[Effect of otopoint pellet-pressing combined with medication on clinical symptoms of migraine patients and changes of plasma 5-HT and CGRP contents].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short-term and long-term clinical effects of otopoint pellet-pressing combined with medication in the treatment of patients with migraine without aura and its impact on plasma 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) and calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP) contents. METHODS: Patients with migraine without aura were randomly divided into medication(control) group(n=48) and otopoint pellet-pressing plus medication (treatment) group(n=49). Patients of the control group were given oral Flunarizine capsules(10 mg/time) twice a day, and those of the treatment group received same dosage of Flunarizine and pellet-pressing of otopoints Nao(Brain), Nie (Temporal), Shenmen(Shenmen), Jiaogan(Sympathy) and Pizhixia(Subcortex), 2 min/point, 3 times a day, simultaneously. The treatment was conducted for 1 month. The short-term and long-term clinical effects were evaluated according to Yang and colleagues' methods, and "Guiding principles for clinical research of new TCM drugs (trial)". The contents of plasma 5-HT and CGRP were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: After one month's treatment, of the 48 and 49 patients in the control and treatment groups, 10(20.83%)and 17(34.69%) were under control, 19(39.59%)and 23(46.94%) experienced marked improvement, 10(20.83%)and 7(14.29%)were effective, 9(18.75%) and 2(4.08%) failed, with the total effective rates being 81.25% and 95.92%, respectively. Six months' follow-up survey showed that of the 48 and 49 patients in the control and treatment groups, 4(8.33%)and 11(22.45%) were under control, 20(41.67%)and 24(48.98%)experienced marked improvement, 11(22.92%)and 9(18.37%)were effective, and 13(27.08%) and 5(10.20%)failed, with the total effective rates being 72.92% and 89.80%, respectively. The number of headache attacks, duration of each attack and the degree of headache were significantly decreased after 1 and 6 months' treatment in both groups in comparison with their own pre-treatment (P<0.05). The contents of plasma 5-HT at the time-points of 1 and 6 months were markedly increased (P<0.05), and those of plasma CGRP at the two time points markedly decreased in both groups in comparison with their own pre-treatment (P<0.05). The therapeutic effects of the treatment group were obviously superior to those of the control group in lowering the number of headache attacks, duration of each attack and the degree of headache and plasma CGRP content, as well as in increasing plasma 5-HT levels after 1 and 6 months' treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Otopoint pellet-pressing combined with oral administration of Flunarizine can significantly improve the clinical symptoms in patients with migraine without aura, and possess a stable long-term clinical effect, which may be associated with its effect in increasing plasma 5-HT and decreasing CGRP levels.

Anti-cancer effect of marchantin C via inducing lung cancer cellular senescence associated with less secretory phenotype.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of global cancer deaths. Current chemotherapeutic agents for lung cancer treatment are generally accompanied with severe side effects. Here, we report that marchantin C (Mar-C), a potential natural compound with little chemotherapeutic toxicity, exerts a well anti-tumor effect against lung cancer via inducing cellular senescence. METHODS: The antitumor activity of Mar-C was evaluated by MTT and colony formation in vitro cytotoxicity assays, and xenograft and homograft in vivo model. Antitumor mechanisms of Mar-C were investigated through SA-ß-gal staining, Q-PCR, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, protein array and siRNA knocking-down analysis. RESULTS: Mar-C selectively induces senescence of lung cancer cells with limited cytotoxicity on normal or non-neoplastic cells. Mar-C-induced senescence was associated with the elevation of ROS and activation of DNA-damage, and largely dependent of prolonged p21CIP1 accumulation. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) induced by Mar-C was distinct from doxorubicin-induced. Furthermore, Mar-C exhibited an inhibitory activity on tumor growth with little toxicity in animal studies, and significantly prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice than that of doxorubicin or vehicle treatments. CONCLUSION: Mar-C selectively inhibited tumor growth via the induction of cancer cell senescence and had little chemotherapeutic toxicity, suggesting the potential of Mar-C as a promising anticancer agent. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study provided evidence to identify a novelty of Mar-C that exerted antitumor activity on lung cancer through induction of senescence with limited toxicity.