Whether mindfulness-guided therapy can be a new direction for the rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson's disease: a network meta-analysis of non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions.

Background: The treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) consumes a lot of manpower and financial resources. Non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions are optimized for the rehabilitation of PD patients. Mindfulness-based therapy shows ideal efficacy, but the diversity of the therapy brings difficulties to the selection of clinicians and patients. Methods: Network meta-analysis in the Bayesian framework was used to evaluate the efficacy of non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions in improving motor and non-motor symptoms in PD patients. Results: A total of 58 studies (2,227 patients) were included. Compared with the non-intervention group, qigong was associated with improved outcomes in the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test (mean difference (MD) -5.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) -8.28 to -2.77), and UPDRS-I (MD -15.50, 95% CI -19.93 to -7.63). Differences between non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions were not significant for PDQ-39, UPDRS-I, or UPDRS-II; however, qigong was superior to dance (MD -3.91, 95% CI -6.90 to -0.95), Tai Chi (MD -3.54, 95% CI -6.53 to -0.69), acupuncture (MD -6.75, 95% CI -10.86 to -2.70), music (MD -3.91, 95% CI -7.49 to -0.48), and exercise (MD -3.91, 95% CI -6.49 to -1.33) in the TUG test. Conclusion: This network meta-analysis supports mindfulness-based therapy (e.g., qigong, yoga, and Tai Chi) as a preferred non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based intervention for PD rehabilitation. Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-10-0109/, INPLASY2022100109.

Local application of paeonol prevents early restenosis: a study with a rabbit vein graft model.

BACKGROUND: Neointimal hyperplasia, which is caused by dysfunction of vascular smooth muscle cells and vascular endothelial cells (VECs), is a foundation for later development of vein grafted occlusion. This study investigates whether neointimal hyperplasia could be prevented by the application of paeonol, a phenolic compound having functions of anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-proliferative. METHODS: Autologous jugular veins, which engrafted to carotid arteries in rabbits, were enveloped with paeonol or left untreated. After 0, 2, and 3 wk, vein grafts were respectively harvested. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen, vascular cell adhesion molecule l (VCAM-1), and intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 were assessed with immunohistochemistry and Western blot. VECs apoptosis was also detected with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. RESULTS: Paeonol treatment reduced early neointimal hyperplasia by 42%-46% (P < 0.001) and early medial hyperplasia by 18%-22% (P < 0.001) compared with the controls. Immunohistochemical and Western blot results show a significant downregulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (P < 0.001) and VCAM-1 (P < 0.001) in paeonol treatment group in the second and third weeks. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling analysis discovered that VECs apoptosis was also reduced by the paeonol treatment in the second and third weeks (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Paeonol could prevent vein graft early restenosis by suppressing intimal and medial hyperplasia via inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cells proliferation, VCAM-1 expression, and anti-apoptosis of VECs in grafted veins.

The Significance of Neuregulin-1/ErbB Expression in Autogenous Vein Grafts in a Diabetic Rat Model.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important risk factor for increased vein graft failure after bypass surgery. The neuregulin-1 (NRG-1)/ErbB signaling system plays a critical role in neointimal formation after vascular injury as well as the proliferation and migration of mitogen-induced vascular smooth muscle cells; however, changes in NRG-1/ErbB signaling leading to vein grafts attrition in DM remain largely unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate changes in NRG-1/ErbB signaling in vein grafts in diabetic rats. To do this, a rat model of DM was established by streptozotocin injection followed by engraftment of autologous jugular veins to carotid arteries to induce intimal hyperplasia. After vein graft harvest, a pathohistological examination was performed; changes in NRG-1 and ErbB expression were also assessed. NRG-1 and ErbB expression localized to endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, which is consistent with the arterialization of vein grafts. NRG-1, ErbB2, and ErbB4 expression significantly decreased in vein grafts over time. Our findings show that NRG-1/ErbB signaling is impaired in vein grafts of diabetic rats, suggesting an important role for this pathway in the pathogenesis of intimal hyperplastic lesions in vein grafts of patients with DM.

[Temperature and time change of moxa cone moxibustion with different purities of moxa].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the temperature and time in moxa cone moxibustion with different purities of moxa. METHODS: According to the purities, the moxa were divided into a 10 : 1 group, a 20 : 1 group, a 30 : 1 group and a 40 : 1 group, 30 moxa cones in each group. With the VICTOR DM6902 electronic thermometer, the temperature of the undersurface center at different time points during the moxa cone moxibustion with different purities of moxa was measured. Once the moxa cone was ignited, the results were recorded at the end of each second. Also the temperature peak of the undersurface center and the time when the peak occurred were recorded. RESULT: The undersurface temperature was increased in all the groups; the time of moxa cone reaching the lowest peak temperature was significantly different in all the groups (all P<0. 05), which was the 10 : 1 group, 20 : 1 group, 30 : 1 group and 40 : 1 group from slow to fast. 50 s, 60 s, 70 s, 80 s and 90 s after moxa cone was ignited, the temperature of moxa cone at the same time point was significantly different in all the groups (all P<0. 05), which was the 10 : 1 group, 20 : 1 group, 30 : 1 group and 40 : 1 group from slow to fast. Conclusion Among the moxa with purity of 10 : 1, 20 : 1, 30 : 1, and 40 : 1, the temperature change rate of the low-purity moxa cone is smaller than that of higher purity, and the stimulating duration of the former is longer than the latter. It is believed that the moxa with purity of 40 : 1 is suitable for scarring moxibustion; the moxa with purity of 30 : 1 and 20 : 1 is suitable for the non-scarring moxibustion; the moxa with purity of 10 : 1 is suitable for gentle moxibustion therapy. The high-purity moxa can also be applied to the field of the low-purity moxa.