A meta-analysis of functional recovery of aphasia after stroke by acupuncture combined with language rehabilitation training.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of combining acupuncture with speech rehabilitation training, compared to acupuncture alone or speech rehabilitation training alone, in the treatment of post-stroke aphasia. METHODS: To gather data for this study, we searched 6 databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, and Chongqing VIP Database. We included clinical randomized controlled trials on acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training for post-stroke aphasia published between January 1, 2011 and October 8, 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature, evaluated its quality, and extracted the data using Stata 15.1 SE and RevMan 5.4 software. We conducted a meta-analysis using the random effects model, and expressed dichotomous variables as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and continuous variables as weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals. Specifically, the odds of improvement were significantly higher in the combination group (OR = 3.89, 95% CI = [2.62, 5.78]). Improvements were also seen in several language functions, including expression (WMD = 5.14, 95% CI = [3.87, 6.41]), understanding (WMD = 9.16, 95% CI = [5.20, 13.12]), retelling (WMD = 11.35, 95% CI = [8.70, 14.00]), naming (WMD = 11.36, 95% CI = [8.12, 14.61] ), reading (WMD = 9.20, 95% CI = [4.87, 13.52]), writing (WMD = 5.65, 95% CI = [3.04, 8.26]), and reading aloud (WMD = 7.45, 95% CI = [3.12, 11.78]). Scores on the Chinese Aphasia Complete Test Scale, Western Aphasia Complete Test Scale, and China Rehabilitation Research Center Aphasia Check Scale were also significantly higher in the combination group, with improvements of 7.89, 9.89, and 9.27, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 16 clinical randomized controlled trials, including 1258 patients, were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that compared to simple rehabilitation training or acupuncture treatment alone, the combination of acupuncture and language rehabilitation training was more effective in improving clinical outcomes for patients with post-stroke aphasia. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this meta-analysis indicate that acupuncture combined with language rehabilitation training can effectively improve the language function of post-stroke aphasia patients and increase clinical effectiveness. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings and provide a more reliable evidence-based basis for clinical practice. In particular, additional studies with large sample sizes, high quality, and more specific and standardized outcome measures are needed to strengthen the evidence. The limited quantity and quality of the current studies may affect the generalizability of the results.

MiR-361-3p promotes tumorigenesis of osteosarcoma cells via targeting ARID3A.

MiR-361-3p has been reported in several types of human cancer. However, the expression profile and biological functions of miR-361-3p in osteosarcoma remain uncovered. The expression profiles of miR-361-3p in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines were evaluated using RT-qPCR. In 88 osteosarcoma patients, survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves; while prognostic significance of miR-361-3p was analyzed using Cox regression analysis. The effects of miR-361-3p on cell proliferation, migration and invasion capacities were analyzed using CCK-8 and transwell assays. The target genes of miR-361-3p were assessed using luciferase reporter assay, RT-qPCR, Western blot and rescue experiments. Xenograft assay was conducted to test tumor growth ability. MiR-361-3p was found to be upregulated in human osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. The expression of miR-361-3p was observed to be closely associated with TNM stage and lung metastasis. High expression of miR-361-3p was found to be capable of predicting poor clinical prognosis in osteosarcoma patients. Whilst overexpression of miR-361-3p was demonstrated to promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells; knockdown of miR-361-3p was shown to exhibit an opposite inhibitory effect. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays confirmed that ARID3A is a direct target of miR-361-3p. Functional assays demonstrated that osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion were promoted by miR-361-3p via negative regulation of ARID3A. Finally, overexpression of ARID3A was shown to partially reverse the tumor-promoting effect of miR-361-3p. Besides, in vivo assays revealed that miR-361-3p overexpression facilitated tumor growth in nude mice. In conclusion, this study indicates that miR-361-3p is a crucial prognostic biomarker of osteosarcoma, and that targeting of miR-361-3p/ARID3A axis may be a promising strategy in osteosarcoma therapy.

USF1-mediated upregulation of lncRNA GAS6-AS2 facilitates osteosarcoma progression through miR-934/BCAT1 axis.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been certified as important regulators in tumorigenesis. LncRNA GAS6-AS2 (GAS6-AS2) was a newly identified tumor-related lncRNA, and its dysregulation and oncogenic effects in melanoma and bladder cancer had been reported in previous studies. However, the expression pattern and potential function of GAS6-AS2 in osteosarcoma (OS) have not been investigated. In this study, we identified a novel OS-related lncRNA GAS6-AS2. We found that GAS6-AS2 was distinctly upregulated in both OS specimens and cell lines. Distinct up-regulation of GAS6-AS2 in OS was correlated with advanced clinical stages and shorter survivals. In addition, USF1 could directly bind to the GAS6-AS2 promoter and contribute to its overexpression. Furthermore, GAS6-AS2 knockdown caused tumor suppressive effects via reducing cellular proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoting OS cell apoptosis. Besides, GAS6-AS2 directly bound to miR-934 and downregulated its expression. Mechanistically, GAS6-AS2 positively regulated the expression of BCAT1 through sponging miR-934. Taken together, our data illustrated how GAS6-AS2 played an oncogenic role in OS and might offer a potential therapeutic target for treating OS.