Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Acupuncture at ST36 Point
Ji-Eun Oh, et al.
Abstract
So far, a number of acupuncture studies have shown anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture treatment, mostly known at specific point ST36.
However, there is no literature that oversaw the inflammation-regulatory effects of acupuncture in each tissue. Therefore, we investigated how
acupuncture at specific acupoint ST36 regulates inflammation and its underlying mechanisms. We searched literatures on PubMed until July 2021
using the keywords "animal, acupuncture, ST36, inflammation, immune," and 292 literatures were searched. We ultimately selected 69 studies to
determine the anti-inflammatory actions of acupuncture at ST36 and classified the changes of inflammatory mediators according to target regions.
Forty-three studies were included in body fluids, 27 studies in the digestive system, 17 studies in the nervous system, and 30 studies in other
tissues or organs. In this review, we found that acupuncture at ST36 has clinical benefits in relieving inflammation through several mechanisms
such as vagus nerve activation, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/NF-?B signaling, macrophage polarization, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)
signaling pathway, and cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. We expect that these data will inform further studies related to ST36 acupuncture
on inflammation.
Front Immunol.2022 Jan 12;12:813748.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.813748. eCollection 2021.
Source: PubMed
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TCM to Prevent and Treat Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction
Yanfei Feng, et al.
Abstract
Diabetic erectile dysfunction (DED) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. However, current therapeutics have no satisfactory effect on DED. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown good effects against DED. By now, several clinical trials have been conducted to study the effect of TCM in treating DED; yet, the underlying mechanism is not fully investigated. Therefore, in this review, we briefly summarized the pathophysiological mechanism of DED and reviewed the published clinical trials on the treatment of DED by TCM. Then, the therapeutic potential of TCM and the underlying mechanisms whereby TCM exerts protective effects were summarized. We concluded that TCM is more effective than chemical drugs in treating DED by targeting multiple
signaling pathways, including those involved in oxidation, apoptosis, atherosclerosis, and endothelial function. However, the major limitation in
the application of TCM against DED is the lack of a large-scale, multicenter, randomized, and controlled clinical trial on the therapeutic effect,
and the underlying pharmaceutical mechanisms also need further investigation. Despite these limitations, clinical trials and further experimental
studies will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms modulated by TCM and promote the widespread application of TCM to treat DED.
Front Pharmacol.2022 Sep 21;13:956173.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.956173. eCollection 2022.
Source: PubMed
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Shikonin Alleviates Collagen-Induced Arthritis Mice by Inhibiting M1 Macrophage Polarization -
Shikonin is a Major Component of Zi Cao
H E Lianhua, et al.
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects of shikonin (SKN) on M1 and M2 polarization of macrophages both and
Methods: Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in male DBA/1 mice were treated with a dose of 4 mg/kg/day of SKN for 23 d ( = 6/group). The
histopathology of inflamed joints in CIA mice was evaluated to test the anti-arthritic effect of SKN. M1/M2 polarization of macrophages induced
by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon (IFN)-? or interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, were used to assess the effect of SKN (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 µM).
The effect of SKN on the protein expression of nitric oxide synthase, arginase, CD68, and CD206 was evaluated using western blot analysis.
Results: The results of this study revealed that SKN delayed the arthritis feet symptom score, reduced the incidence rate of arthritis, and
relieved the inflammation of joints in CIA mice. SKN inhibited M1 macrophage polarization but did not affect M2 macrophage polarization in the
joints of CIA mice. Moreover, SKN inhibited M1 polarization induced by LPS and IFN-?, but did not affect M2 polarization induced by IL-4
and IL-13.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that SKN alleviated CIA through inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization and has great potential as a new drug
for RA treatment.
J Tradit Chin Med.2022 Dec;42(6):932-939.
doi: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20220815.004.
Source: PubMed
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