Global trends and hotspots in research on acupuncture for neurodegenerative diseases over the last decade: a bibliometric and visualization analysis.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the current status and trends of acupuncture for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) in the last decade and provide new insights for researchers in future studies. Methods: The publications concerning acupuncture treatment for NDs published between 2014 and 2023 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection. We used CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze data on numbers of annual publications, countries, institutions, cited journals, cited authors, cited references, keywords, and citation bursts about acupuncture for NDs. Results: A total of 635 publications were obtained from 2014 to 2023. We identified the most prolific journals, countries, institutions, authors, patterns of authorship, and the main direction of future research in the field of acupuncture for NDs in the last decade. The country, institution, and journal with the most publications are China (389 articles), Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (56 articles), and Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (42 articles), respectively. The high-frequency keywords focused on "Alzheimer's disease," "Parkinson's disease," "acupuncture," "dementia," and "electroacupuncture." The top five keywords in terms of centrality were "cerebral ischemia," "acupuncture stimulation," "fMRI," "apoptosis," and "deep brain stimulation." Conclusion: The results from this bibliometric study provide insight into the research trends in acupuncture therapy for NDs, and the current status and trends of the past decade, which may help researchers confirm the current status, hotspots, and frontier trends in this field.

The changes of neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of SAMP8 mice and the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion.

BACKGROUND: Influenced by the global aging population, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has increased sharply. In addition to increasing ß-amyloid plaque deposition and tau tangle formation, neurogenesis dysfunction has recently been observed in AD. Therefore, promoting regeneration to improve neurogenesis and cognitive dysfunction can play an effective role in AD treatment. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been widely used in the clinical treatment of neurodegenerative diseases because of their outstanding advantages such as early, functional, and benign two-way adjustment. It is urgent to clarify the effectiveness, greenness, and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in promoting neurogenesis in AD treatment. METHODS: Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice at various ages were used as experimental models to simulate the pathology and behaviors of AD mice. Behavioral experiments, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and immunofluorescence experiments were used for comparison between different groups. RESULTS: Acupuncture and moxibustion could increase the number of PCNA+ DCX+ cells, Nissl bodies, and mature neurons in the hippocampal Dentate gyrus (DG) of SAMP8 mice, restore the hippocampal neurogenesis, delay the AD-related pathological presentation, and improve the learning and memory abilities of SAMP8 mice. CONCLUSION: The pathological process underlying AD and cognitive impairment were changed positively by improving the dysfunction of neurogenesis. This indicates the promising role of acupuncture and moxibustion in the prevention and treatment of AD.

[Electroacupuncture inhibits neuron injury of SAMP8 mice by reducing inflammatory response].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Baihui"(GV20) and "Shenshu" (BL23) on the pathological injury of neurons in SAMP8 mice and the anti-inflammatory effect on neuron repair, providing a new experimental basis for EA prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: Twelve 7-month-old SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into model and EA groups, and 6 SAMR1 mice of the same age and genetic background were used as normal group. Mice in the EA group were needled at GV20 and bilateral BL23, and EA (1 mA, 2 Hz) was applied to bilateral BL23 for 15 min, once daily, 10 d as a course for a total of 4 courses, with an interval of 1 d. Mice in the normal and model groups were captured and fixed in the same way as the EA group. The spatial learning and memory ability was detected by Morris water maze test. Neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN) positive expression and the number of NeuN-positive cells in dentate gyrus (DG) were detected by immunofluorescence staining. The protein expression levels of ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1(Iba-1), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1ß in hippocampus were detected by Western blot. The ultrastructure of nerve cells in DG was observed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the average escape latency was prolonged(P<0.01), the number of platform crossing was significantly reduced (P<0.01), the average fluorescence intensity of NeuN and the number of NeuN-positive cells in hippocampus DG region decreased (P<0.05), the expression levels of Iba-1, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß in hippocampus were increased (P<0.05) in the model group.Compared with the model group, the ave-rage escape latency was shortened (P<0.01), the number of platform crossing times was significantly increased (P<0.01), the average fluorescence intensity of NeuN and the number of NeuN-positive cells in hippocampus DG region increased (P<0.05), the expression levels of Iba-1, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß in hippocampus were decreased (P<0.05) in the EA group. The morphology of nerve cells in the hippocampus DG region was normal， and the organelles in the cytoplasm were clear, complete and regularly distributed in the normal group. However, the morphology of nerve cells in the model group was seriously irregular, which was also irregular in EA group but somewhat relieved compared with model group. CONCLUSION: EA at GV20 and BL23 can improve the learning and memory ability of SAMP8 mice, which may be related to inhibiting the neuroinflammatory response, increasing the number of neurons and improving the ultrastructure of the DG region of the hippocampus to play the role of neuron protection.

Modified Procedures for ALPPS Based on a Risk-Reduced Strategy: Paralleled Clinical Evaluation at Multiple Institutions.

PURPOSE: We compared the clinical outcomes of modified procedures for associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) based on a risk-reduced strategy with those of classic ALPPS procedures in treating large liver carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Short-term outcomes, increases in future liver remnant (FLR) and functional FLR (FFLR), and overall survival (OS) were compared between 45 consecutive patients treated with modified ALPPS procedures and 34 patients treated with classic ALPPS procedures. RESULTS: Clinical outcomes after the 1st-stage operation markedly improved with the modified procedures. Although the proportions of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma were higher in the modified group, the mortality and incidence of severe complications did not increase. FLR and FFLR hypertrophy at 1 week after the 1st-stage operation were similar in both groups; however, kinetic growth rates in the modified group were lower. OS rates were similar. CONCLUSION: Modified ALPPS procedures could be safely applied to provide long-term survival for patients with liver cirrhosis without sufficient FLR.

Can liming reduce cadmium (Cd) accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa) in slightly acidic soils? A contradictory dynamic equilibrium between Cd uptake capacity of roots and Cd immobilisation in soils.

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation in rice is strongly controlled by liming, but information on the use of liming to control Cd accumulation in rice grown in slightly acidic soils is inconsistent. Here, pot experiments were carried out to investigate the mechanisms of liming on Cd accumulation in two rice varieties focusing on two aspects: available/exchangeable Cd content in soils that were highly responsive to liming, and Cd uptake and transport capacity in the roots of rice in terms of Cd accumulation-relative gene expression. The results showed that soil availability and exchangeable iron, manganese, zinc and Cd contents decreased with increased liming, and that genes related to Cd uptake (OsNramp5 and OsIRT1) were sharply up-regulated in the roots of the two rice varieties. Thus, iron, manganese, zinc and Cd contents in rice plants increased under low liming applications but decreased in response to high liming applications. However, yield and rice quantities were only slightly affected. These results indicated that Cd accumulation in rice grown in slightly acidic soils presents a contradictory dynamic equilibrium between Cd uptake capacity by roots and soil Cd immobilisation in response to liming. The enhanced Cd uptake capacity under low liming dosages increases risks to human health.

A novel functional imidazole fluorescent ionic liquid: simple and efficient fluorescent probes for superoxide anion radicals.

Novel imidazole fluorescent ionic liquids with anthracene groups (ImS-FILA) were synthesized for the first time to act as fluorescent probes. They were developed for the determination of superoxide anion radicals (O2 (•-)) in an aqueous system. O2 (•-) was produced by pyrogallol autoxidation. The fluorescence of ImS-FILA was quenched by superoxide anion radicals. The π-bond structure of the fluorescent molecules was oxidized and damaged. This method is very simple and sensitive. The linear range of sensitivity was 1-70 µM ImS-FILA, and the detection limit for reactive oxygen species was 0.1 µM. This method was used to detect superoxide radicals in papaya and garlic, with satisfactory results. Further work is needed to demonstrate the utility of this method in detecting reactive oxygen species in a biological aqueous system.

BF3·OEt2-Promoted Concise Synthesis of Difluoroboron-Derivatized Curcumins from Aldehydes and 2,4-Pentanedione.

A concise and one-pot cascade method has been developed to achieve the synthesis of difluoroboron-derivatized curcumins (BF2C). Treatment of 2,4-pentanedione with BF3·OEt2, followed by condensation with aldehydes in the presence of tributyl borate and butylamine at 65 °C in toluene furnished the corresponding symmetric (s-BF2C) and unsymmetric difluoroboron-derivatized curcumins (us-BF2C) in good (60 - 99%) and moderate yields (23 - 42%) within 6 - 12 h, respectively.

Bivalent ligands targeting multiple pathological factors involved in Alzheimer's disease.

In a continuing effort to develop multifunctional compounds as potential treatment agents for Alzheimer's disease (AD), a series of bivalent ligands containing curcumin and cholesterylamine were designed, synthesized, and biologically characterized. Biological characterization supported earlier results that the spacer length and its attachment position on curcumin are essential structural determinants for biological activity in this class. Compounds with a spacer length of 17 to 21 atoms exhibited optimal neuroprotection in human neuroblastoma MC65 cells with submicromolar potency. These compounds inhibited the formation of amyloid-ß oligomers (AßOs) and exhibited antioxidative activities in MC65 cells. Bivalent ligand 8, with its spacer (length of 17 atoms) connected at the methylene carbon between the two carbonyls of curcumin moiety is the most potent with an EC(50) of 0.083 ± 0.017 µM. In addition, 8 formed complex with biometals, such as Cu, Fe and Zn. Collectively, the results strongly support our assertion that these compounds are designed bivalent ligands with potential as multifunctional and neuroprotective agents.