reviews and meta-analysis on acupuncture therapy through bibliometric methods and revealed potential future hotspots of research in this field.

Application of the Hybrid CBL+TBL Method in Internal Medicine Teaching Practice of TCM Universities

Internal medicine plays a critical role in the curriculum system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) universities, which is the main course in TCM colleges and the professional knowledge must be mastered by medical students. However, due to the immense contents and concepts in internal medicine, the traditional lecture-based learning (LBL) led to dissatisfactory education effects. The purpose of the study is to explore the application of hybrid case-based learning (CBL) + team-based learning (TBL) method in educational practice of internal medicine in TCM universities. The undergraduates majoring in Chinese medicine of grade 2014, 2015 and 2016 from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) were enrolled. Students of grade 2014 were utilized as the control group, adopting traditional teaching method. Students of grade 2015 and 2016 were employed as the experimental groups, using the hybrid CBL+TBL teaching method. At the end of the internal medicine curriculum, the teaching resultant was evaluated by both theoretical test and skill assessment. The results demonstrated that experimental groups scored better than control group in both theory and clinical examinations, and the discrepancies were significant, respectively. The introduction of hybrid CBL+TBL teaching method into education of internal medicine in TCM universities promoted students’ ability of self-learning and sense of teamwork, so as improved the teaching effectiveness of clinical courses.

Assessment and Management on the Risk of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteonecrosis After COVID-19

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging global medical challenge and glucocorticoids remain the most promising therapy. Osteonecrosis (ON) is a disease caused by reduced blood flow to bones in the joints, which will rapidly induce joint destroy. ON had been frequently identified among convalescent patients after Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Considering the similarity of SARS and COVID-19 on their pathogen, clinical characteristics and therapeutic strategies, it is particularly worrying whether ON will be a common sequela among convalescent COVID-19 patient.Methods: This multi-strategy study integrating different research methods, such as meta-analysis, systematic review and cross-sectional investigation. At first, two meta-analyses were performed on the incidence of osteonecrosis among SARS patients and the clinical data of glucocorticoid exposure among COVID-19 patients. Then, a systematic review of low-dosage glucocorticoid associated osteonecrosis and a real-world cross-sectional investigation of glucocorticoid exposure of COVID-19 patients in China Wuhan were also provided. Moreover, the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment options for osteonecrosis after COVID-19 infection were further described.Findings: Our meta-analysis showed that 32% of SARS patients had developed ON after receiving glucocorticoid treatment with high dose, and our system review also supported that low level glucocorticoid exposure may lead to the occurrence of ON. Similarly, 40% of COVID-19 patients had undergone glucocorticoid treatment according to our meta-analysis. The cross-sectional investigation in China Wuhan found that the average of cumulative glucocorticoid exposure level was 504 mg calculated by the dosage of methylprednisolone. Notably, a confirmed osteonecrosis case after COVID-19 was identified during our investigation. Preventive management of ON shall better start with regular clinical followup observation.Interpretation: Growing evidence of the glucocorticoid therapy for COVID-19 patients prompts us to put forward the risk-classification-based early screening and early prevention protocol of ON, which may be of clinical significance in favorable prognosis of this disease.Registration Details: PROSPERO, registration number CRD42020203536.Funding Information: This study was supported by the Special Project For COVID-19 Prevention and Management of Ministry of Education of China (2020-JYB-YJ-023), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019ZX09731-002) and the State Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (82030122).Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.Ethics Approval Statement: The protocol for the investigation study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), (URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=61769, No. ChiCTR2000038333). This study was approved by the Ethics Institutional Review Board of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (No. BZYSY-2020KYKTPJ-06), and informed consent was obtained from every participant patient.

Neuroprotective Effects of Longxuetongluo Capsule on Ischemic Stroke Rats Revealed by LC-MS/MS-Based Metabolomics Approach

Longxuetongluo Capsule (LTC) that was prepared from the phenolic compound cluster of Chinese dragon’s blood, has been clinically utilized for years towards ischemic stroke. However, LTC therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear, which restricts its further application and promotion. The present study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect and to explore the underlying mechanisms of LTC on ischemic stroke rats characterized by cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury. Ischemic stroke rats were simulated by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and LTC therapy was validated by the assays in terms of histological assessments. The plasma metabolite profiling was used to clarify the molecules in respond to the LTC treatment. A total of 13 potential biomarkers contributing to ischemic stroke were observed, and Youden index of 11 biomarkers such as LysoPC, SM, and PE (24:1/18:3) were more than 0.7, which are involved in neuroprotective process. The correlation and pathway analysis showed that LTC was beneficial to ischemic stroke rats via regulating glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism, together with bicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism. Heatmap and ternary analysis indicated the synergistic effect of carbohydrates and lipids may be induced by flavonoid intake from LTC. Funding Information: This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81573572, 81530097), China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA, and Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund (Y2020XK24) Declaration of Interests: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: All animal experiment protocols were approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Effectiveness of deep electroacupuncture with strong deqi and shallow electroacupuncture with no deqi for lumbar disk herniation: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionLumbar disk herniation (LDH) is a common cause of low back pain and dysfunction. Studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) can achieve pain relief in patients with LDH. However, there...

Effects of joy and sorrow on pulse-graph parameters in healthy female college students based on emotion-evoked experiments

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of joy and sorrow on pulse-graph parameters in healthy subjects and analyze their potential effect to provide preliminary evidence that pulse diagnosis can identify human emotional changes. Design and interventionForty healthy female college students from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine were recruited. The emotion-evoking experiment was conducted to observe the effects of joy and sorrow on pulse-graph parameters, taking neutral emotion as a control. The experiment included the following criteria. (1) Emotions evoked and evaluated: the same subjects watched three emotional videos which were, respectively, neutral, joyful and sorrowful to evoke the corresponding emotions. They completed the “subjective emotion evaluation form” (SEEF) before watching each video (T0), immediately after watching the video (T1) and 15 min after watching the video (T2) to conduct subjective emotion evaluation. Simultaneously, their heart rate, galvanic skin response and heart rate variability were collected with a 16-lead physiological recorder to conduct an objective evaluation of emotional arousal. (2) Collection of pulse-graph parameters: pulse-graph parameters of the subjects at T0, T1 and T2 were collected with a pulse condition analyzer. ResultsWhen watching the joy video, the rapid ejection phase extended significantly, both the left ventricular diastole and the cardiac cycle shortened significantly. When watching the sorrow video, the left ventricular diastole extended significantly, the cardiac cycle showed an upward trend, and heart rate showed a downward trend. ConclusionJoy and sorrow have a certain effect on pulse-graph parameters of the subjects. The mechanisms may be that joy contributes to rapid ejection phase extension and a shortening of the left ventricular diastole and the cardiac cycle, while sorrow extends the left ventricular diastole. According to the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the visceral functions can be mediated through human qi flow. Moderate joy and sorrow can promote, respectively, the smooth qi flow of the heart and the lung. However, excessive or long-term joy and sorrow can lead to disharmonious qi flow of the two viscera. Therefore, maintaining moderate emotions is beneficial to the physiological functions of the viscera. Great emotional fluctuations may damage the visceral functions. Future studies with effects of other emotions on pulse-graph parameters are warranted to determine the reliability of the association of emotions and pulse diagnosis.

Effect of electroacupuncture on glial fibrillary acidic protein and nerve growth factor in the hippocampus of rats with hyperlipidemia and middle cerebral artery thrombus.

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to reduce blood lipid level and improve cerebral ischemia in rats with hyperlipemia complicated by cerebral ischemia. However, there are few studies on the results and mechanism of the effect of EA in reducing blood lipid level or promoting neural repair after stroke in hyperlipidemic subjects. In this study, EA was applied to a rat model of hyperlipidemia and middle cerebral artery thrombosis and the condition of neurons and astrocytes after hippocampal injury was assessed. Except for the normal group, rats in other groups were fed a high-fat diet throughout the whole experiment. Hyperlipidemia models were established in rats fed a high-fat diet for 6 weeks. Middle cerebral artery thrombus models were induced by pasting 50% FeCl3 filter paper on the left middle cerebral artery for 20 minutes on day 50 as the model group. EA1 group rats received EA at bilateral ST40 (Fenglong) for 7 days before the thrombosis. Rats in the EA1 and EA2 groups received EA at GV20 (Baihui) and bilateral ST40 for 14 days after model establishment. Neuronal health was assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining in the brain. Hyperlipidemia was assessed by biochemical methods that measured total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein in blood sera. Behavioral analysis was used to confirm the establishment of the model. Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and nerve growth factor in the hippocampal CA1 region. The results demonstrated that, compared with the model group, blood lipid levels significantly decreased, glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity was significantly weakened and nerve growth factor immunoreactivity was significantly enhanced in the EA1 and EA2 groups. The repair effect was superior in the EA1 group than in the EA2 group. These findings confirm that EA can reduce blood lipid, inhibit glial fibrillary acidic protein expression and promote nerve growth factor expression in the hippocampal CA1 region after hyperlipidemia and middle cerebral artery thrombosis. All experimental procedures and protocols were approved by the Animal Use and Management Committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, China (approval No. BUCM-3-2018022802-1002) on April 12, 2018.

Exploring the association between gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome and adult chronic eczema: A case–control study

Abstract Objective To investigate the association between gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome (GHRS) and adult chronic eczema. Methods This case–control study compared GHRS/GHRS accompanied by damp-heat syndrome (GHRS-DHS) and other patient characteristics between subjects with (cases) and without chronic eczema (controls) to identify potential factors associated with this condition. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data via face-to-face interviews. Participants were recruited from Dongzhimen Hospital affiliated with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A logistic regression analysis was performed on the collected data, and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. Results A total of 168 cases and 172 controls were recruited. Among the cases of adult chronic eczema, there were 79 subjects with GHRS and 68 with GHRS-DHS. Sex (P = .02, OR = 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32–0.91), GHRS (P = .04, OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.02–3.51), GHRS-DHS (P Conclusion GHRS/GHRS-DHS may be associated with adult chronic eczema. In the future, prospective cohort studies with larger samples should be conducted to investigate the cause and effect association between GHRS and adult chronic eczema.

Acupuncture for poststroke hemiplegia focusing on cerebral bilateral connections: study protocol for a randomised controlled neuroimaging trial

IntroductionAcupuncture is safe and effective for improving the motor function of poststroke hemiplegic patients, but there still exists a certain gap between clinical practice and understanding its neural mechanisms. The...

Exploratory research of nursing distance education model under the epidemic situation of COVID-19

Objective To explore the nursing distance education model under the epidemic situation of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and challenges of teachers and students so as to bring forth a proposal for future nursing education model reform. Methods The mixed research was used with methods of questionnaire survey and interview. In February 2020, we investigated the distance learning conditions and needs among 922 nursing undergraduates in School of Nursing, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Qualitative research of phenomenology was used to carry out semi-structured and in-depth interview among 14 nursing teachers. Data analysis was implemented with the method of Colaizzi phenomenological analysis. Results Among 922 nursing undergraduates, 95.99% of them could learn on line normally on the public platform, but there were still some students in mountain area limited by network conditions; 97.18% of them accepted the nursing distance education model proposed by our school. Qualitative interview of teachers extracted two themes, the key element to implement nursing distance education and challenges, inspiration of epidemic situation to nursing education reform. Conclusions In distance education model, teachers face challenges of idea, technology and resource; students are influenced by study habits, online learning ability and objective environment. In future, we can make a reform in the aspects of teachers, educational content and form, educational resources and platforms, education management. Key words: Students, nursing; Corona virus disease 2019; Epidemic situation; Education, distance; Nursing; Mixed research