Complementary Alternative Therapies Research Articles

Management for children and adolescents with overweight and obesity: a recommendations mapping.

Childhood obesity is a global public health issue, and the status of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) as instruction manuals for the management of childhood obesity remains unclear. This study aims to identify and apprise the methodological and reporting quality of CPGs focused on childhood obesity and provide an overview of key recommendations. Databases and websites reporting guidelines were searched from January, 2018 to September, 2023. The methodological quality was graded using the AGREE II, and RIGHT was used to assess the reporting completeness. Among the six included CPGs, two were rated as high quality and considered "Recommended" and three were reported no less than 80%. CPGs included 184 recommendations cover diagnosis, assessment and management of complications, interventions and prevention. The diagnostic criteria for children with obesity over 2 years of age are based on normative BMI percentiles, depending on sex and age. CPGs recommended the delivery of multi-component behavior-changed interventions included controlling diet and increasing physical activity. Pharmacological interventions and bariatric surgery are considered as complementary therapies. CPGs for childhood obesity should emphasize the impact of psychological factors and consider the provision of interventions from multiple settings, and could consider the role of complementary alternative therapies. Six guidelines have been published in the past 5 years focusing children obesity. Recommendations covered diagnosis, multiple intervention and prevention. Guidelines should focus on the role of complementary alternative therapies. Guidelines should emphasize the impact of psychological factors. Guidelines should consider the provision of interventions from multiple settings.

Mechanistic study of acupuncture on the pterygopalatine ganglion to improve allergic rhinitis: analysis of multi-target effects based on bioinformatics/network topology strategie.

One of the prevalent chronic inflammatory disorders of the nasal mucosa, allergic rhinitis (AR) has become more widespread in recent years. Acupuncture pterygopalatine ganglion (aPPG) is an emerging alternative therapy that is used to treat AR, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-inflammatory effects are unclear. This work methodically demonstrated the multi-target mechanisms of aPPG in treating AR based on bioinformatics/topology using techniques including text mining, bioinformatics, and network topology, among others. A total of 16 active biomarkers and 108 protein targets related to aPPG treatment of AR were obtained. A total of 345 Gene Ontology terms related to aPPG of AR were identified, and 135 pathways were screened based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis. Our study revealed for the first time the multi-targeted mechanism of action of aPPG in the treatment of AR. In animal experiments, aPPG ameliorated rhinitis symptoms in OVA-induced AR rats; decreased serum immunoglobulin E, OVA-sIgE, and substance P levels; elevated serum neuropeptide Y levels; and modulated serum Th1/Th2/Treg/Th17 cytokine expression by a mechanism that may be related to the inhibition of activation of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. In vivo animal experiments once again validated the results of the bioinformatics analysis. This study revealed a possible multi-target mechanism of action between aPPG and AR, provided new insights into the potential pathogenesis of AR, and proved that aPPG was a promising complementary alternative therapy for the treatment of AR.

New advances in the treatment of thin endometrium.

Thin endometrium (TE) is defined as a mid-luteal endometrial thickness ≤7mm. TE can affect endometrial tolerance, leading to lower embryo implantation rates and clinical pregnancy rates, and is also associated with impaired outcomes from assisted reproductive treatment. Herein, we systematically review TE causes, mechanisms, and treatments. TE pathogenesis has multiple causes, with the endometrium becoming thinner with age under hormonal influence. In addition, uterine cavity factors are important, as the inflammatory environment may affect expressions of certain genes thereby inhibiting endometrial stromal cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. Long-term oral contraceptive use or the use of ovulation-promoting drugs are also definite factors contributing to endometrial thinning. Other patients have primary factors, for which the clinical etiology remains unknown. The main therapeutic strategies available for TE are pharmacological (including hormonal and vasoactive drugs), regenerative medicine, intrauterine infusion of growth factor-granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, autologous platelet-rich plasma, and complementary alternative therapies (including traditional Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture). However, the associated mechanisms of action are currently unclear. Clinical scholars have proposed various approaches to improve treatment outcomes in patients with TE, and are exploring the principles of efficacy, offering potentials for novel treatments. It is hoped that this will improve TE tolerance, increase embryo implantation rates, and help more couples with infertility with effective treatments.

Investigation of Cytotoxic, Antimetastatic and Apoptotic Activities of Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) Extracts: Comparison with MCF-7 and MCF-12A Cells

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) is an important medicinal plant due to its composition of several bioactive substances, high antioxidant activity, rich inulin content and produces functional food ingredients. Complementary alternative medicine therapies become more popular for cancer treatments because of higher efficiency, lower cost and minimum side effects. This study reported anti-cancer efficiency of both shell and tuber extract of Jerusalem artichoke (JA) on different breast cell lines with the purpose of discovering new alternative medicine therapies. Cytotoxic effects of JA were evaluated by XTT method by using different concentrations on different incubation times (24h, 48h and 72h). Invasion, adhesion and apoptotic studies were performed with IC50 values for 48h and 72h. JA extracts do not show cytotoxic activity on healthy human breast cell, while they induce tumoral cell death with dose and time-dependent manner. The most effective doses of tuber and shell extracts were 108.8 µM and 134.2 µM at 48h and 20 µM ve 5 µM at 72h, respectively. It demonstrated robust anti-metastatic activity on MCF-7 cell lines because it inhibited adhesion, and invasion, significantly. TMRE and AnnexinV/7AAD staining were used for determine to mitochondrial membrane potential and nuclear morphology, respectively The results were found consistent with each other. Overall, this paper which first in literature demonstrates the anti-cancer efficacy of the JA both tuber and shell extract which can be proposed as a potent candidate for the treatment of breast cancer.

A systematic review on the effects of non-pharmacological interventions for fatigue among people with upper and/or lower limb osteoarthritis.

To identify non-pharmacological fatigue interventions and determine the effectiveness of these non-pharmacological interventions in reducing fatigue immediately and over time in OA. A review protocol (CRD42020163730) was developed and registered with the PROSPERO database. Included studies comprised peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the effects of conservative interventions on fatigue in people with upper and lower limb OA. Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias (ROB-2) was used to assess the quality of evidence of studies. Narrative synthesis was used to summarize the effectiveness of identified fatigue interventions. Out of 2644 citations identified from databases, 32 reports were included after screening for titles, abstracts and full texts. Of these reports, 30 parallel RCTs, one cluster and one cross-over RCT were included. 13 RCTs were of low ROB, 6 had some concerns and 13 had high ROB. The narrative synthesis identified interventions for fatigue including exercise, activity pacing, cognitive behavioural therapy, telerehabilitation and complementary alternative therapies. Exercise interventions showed the most significant beneficial effects on fatigue. Diverse interventions for fatigue management among individuals with upper and lower limb OA were identified. Of these, exercise interventions appear to be the most promising with the majority of these interventions favouring fatigue improvement. While cognitive behavioural therapy has limited evidence of beneficial effects, there is insufficient evidence regarding the effectiveness of other identified interventions, including complementary and alternative therapies, and telerehabilitation.

Comprehensive Medicine Approach Towards Cancer Sufferers and Survivors: A Review

Despite significant improvements in cancer diagnosis, prevention, and care, cancer is still expected to be the biggest cause of mortality worldwide. Cancer prevalence and fatality rates are both increasing. There are numerous cancer treatment options. The type of cancer and its stage determine the sort of treatment required. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are examples of traditional therapeutic procedures. At the same time, significant advances have been made recently, including stem cell therapy, targeted therapy, natural antioxidants, radionics, chemodynamic therapy, and ferroptosis-based therapy. Most patients have a combined approach- surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Current methods in oncology focus on developing safe cancer nanomedicines. To obtain novel diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives, stem cell treatment has demonstrated potential success. Cancer cell spread can be slowed by targeted treatment, which protects healthy cells from harm. The long-term cancer survivors suffered in terms of body image concerns, emotional and social, and spiritual/ philosophical issues leading to poor quality of life in these patients. The positive attribute of complementary medicine and alternative therapies is that they enable patients to help themselves while undergoing cancer treatment and afterward. This review explores recent comprehensive approaches for cancer and associated effects leading to psychological issues.

Efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment to patients with stable COPD: a multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial protocol

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease and the third leading cause of death worldwide. Previous evidence has shown that acupuncture may be an effective complementary alternative therapy for stable COPD. However, large-sample, rigorously designed long-term follow-up studies still need to be completed. Notably, the relationship between the frequency of acupuncture and clinical efficacy in studies on acupuncture for stable COPD still needs further validation. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for stable COPD and further investigate the dose–effect relationship of acupuncture.Methods/designThis is a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial that uses central randomization to randomly allocate 550 participants in a 1:1:1:1:1 ratio to once a week acupuncture group, twice a week acupuncture group, three times a week acupuncture group, sham acupuncture group and waiting-list control group. The sham acupuncture group will receive placebo acupuncture treatments three times per week, and the waiting-list control group will not receive any form of acupuncture intervention. The study consists of a 2-week baseline, 12-week of treatment, and 52-week of follow-up. Patients with COPD between 40 to 80 years old who have received stable Western medication within the previous 3 months and have had at least 1 moderate or severe acute exacerbation within the past 1 year will be included in the study. Basic treatment will remain the same for all participants. The primary outcome is the proportion of responders at week 12. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of responders at week 64, change in the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) Scale, change in the Modified-Medical Research Council (mMRC) Scale, change in the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) Scale, change in the Lung Function Screening Indicators (LFSI), change in the 6-min walk distance (6-MWD), change in Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) Scale, the number of moderate and severe acute exacerbations and adverse event rate during the follow-up period.DiscussionThis study will provide robust evidence on whether acupuncture is safe and effective for treating stable COPD. Meanwhile, comparing the differences in efficacy between different acupuncture frequencies will further promote the optimization of acupuncture for stable COPD.Trial registrationThis study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200058757), on April 16, 2022.

EFEKTIVITAS KONSUMSI BAWANG PUTIH PANGGANG, RELAKSASI NAPAS DALAM, DAN RELAKSASI AUTOGENIK TERHADAP PENURUNAN TEKANAN DARAH PENDERITA HIPERTENSI

Hypertension is a worldwide health problem that causes complications of kidney damage, coronary heart disease, stroke, disability, and even death. Roasted garlic, slow deep breathing relaxation, and autogenic relaxation are complementary alternative therapies that have not been fully utilized. These therapies are scientifically meaningful, so they need to be developed. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of roasted garlic consumption, autogenic relaxation, deep breath relaxation on blood pressure reduction. The research design is Quasi-Experiment with control group Pre-test Post-test. Sampling method using non-probability random sampling - purposive sampling. The sample in 1 group is at least 30 respondents. Anticipating lost to follow-up of 10%, each group was 31-32 respondents. The sample was of productive age in the West Bogor. All groups were given hypertension management leaflets. Intervention group I consumed roasted garlic for 3 days at the rate of 15-17 grams morning and evening. Intervention group II performed breath relaxation morning and evening for 3 days. Intervention group III performed autogenic relaxation, while the control group was only given hypertension management leaflets. The results showed that consumption of roasted garlic compared to the control on systole p=0.001 and diastole p=0.001, autogenic relaxation compared to the control, systole p=0.042 and diastole p=0.009, deep breath relaxation compared to the control, obtained systole p=0.367 and diastole p=0.125. It is concluded that roasted garlic is more effectively used to reduce hypertensive patients' systole and diastole blood pressure. The recommendation is that roasted garlic can reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Treatment Of Uterine Fibroid Through Complementary Medicine And Alternative Therapy Approaches: A Case Series

The study aims to provide the alternative methods for the management of uterine fibroid. In this case series, we conducted a case series of 8 patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids. The patients were assigned to take Ayurvedic medicines and Intrauterine Uttarbasti with 4-5ml with Kapharbuda-har oil for 3 months. Intrauterine Uttarbasti was given for 7 days in a month, after the end of mensuration. Investigations like USG (pelvis region) and % haemoglobin, were conducted before and after the treatment. Investigations revealed a decrease in uterine fibroid size, after the treatment. In 3 patients there was about 40%-80% reduction in fibroid size. In 3 patient’s fibroids were completely cured while in 2 patients, 16-27 % of fibroid size got decreased. Concurrently, menstrual blood flow as well as other symptoms like abdominal pain associated with fibroids also got resolved, after the treatment. Based on the results, we can conclude that Ayurvedic treatments are very effective in managing the size of uterine fibroid as well as symptoms associated with uterine fibroid. Further research is required to evaluate the mechanism of drug action, effectiveness and unfavourable consequences of the treatment.

Complementary and Alternative Therapy for Picky Eater: Systematic Review

The picky eater problem is one of the beginnings of toddler stunting. This problem needs to be solved with scientifically proven interven- tions. This systematic review is focused on looking at complementary and alternative interventions that are scientifically proven to be ef- fective in treating picky eaters. This study aims to identify, evaluate, and summarize the findings of all relevant literature on complemen- tary & alternative therapies for picky eaters in children (1-6 years). Search for articles on PubMed, ProQUestProQuest, Google Scholar, and Crossref search engines related to literature from 2012-2022. Inclusion criteria were original research articles that examined an intervention on picky eating in children with complementary & alter- native therapeutic approaches. Quantitative, experimental research published in English and Indonesian with child participants with picky eater problems. The data were studied and analyzed with qualitative and narrative methods. There are a few articles (10 items) that re- view the effectiveness of an intervention to treat nutritional problems and the symptoms of picky eaters. Interventions with complementary approaches and alternative therapies were found to be very few. Most of them are in the form of conventional interventions such as health education, oral supplementation, counselling, and interventions with similar approaches. Several interventions are given in combination. There is an intervention for handling picky eaters given to respon- dents who have nutritional problems accompanied by other diseases. There is an insufficient number of scientific articles found related to interventions for picky eaters with complementary approaches and alternative therapies, therefore scientific evidence with research and publications is still a big opportunity and is very much needed in the future.

A novel approach to the immediate effects of electroacupuncture on dry eye: A case series

IntroductionDry eye disease (DED) is an inflammatory disorder that shares several features with autoimmune diseases. Research suggests that electroacupuncture (EA) is a promising alternative treatment option for this disorder; however, evidence of its immediate efficacy is limited. Case presentationThree patients were diagnosed with DED, and used artificial tears or anti-inflammatory drugs for long-term relief of eye symptoms. However, the cure rates were low, and the side effects were high. To improve ocular symptoms, quality of life, and physical and mental health, the patients sought alternative complementary therapies and received electroacupuncture therapy. All patients showed significant improvements in fatigue and dryness of the ocular surface after 3–4 days of treatment, and follow-up after 4 weeks showed no tendency for recurrence. No adverse reactions or unexpected events were observed during treatment. ConclusionWe propose an innovative electroacupuncture treatment aimed at fewer acupuncture points, shorter periods, and faster healing that improves the symptoms of patients with DED in the short term. Continuous current stimulation by anatomically positioned needles on both sides of the lacrimal gland and the creation of an electric field may improve the endogenous mechanisms of DED.

CUPPING THERAPY IN REDUCING BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION: A LITERATURE STUDY

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO 2022) states that the current global prevalence of hypertension is 22% of the world's total population, and less than one-fifth make an effort to control their blood pressure, I assume. In Indonesia it is estimated at 15 million, but only 4% are under control. Hypertension can be caused by lifestyle, obesity, alcohol, smoking, stress, age, and genetic factors. Hypertension can be treated nonpharmacologically, namely with cupping therapy. This study aims to determine the effect of cupping therapy on lowering blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Method: using a literature review research design. International and national journal searches were obtained through several sources including: Proquest, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight, Ebsco, and Google Scholar. There are 10 articles obtained that will be reviewed, the results of information about the application of complementary alternative therapy, namely cupping therapy, and analyzing the published literature so as to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Results: The results of the literature review indicate the effect of cupping therapy between before and after cupping therapy on changes in blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Conclusion: The provision of cupping therapy as a complementary alternative therapy or one of the non-pharmacological therapies greatly provides an effect in lowering blood pressure in patients with hypertension.Keywords: Blood Pressure, Cupping Therapy, Hypertension

The impact of humor therapy on people suffering from depression or anxiety: An integrative literature review.

To identify and synthesize existing research on the effectiveness and feasibility of multiform humor therapy on people suffering from depression or anxiety, with the hope of benefiting future research. An integrative literature review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed studies was performed. The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched up to March 2022. Two independent reviewers conducted each stage of the review process, by assessing eligibility using preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, and data extraction. In this integrative review, 29 papers were included, containing 2964 participants across a diverse range of studies, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. The articles were from the United States, Australia, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Iran, Israel, China, and Germany. The findings indicated that most of the subjects thought humor therapy was effective in improving depression and anxiety while a few participants considered the effect insignificant. However, more high-quality studies will be needed to confirm these conclusions. This review collated and summarized findings from studies examining the impact of humor therapy (medical clowns, laughter therapy/yoga) on people with depression or anxiety, including children undergoing surgery or anesthesia, older people in nursing homes, patients with Parkinson's disease, cancer, mental illness, and undergoing dialysis, retired women, and college students. The results from this review may help inform future research, policy, and practice in humor therapy to improve people's symptoms of depression and anxiety. This systematic review objectively evaluated the effect of humor therapy on depression and anxiety. As a simple and feasible complementary alternative therapy, humor therapy may provide a favorable alternative for clinicians, nurses, and patients in the future.

EDUCATION ON ACUPRESSURE TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE MSDS IN SHALLOT FARMERS' GROUPS IN NGANJUK DISTRICT

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders or MSDs are symptoms of muscle pain that can occur due to an incorrect position when doing work. One of the efforts to reduce the symptoms of muscle pain due to the wrong working position is acupressure massage. Acupressure is a complementary therapy and alternative therapy that has no side effects and can be used to reduce acute and chronic pain. Contains a brief background on research/ community service activities that are used as journal articles. Objective: This activity is carried out to increase understanding, knowledge, and awareness of the community, especially farmer groups about the risk of MSD symptoms and efforts to reduce pain complaints due to MSD symptoms. Method: methods of activities carried out in this community service include: 1) Pre-Activity; 2) Implementation of activities; 3) Evaluation of activities. The method used is a combination of counseling and direct practice to farmer groups. Results: improved understanding of MSDs symptoms and acupressure techniques was achieved. The knowledge of participants before receiving counseling on average was 50.0. However, participants' knowledge increased significantly after receiving counseling, which was 67.6 eligible. Conclusion: this program provides increased knowledge and understanding of MSDs and acupressure techniques in onion farmer groups.

Therapeutic potential of aromatic plant extracts in Alzheimer's disease: Comprehensive review of their underlying mechanisms.

The aim of this review is to outline recent advancements in the application and mechanistic studies of aromatic plant extracts in Alzhermer`s disease (AD) to demonstrate their value in the management of this disease. AD is a neurodegenerative disease with a complex pathogenesis characterized by severe cognitive impairment. Currently, there are very few drugs available for the treatment of AD, and treatments are primarily focused on symptom relief. Aromatherapy is a traditional complementary alternative therapy that focuses on the prevention and treatment of the disease through the inhalation or transdermal administration of aromatic plant extracts. Over the past few years, studies on the use of aromatic plant extracts for the treatment of AD have been increasing and have demonstrated a definitive therapeutic effect. We systematically summarized in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies focusing on the potential use of aromatic plant extracts in the treatment of AD in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure from 2000 to 2022. Our literature survey indicatesthat aromatic plant extracts exert anti-AD effects by modulating pathological changes through anti-amyloid, anti-tau phosphorylation, anti-cholinesterase, anti-inflammation, and anti-oxidative stress mechanisms (Figure 1). This review provides a future strategy for the research of novel anti-AD drugs from aromatic plant extracts.

Effect of Complementary Therapy Combination of Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Music Therapy (RESIK) to Lower Blood Pressure in the Elderly

Backgrounds: Hypertension is a disease that affects many elderly people. One effort that can be done to treat hypertension is to provide a combination therapy of progressive muscle relaxation and music therapy (RESIK).
 Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of RESIK therapy on clients with hypertension.
 Methods: The type of research used is a case study with a total sample of 3 respondents. The implementation of this study began with a pre test (measurement of blood pressure before being given RESIK therapy). Then give RESIK therapy 2x a day for 6 days with a duration of 25-30 minutes. After 6 days, blood pressure was measured again as post test data. Research data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test.
 Results: Research results withWilcoxon test obtained sig. (2-tailed) has a value of 0.002 where the value is 0.002 <0.05 so it can be concluded that there is a significant effect of the combination therapy of progressive muscle relaxation and music therapy (RESIK) on blood pressure in the elderly.
 Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that there is a significant effect of RESIK therapy on reducing blood pressure in the elderly. Elderly people with hypertension are expected to carry out this RESIK therapy intervention independently, practically, efficiently and serve as an alternative complementary therapy to reduce blood pressure.

SPIRITUAL EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE DI INDONESIA

Meeting the patient's basic needs related to the spiritual aspect is often not a concern. The Covid-19 pandemic is a momentum for awakening the spiritual dimension in overcoming the problem of unexpected change. Nurses in their role as service providers need to have sufficient understanding to be able to respond to the patient's spiritual needs. Meeting spiritual needs in Indonesia is quite complicated because it is often related to religion, customs, and culture. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical application of SEFT in Indonesia. This research is a literature review using the keyword SEFT or "Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique". The search was carried out on a trusted database in Indonesia, namely Indonesia Onesearch. The inclusion criteria are clinical studies conducted in 2017-2022. Exclusion criteria are literature review research and expert opinion. The results of the research are 9 SEFT quasi-experimental studies in Indonesia. The results of this mapping study were conducted in West Sumatra (12,5%), West Java (12,5%), Jakarta (25%), Central Java (12,5%), Yogyakarta (12,5%), East Java (25%). The research outcomes included psychosocial issues including anxiety (37,5%), aggressive behavior (12,5%), smoking habits (12,5%), stress and work motivation (12,5%). The conclusion of this study is that SEFT can be recommended as an alternative complementary therapy in Indonesia.

Knowledge and Attitude about Alternative Treatment in Cancer Patient

The use of complementary alternative therapies in cancer patients are increasing with the increase in cancer incidence and treatment rates. Studies were conducted to find out about cancer patients’ knowledge and attitudes (treatment effect, intention to use) towards complementary and alternative therapies. 10 complementary alternative therapies (hyperthermia, ascorbate, thymosin, mistletoe, immunocyanin, selenium, Phellinus linteus, cholecalciferol, glutathione, herb remedies) were selected from evidence review. 100 patients who visited cancer care hospitals were surveyed about their knowledge and attitudes (effectiveness, treatment choices) by self-questionnaire. The total score for knowledge/attitude (effectiveness/intent to use) towards complementary and alternative therapies was 25.4 points (26.7 points/24.7 points, out of 40). Knowledge and attitude scores for hyperthermia were the highest, and knowledge and attitude scores for immunocyanin and glutathione were the lowest. Herbal remedies scored higher on knowledge but lower on attitude (effectiveness and choice). Vitamin C had moderate knowledge and effectiveness scores, but the highest intention-to-use score. There was a negative correlation between the effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies and the choice of treatment regimen with lower scores as people aged. The use of complementary alternative therapies is increasing although the evidence has not been proven for the cancer cure rate or survival. It is necessary to recognize the effectiveness and limitations of complementary alternative therapies and educate patients so that they can choose the appropriate treatment. Further research is needed on the effects and side effects of various complementary alternative therapies used in addition to standard treatments.

The Role of Ferroptosis and Cuproptosis in Curcumin against Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Among cancer-related deaths, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks fourth, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment is an important complementary alternative therapy for HCC. Curcumin is a natural ingredient extracted from Curcuma longa with anti-HCC activity, while the therapeutic mechanisms of curcumin remain unclear, especially on ferroptosis and cuproptosis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of curcumin treatment in PLC, KMCH, and Huh7 cells were identified, respectively. The common genes among them were then obtained to perform functional enrichment analysis and prognostic analysis. Moreover, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was carried out for the construction of the co-expression network. The ferroptosis potential index (FPI) and the cuproptosis potential index (CPI) were subsequently used to quantitatively analyze the levels of ferroptosis and cuproptosis. Finally, single-cell transcriptome analysis of liver cancer was conducted. We first identified 702, 515, and 721 DEGs from curcumin-treated PLC, KMCH, and Huh7 cells, respectively. Among them, HMOX1, CYP1A1, HMGCS2, LCN2, and MTTP may play an essential role in metal ion homeostasis. By WGCNA, grey60 co-expression module was associated with curcumin treatment and involved in the regulation of ion homeostasis. Furthermore, FPI and CPI assessment showed that curcumin had cell-specific effects on ferroptosis and cuproptosis in different HCC cells. In addition, there are also significant differences in ferroptosis and cuproptosis levels among 16 HCC cell subtypes according to single-cell transcriptome data analysis. We developed CPI and combined it with FPI to quantitatively analyze curcumin-treated HCC cells. It was found that ferroptosis and cuproptosis, two known metal ion-mediated forms of programmed cell death, may have a vital effect in treating HCC with curcumin, and there are significant differences in various liver cancer cell types and curcumin treatment which should be considered in the clinical application of curcumin.

Electroacupuncture Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment by Regulating γ-Amino Butyric Acidergic Interneurons in the Hippocampus of 5 Familial Alzheimer’s Disease Mice

Objectivesγ-amino butyric acid (GABA)–ergic dysfunction in excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) imbalance drives the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Inhibitory interneurons play an important role in the regulation of E/I balance, synaptic transmission, and network oscillation through manipulation of GABAergic functions, showing positive outcomes in AD animal models. Mice expressing 5 familial AD mutation (5xFAD) exhibited a series of AD-like pathology and learning and memory deficits with age. Because electroacupuncture (EA) treatment has been used for a complementary alternative medicine therapy in patients with AD, we aimed to examine any usefulness of EA therapy in GABA interneuron function and its associated synaptic proteins, to determine whether EA could effectively improve inhibitory transmission and network oscillation and eventually alleviate cognitive impairments in 5xFAD mice, and to further elucidate the GABAergic system function underlying the antidementia response of EA. Materials and Methods5xFAD mice were used to evaluate the potential neuroprotective effect of electroacupuncture at Baihui (DU 20) and Dazhui (DU 14) through behavioral testing, immunofluorescence staining, electrophysiology recording, and molecular biology analysis. ResultsFirst, we observed that EA improved memory deficits and inhibitory synaptic protein expression. Second, EA treatment alleviated the decrease of somatostatin-positive interneurons in the dorsal hippocampus. Third, EA attenuated E/I imbalance in 5xFAD mice. Last, EA treatment enhanced theta and gamma oscillation in the hippocampus of 5xFAD mice. ConclusionsEA stimulation at DU20 and DU14 acupoints may be a potential alternative therapy to ameliorate cognitive deficits in AD through the regulation of the function of the GABAergic interneuron.