To explore the mechanism of acupuncture to relieve diabetic proteinuria in Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD). A total of 10 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected as the negative control group (NC), and a further 30 rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ). The DKD model rats in the model group (DKD) and the acupuncture group (DKD + Acu) were randomly assigned. After 4 weeks of intervention, collected urine, peripheral blood, and renal tissues from all rats, and assessed blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, triglyceride, 24-h urine protein quantification, and blood glucose, left kidney weight, kidney body ratio index, then observe changes in renal histology in the rats. The renal cortex tissues of three rats from each group were sent for transcriptomic analysis. According to the results of transcriptomic analysis, various kits were used to detect SOD, MDA, GSH, GSH-px, and iron concentration. The expression levels of GPX4 and System Xc-, members of the antioxidative stress pathway, and TfR 1, SLC39A14, FTH 1, and SLC40A1, involved in iron metabolism, in the kidney tissues were measured by western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The expression of mesenchymal phenotype markers and podocyte-specific markers were evaluated by immunofluorescence. Acupuncture promoted the levels of GSH, GSH-px, and SOD, decreased the level of MDA (P < 0.05), promoted the expression of GPX4 and System Xc- (P < 0.05), decreased the expression of TfR1 and SLC39A14 (P < 0.01), and increased the expression of FTH 1 and SLC40A1 (P < 0.05), inhibited the expression of TGF-β1, desmin, FSP-1, and α-SMA (P < 0.05), promoted the expression of Nephrin, Podocin, and CD2AP (P < 0.05). Improving the ability of podocytes to prevent oxidative stress and restoring iron ion homeostasis, can improve Ferroptosis and block epithelial-mesenchymal transition, improve podocyte injury, restore filtration function, and reduce proteinuria in DKD rats.

Objective. Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli decoction (CLMD) is widely used in the treatment of poststroke depression (PSD) in China. Some evidences show that it has advantages, but there lacks reliable evidence. This study aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of CLMD in the treatment of PSD. Methods. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CLMD in the treatment of PSD were searched from the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (CBM), from their inception to May 2021. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the risk of bias in the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.3 software. Results. A total of 13 RCTs involving 1665 patients were finally included in this study, among which 5 RCTs were oral CLMD alone versus antidepressants, and 8 RCTs were oral CLMD with antidepressants versus antidepressants. Meta-analysis results showed that oral administration of CLMD could improve Hamilton’s Depression Scale (HAMD) and the Modified Edinburgh-Scandinavian Stroke Scale (MESSS) scores, improve the Barthel index, and have a low rate of adverse reactions, but there was no significant difference in the total effective rate ( > 0.05) and the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ( > 0.05) between the antidepressants group and the oral administration of the CLMD group. Oral CLMD combined with antidepressants could improve the total effective rate, HAMD, and MESSS score, but there was no significant difference in Barthel index ( > 0.05) and the adverse reaction rate ( > 0.05) between the two groups. Conclusion. Current evidence suggests that oral CLMD alone or with antidepressants is more effective and safer in the treatment of PSD than oral antidepressants. Due to the limitation of the quality and quantity of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to confirm the above conclusion.

This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed at evaluating the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Bufei granule on stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We retrieved data from PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CNKI, Wanfang, and WeiPu (VIP) for studies focusing on whether the TCM Bufei granule would be effective in treating stable COPD. No language restriction and blinding were used. All trials involved were examined based on the standards of the Cochrane Handbook, and Review Manager 5.3 software was applied for analyzing data. We included four studies involving 599 patients with stable COPD. When compared to placebo treatment, TCM Bufei granule intervention exhibited improvement in the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.70; range, 0.50–0.91; I² = 0%), forced vital capacity (FVC) (SMD = 0.43; range, 0.23–0.62; I² = 0%), FEV₁ percentage of predicted value (FEV1%) (SMD = 0.57; range, 0.38–0.76; I² = 4%), and FEV₁/FVC (SMD = 0.69; range, 0.50–0.87; I² = 0%). There was a statistically significant difference in St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire scores between the TCM Bufei granule and placebo treatments (SMD = −1.29; range, −2.32 to −0.26, I² = 97%). None of the studies reported any adverse events. Therefore, TCM Bufei granule intervention could help in improving the lung function and quality of life in patients with stable COPD.

Background. Diabetic nephropathy is a common and serious complication of diabetes and a major cause of end‐stage renal disease. Tiaolipiwei acupuncture is a safe treatment approach that may be effective for lowering albuminuria in diabetic nephropathy. Yet, the exact mechanisms of this therapeutic effect are unclear.Methods. A rodent model of type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN) was induced by a high‐fat diet combined with low‐dose streptozotocin. T2DN rats were treated with Tiaolipiwei acupuncture (ACU) for 4, 8, or 12 weeks. At the end of treatment, urinary and blood samples were collected for analysis. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe morphological changes, and protein expression levels of nephrin, CD2AP, podocalyxin, and desmin were quantified in renal tissue.Results. Compared to the T2DN groups, the T2DN + ACU groups showed significant improvements in 24‐hour urinary protein, serum urea, cholesterol, and triglycerides at all time points. ACU treatment also improved the density of slit diaphragms. Simultaneously, ACU promoted the renal expression of nephrin, CD2AP, and podocalyxin and decreased the expression of desmin.Conclusion. Our study suggests that Tiaolipiwei acupuncture ameliorates podocyte lesions to reduce albuminuria and prevent the progression of T2DN in a rat model.

Background: Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has become a good option in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer. Cervical esophagogastric anastomoses (CEGA) are widely used during esophagectomy. However, CEGA are related with a higher incidence of anastomotic complications. In the present study, a new procedure of T-shaped linear-stapled cervical esophagogastric anastomosis was used during MIE and the short-term outcomes are presented. Methods: From May 2014 to December 2018, 32 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer who underwent total MIE followed by T-shaped linear-stapled cervical esophagogastric anastomosis were included. Postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Results: Fifteen men and 17 women were included this pilot study. The histology of all cases was squamous cell carcinoma. Mean operation time of T-shaped linear-stapled cervical esophagogastric anastomosis was 17.6 minutes. There were no early or late mortalities. A minor cervical anastomotic leakage occurred in 1 patient. No complications of anastomotic stenosis occurred in this study. Conclusion: The T-shaped linear-stapled cervical esophagogastric anastomosis is efficient, reliable, easy to perform, and associated with lower postoperative complication rate.

Background: Fire needle therapy is an ancient external treatment method of traditional Chinese medicine. This therapy is simple to operate and has fewer side effects. Gouty arthritis (GA) is common disease that is often characterized by high excruciating pain on joint. Evidence from clinical studies show that fire needle exerts therapeutic effects on gout arthritis, but no evidence-based medicine is available. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fire acupuncture in the treatment of gout arthritis. Methods: Randomized controlled trials of fire needle in the treatment of GA published until May 2020 will be searched in the English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library) and Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Wanfang database, and China Biomedical Literature Database). Additional search will be performed on Google academy and Baidu Academy. Data will be extracted from the studies by 2 reviewers working independently. Subsequently, quality assessment and a meta-analysis will be carried out for the studies using RevMan 5.3. Results: The efficacy and safety of fire needle in the treatment of GA will be evaluated based on overall effective rate, visual analog scale, blood uric acid, C-reactive protein, joint swelling and pain score, adverse reaction rate, and other clinical outcomes. Conclusions: The proposed systematic review and meta-analysis are expected to provide reliable evidence for the clinical benefits of fire-needle therapy in GA.