Introduction. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. The discovery of the influence of gut microbiota on mental illness opens up new research avenues for the role of gut microbiota modifiers, such as probiotics or prebiotics, as a potential course of treatment. Potential treatments have received considerable attention in recent years. Aim. The meta-analysis only included clinical controlled trials to explore whether probiotics and prebiotics can improve the overall severity of ASD symptoms in children, the severity of gastrointestinal (GI) problems and the comorbid psychopathlology in ASD. Gap statement. Although systematic reviews have been conducted in this area in the past, most of them are mixed experimental designs, and the reliability of the conclusions remains to be determined. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has been conducted. Methodology. A meta analysis used a combination of subject terms and free words, or used keywords, titles, and abstracts to conduct in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library to identify studies relevant to the current review. Result. The results of the meta-analysis showed that probiotics and prebiotics did not significantly improve the severity of ASD patients, GI problems and comorbid psychopathlology in ASD, and the result is contradictory to the previous literatures. Conclusion. Since there are relatively few clinical controlled trials that can be included, the results of this study still need to be further verified in the clinic. In the future, more randomized controlled studies, more research populations, and the use of more professional clinicians may provide more robust research results.

Background. Oxidative stress is an important mechanism of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Ferroptosis caused by iron overload after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion is considered a common cause of oxidative stress. Many recent studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) can regulate the expression of inflammatory factors, and the use of electroacupuncture preconditioning can produce a protective effect, which can reduce injury after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. We aimed to assess whether EA could be used to reduce oxidative stress. Methods. The oxidative stress level of rats during the acute phase of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion was assessed with and without preconditioning with EA. Molecular biology methods were used to detect iron metabolism and oxidative stress-related proteins. Results. Rats that had EA preconditioning had lower infarct volumes than rats in the control group. Furthermore, western blot analysis showed that the expression of iron metabolism-related protein FPN-1 was higher in the intervention group than in the model group after reperfusion. In this regard, further investigation also demonstrated higher expression of glutathione and glutathione peroxidase-4, and lower reactive oxygen species values in the brain tissue of the EA group were compared with those of the control group rats. Conclusions. Electroacupuncture preconditioning can reduce oxidative stress after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by regulating iron overload.

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a progressive injury that aggravates the pathological state when the organ tissue restores blood supply after a certain period of ischemia, including the myocardial, brain, liver, kidney, and intestinal. With growing evidence that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role as posttranscription gene silencing mediators in many I/R injury, in this review, we highlight the microRNAs that are related to I/R injury and their regulatory molecular pathways. In addition, we discussed the potential role of miRNA as a biomarker and its role as a target in I/R injury treatment. Developing miRNAs are not without its challenges, but prudent design combined with existing clinical treatments will result in more effective therapies for I/R injury. This review is aimed at providing new research results obtained in this research field. It is hoped that new research on this topic will not only generate new insights into the pathophysiology of miRNA in I/R injury but also can provide a basis for the clinical application of miRNA in I/R.

Objective. To study the effects of electroacupuncture at Baihui and Dazhui points on the expression of hepcidin (Hepc), transferrin (Tf), transferrin receptor (TfR), and ferritin (Ft) in rats with cerebral hemorrhage to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of cerebral hemorrhage with acupuncture. Method. The model of cerebral hemorrhage in rats was established by autologous blood injection method and treated by electroacupuncture (EA) at the acupoints of Baihui and Dazhui. Hepc siRNA was injected into the lateral ventricle 30 min before model preparation to produce the cerebral hemorrhage model. The modified neurological severity score (mNSS) was used to assess the neurological function, and the total iron content in brain tissue was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry; the expression of Hepc, Ft, Tf, and TfR in perihematoma tissue was detected using immunohistochemistry; the interference efficiency of Hepc siRNA was detected using western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results. The degree of neurological deficit showed a downward trend at 3 days, 7 days, and 14 days, and electroacupuncture significantly reduced the neurological deficit score at each time point ( ). Regarding total iron content in brain tissue, on the 3rd day, the 7th day, and the 14th day, the iron content of the hematoma tissue after intracerebral hemorrhage was reduced by electroacupuncture ( ). Regarding immunohistochemical results. Hepc, Ft, Tf, and TfR protein expressions on day 14 were significantly higher after cerebral hemorrhage ( ). After electroacupuncture, the expression of Hepc, Ft, Tf, and TfR protein was significantly reduced ( ). Western blot and RT-PCR revealed that the interference efficiency of Hepc siRNA was statistically significant ( ). Conclusion. Electroacupuncture can reduce neurological severity scores in rats with cerebral hemorrhage and may exert cerebral protective effects by reducing Hepc protein and gene expression; lowering Ft, Tf, and TfR protein expression; and promoting iron metabolism in the brain of rats with cerebral hemorrhage.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, and the mainstay of treatment is dopamine replacement therapy; however, its beneficial effects tend to wane over time as the disease progresses. Many patients seek complementary therapies to alleviate motor and nonmotor symptoms associated with PD, and the efficacy of acupuncture as a commonly used complementary and alternative therapy for PD remains controversial. In this review, we systematically examine randomized controlled trials and mechanistic studies on acupuncture for PD over the past 12 years. The findings indicate that acupuncture improves both motor and nonmotor symptoms. We also found that the mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture on PD may involve connectomics, modulation of dopamine and glutamate systems, regulation of the gut–brain axis, organelle homeostasis, and molecular and signaling pathway modulation. This review proposes a multitarget neuroprotection hypothesis to provide a theoretical basis for standardized acupuncture research.

Depression is a globally prevalent, highly disabling mental disorder, and its etiology, pathological mechanisms, and treatment approaches have long been a focus of intensive research. Programmed cell death (PCD) refers to a process in which cells actively undergo death to maintain internal homeostasis via specific signals or stimuli. Modern medical studies have demonstrated that the dysregulation of PCD modalities, including apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and cuproptosis, is closely associated with the onset and progression of depression. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of PCD in depression could provide critical insights for an in-depth understanding, prevention, and treatment of this disorder. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that targets PCD for depression treatment, yielding significant phased achievements. Therefore, this narrative review, covering literature primarily from the past decade, synthesizes preclinical evidence on six PCD modalities in depression. It further explores the potential mechanisms and current status of TCM interventions that target these PCD pathways, and discusses the crosstalk between them. By emphasizing mechanistic insights, this work aims to provide a theoretical foundation and guidance for future clinical prevention, treatment, and research on depression.