To evaluate the therapeutic effect of scalp electroacupuncture for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the early stage. Two hundred and thirty three MCI patients were randomly divided into three groups: the drug group, the scalp electroacupuncture group, and the syndrome differentiation group. For the scalp electroacupuncture group, the points of Baihui (DU 20), Sishecong (EX-HN1), Fengchi (GB 20), and Shenting (DU 24) were selected. For the syndrome differentiation group, specific acupoints were added on the basis of syndrome differentiation and according to the scale for the differentiation of syndromes in vascular dementia (SDSVD) beside the acupoints used in the scalp electroacupuncture group. For the drug group, nimodipine was orally administered. Each patient was treated for two courses, eight weeks. The score differences in mini-mental state examination (MMSE), picture recognition, and clock drawing test were observed before and after the treatment. After treatment, the score differences in MMSE and clock drawing test were of obvious statistical significance among three groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The score differences in picture recognition were of extremely statistical significance between the scalp electroacupuncture group and the syndrome differentiation group (P < 0.01), while the difference was not found in the drug group (P > 0.05). There were statistical significant differences in therapeutic effects between the scalp electroacupuncture group and the drug group, and between the syndrome differentiation group and the drug group (P < 0.05), while no statistical difference was found between scalp electroacupuncture group and the syndrome differentiation group (P > 0.05). All the three therapies may improve the cognitive function of MCI patients. The therapeutic effects in the scalp electroacupuncture and syndrome differentiation groups were basically the same, but superior to nimodipine.

Referred somatic pain triggered by hyperalgesia is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It was reported that sprouting of sympathetic nerve fibers into the dorsal root ganglion (DGR) and neurogenic inflammation were related to neuropathic pain, the excitability of neurons, and afferents. The purpose of the study was to explore the potential and mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST36) for the intervention of colon inflammation and hyperalgesia. Sprague-Dawley (SD) was randomly divided into four groups, including control, model, EA, and sham-EA. Our results showed EA treatment significantly attenuated dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced colorectal lesions and inflammatory cytokine secretion, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, PGE2, and IL-6. EA also inhibited mechanical and thermal pain hypersensitivities of colitis rats. Importantly, EA effectively abrogated the promotion effect of DSS on ipsilateral lumbar 6 (L6) DRG sympathetic-sensory coupling, manifested as the sprouting of tyrosine hydroxylase- (TH-) positive sympathetic fibers into sensory neurons and colocalization of and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Furthermore, EA at Zusanli (ST36) activated neurogenic inflammation, characterized by decreased expression of substance P (SP), hyaluronic acid (HA), bradykinin (BK), and prostacyclin (PGI2) in colitis rat skin tissues corresponding to the L6 DRG. Mechanically, EA treatment reduced the activation of the TRPV1/CGRP, ERK, and TLR4 signaling pathways in L6 DRG of colitis rats. Taken together, we presumed that EA treatment improved colon inflammation and hyperalgesia, potentially by suppressing the sprouting of sympathetic nerve fibers into the L6 DGR and neurogenic inflammation via deactivating the TRPV1/CGRP, ERK, and TLR4 signaling pathways.

Introduction: Auricular acupressure (AA) has been widely utilized in the management of constipation, with several studies suggesting its efficacy in treating constipation patients. However, the safety and effectiveness of AA in constipation remain uncertain. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of AA for constipation.Methods and analysis: A total of eight electronic databases and three clinical trial registration platforms were searched from their inception to April 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of AA for constipation. The included studies were appraised for quality using the Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias Assessment tool. The quality of evidence was assessed by two independent reviewers employing the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation System (GRADE) evaluation tool. Meta-analysis of data and assessment of publication bias were performed using RevMan 5.4 and STATA 13.0 software, respectively.Results: This review included 34 randomized controlled trials conducted between 2007 and 2023, involving 2,465 participants. The findings of the study indicate that overall, AA is significantly associated with improved CSBMs (MD = 1.22, 95% CI [0.68, 1.77], p < 0.0001, I² = 0%), BSF (MD = 0.72, 95%CI: [0.15,1.28], p = 0.01, I² = 82%), CAS (MD = -3.28, 95%CI: [−5.95, −0.60], p = 0.02, I² = 80%), responder rate (RR = 1.27, 95%CI: [1.16, 1.38], p < 0.00001, I² = 79%), cure rate (RR = 1.84, 95% CI [1.56, 2.15], p < 0.00001, I² = 0%), and PAC-QOL (MD = −2.73, 95% CI: [−3.41, −2.04], p < 0.00001, I² = 98%) compared to the control group. However, no difference in PAC-SYM (MD = −0.15, 95%CI: [−0.38,0.07], p = 0.19, I² = 67%) was found between the two groups. Additionally, there was no significant difference in adverse events (RR = 0.53, 95% CI: [0.24, 1.21], p = 0.13, I² = 38%).Conclusion: Based on the available evidence, auricular acupressure appears to be a potentially safe and effective intervention for managing constipation in adults. Nonetheless, the overall quality of evidence for the identified outcomes was assessed as low to very low, highlighting the need for additional high-quality randomized controlled trials to further validate these findings.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42023425033.

Asthma is a significant contributor to the global disease burden and is the most common chronic disease in children and adolescents. This study provides estimates of the prevalence, incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) burden of asthma among children and adolescents from 1990 to 2021. Using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data, we analyzed age-standardized prevalence (ASPR), incidence (ASIR), mortality (ASMR), and DALYs (ASDR) rates of asthma among children and adolescents from 1990 to 2021. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) were calculated to evaluate temporal trends. Data were stratified by sex, age, 204 nations/territories, 21 GBD regions, and five socio-demographic index (SDI) quintiles. The Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) models were applied to predict asthma burden up to 2040. In 2021, there were approximately 126 million prevalent cases and 27 million incidence cases among children and adolescents worldwide. From 1990 to 2021, ASPR (EAPC −1.00) and ASIR (EAPC −0.77) declined moderately, while ASMR (EAPC −3.01) and ASDR (EAPC −1.54) decreased substantially. High SDI regions had the highest prevalence, incidence, and DALYs, whereas low SDI regions bore greater mortality. Males exhibited higher prevalence, whereas females experienced higher mortality. Prevalence peaked at ages 5–9 years, while incidence, deaths, and DALYs were highest in children younger than 5 years. High body mass index (BMI) was a leading contributor to asthma burden. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (2019–2021), global asthma burden in children and adolescents decreased, particularly in deaths, while prevalence slightly increased. BAPC projections indicate that the ASPR and ASIR will remain stable through 2040, while ASMR and ASDR will continue to decline. The global burden of asthma among children and adolescents has declined, but regional, sex, and age disparities persist. These findings highlight the need for targeted healthcare strategies and policies that address age, gender, and regional differences.

Objective. Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a common and high incidence disease in gynecology, which seriously affects the quality of life in young women. Our previous study found that mild moxibustion could treat abdominal pain of PD patients, but the mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to partly investigate the treatment mechanism of moxibustion for PD, especially on uterine microcirculation. Methods. Forty 3-month-old Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into four groups, including group A (saline control group, n=10), group B (control plus moxibustion group, n=10), group C (PD model group, n=10), group D (PD. model plus moxibustion group, n=10). The PD rat model was established by injecting estradiol benzoate and oxytocin. Mild moxibustion on Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Guanyuan (CV4) acupoints was once a day, 20 minutes per time, for 10 consecutive days. A vaginal smear was used to test the estrous cycle of rats. Uterine microvascular thickness was observed by stereomicroscope. And we detected the content of prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) in uterine tissue by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. Mild moxibustion can enlarge the microvessels, improve the microcirculation disturbance, and relieve the swelling of the uterus in PD rats. During the mild moxibustion intervention, the contents of PGF_2α and PGE₂ in uterus issues were synchronous increases or decreases and the changes of PGE₂ were more obvious, but the changes of uterine microvasculature and morphology caused by the decrease of PGF_2α were greater than PGE₂. Conclusion. Mild moxibustion at SP6 and CV4 acupoints may relax uterine microvascular obstacle by reducing the content of PGF_2α in uterine tissue, improve the microcirculation disorder, and then alleviate the PD rats uterine swelling.