Cancer‐related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common chronic symptoms experienced by cancer patients. As moxibustion is a popular traditional therapy for managing fatigue, it can be an alternative strategy to treat CRF as well. Therefore, we rigorously designed a full‐scale, multicenter, assessor‐blinded, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion treatment for CRF. Ninety‐six subjects suffering from CRF were recruited and randomly assigned to moxibustion group, sham moxibustion group, or usual care group. Both the moxibustion group and the sham group received moxibustion treatment for 8 weeks and the usual care group did not. Brief fatigue inventory (BFI) score and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐Fatigue score were used to assess CRF at baseline and weeks 5, 9, and 13. Questionnaires for the assessment of cognitive impairment, quality of life, and Cold–Heat and Deficiency–Excess patterns were also evaluated. BFI scores significantly decreased in moxibustion group compared to the usual care group (mean difference of −1.92, p < 0.001 at week 9 and mean difference of −2.36, p < 0.001 at week 13). Although the sham group also showed significant improvement during the treatment period, only the moxibustion group showed improvement after 4 weeks of follow‐up period (mean difference of −1.06, p < 0.001). There were no serious adverse events. Our findings confirmed the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for CRF compared to usual care. We also found that moxibustion has a prolonged treatment effect during 4 weeks of follow‐up period.

Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) has been used as a food spice, cosmetic, and in traditional medicine formulations to treat asthma and diabetes in South America and Southern Europe. Hibiscus flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is used in traditional Chinese medicine in the form of a tea to treat hypertension and inflammation. In the present study, we examined the synergistic effects of a formula of Metabolaid^® (MetA), a combination of lemon verbena and hibiscus-flower extracts, on obesity and its complications in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. The results showed that MetA decreased body weight, white adipose tissue (WAT), and liver weight. Additionally, serum and hepatic lipid profiles, glucose levels, glucose tolerance, and cold-induced thermogenesis were significantly improved. Appetite-regulating hormones adiponectin and leptin were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, while the inflammatory-related factors tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were downregulated by MetA. Adipogenesis-activating gene expression was decreased, while increased thermogenesis-inducing genes were upregulated in the WAT, correlating with increased phosphorylation of AMPK and fatty-acid oxidation in the liver. Taken together, these results suggest that MetA decreased obesity and its complications in HFD mice. Therefore, this formula may be a candidate for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its complications.

Coal fly dust (CFD)-induced asthma model is used as an ambient particulate matter model of serious pulmonary damage. We aimed to evaluate the effects of a combination of ginseng and Salvia plebeia R. Br extract (KGC-03-PS; KG3P) and its individual components (hispidulin, nepetin and rosmarinic acid) in a CFD-induced mouse model of airway inflammation (asthma). We also evaluated signal transduction by KG3P and its individual components in the alveolar macrophage cell line, MH-S cells. In vitro, KG3P and its individual components inhibited nitric oxide production and expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines (iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) through the NF-κB and MAPK pathways in coal fly ash (CFA)-induced inflammation in MH-S cells. Moreover, in the CFD-induced asthma model in mice, KG3P and its predominant individual component, nepetin, inhibited Asymmetric Dimethyl arginine (ADMA) and Symmetric Dimethyl arginine (SDMA) in serum, and decreased the histopathologic score in the lungs. A significant reduction in the neutrophils and immune cells in BALF and lung tissue was demonstrated, with significant reduction in the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines. Finally, IRAK-1 localization was also potently inhibited by KG3P and nepetin. Thus, KG3P extract can be considered as a potent candidate for amelioration of airway inflammation.

The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) is a self-administered questionnaire developed in England and validated for reliability. We developed a Korean translation of this questionnaire by applying a sequential forward and backward translation approach. The purpose of this study is to validate the Korean version of the LCQ (LCQ-K) in Korean patients with chronic cough. A multicenter prospective study was undertaken with 100 chronic cough patients who consented to participate in the study. The LCQ-K includes eight physical items, seven psychological items, and four social items. Visual analog scale (VAS) of cough, Borg Cough Scale (BCS), and Short Form-36 (SF-36) were used as external comparators. Participants included 52 women and 48 men with ages ranging from 18 years to 69 years. The concurrent validity comparing LCQ-K to VAS, BCS, and SF-36 yielded statistically significant Pearson correlation coefficients. The LCQ-K showed good reliability in three domains, with Cronbach’s α coefficients ranging from 0.84 to 0.87 (total: 0.91). Test–retest reliability was investigated with single measure intraclass correlation coefficients, which were found to be practically and statistically significant ( p = 0.005). Responsiveness was validated by effective size ranging from 1.16 to 1.40 in each domain. LCQ-K is a reliable, valid, and responsive disease-specific questionnaire for assessing symptoms and quality of life of Korean patients with chronic cough.

Particulate matter (PM) exposure may cause adverse health effects such as respiratory disorders. We evaluated the protective effects of various Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) extracts on airway inflammation associated with exposure to PM10D with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm (PM10) and diesel exhaust particles (DEP). BALB/c mice were exposed to PM10D via intranasal tracheal injection three times over a period of 12 days and various OFI extracts (water, 30% ethanolic, or 50% ethanolic extracts) were administered orally for 12 days. All OFI extracts suppressed neutrophil infiltration and the number of immune cells (CD3⁺/CD4⁺, CD3⁺/CD8⁺, and Gr-1⁺/CD11b) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lungs. OFI extracts decreased the expression of cytokines and chemokines, including chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)-1, interleukin (IL)-17, macrophage inflammatory protein-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, cyclooxygenase-2, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1, and mucin 5AC, and inhibited IRAK-1, TNF-α, and CXCL-1 localization in BALF and lungs of mice with PM10D-induced airway inflammation. Serum asymmetric and symmetric dimethyl arginine levels were also decreased by OFI extracts treatment. Moreover, all OFI extracts restored histopathological damage in the trachea and lungs of mice with PM10D-induced airway inflammation. These results indicate that OFI extracts may be used to prevent and treat airway inflammation and respiratory diseases.