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Stem Cell Research & Therapy Apr 2024Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a major cause of infertility. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of the combination of bone marrow mesenchymal...
Combination of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and moxibustion restores cyclophosphamide-induced premature ovarian insufficiency by improving mitochondrial function and regulating mitophagy.
BACKGROUND
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a major cause of infertility. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of the combination of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and moxibustion (BMSCs-MOX) on POI and evaluate the underlying mechanisms.
METHODS
A POI rat model was established by injecting different doses of cyclophosphamide (Cy). The modeling of POI and the effects of the treatments were assessed by evaluating estrous cycle, serum hormone levels, ovarian weight, ovarian index, and ovarian histopathological analysis. The effects of moxibustion on BMSCs migration were evaluated by tracking DiR-labeled BMSCs and analyzing the expression of chemokines stromal cell-derived factor 1 (Sdf1) and chemokine receptor type 4 (Cxcr4). Mitochondrial function and mitophagy were assessed by measuring the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), ATP, and the mitophagy markers (Drp1, Pink1, and Parkin). Furthermore, the mitophagy inhibitor Mdivi-1 and the mitophagy activator CCCP were used to confirm the role of mitophagy in Cy-induced ovarian injury and the underlying mechanism of combination therapy.
RESULTS
A suitable rat model of POI was established using Cy injection. Compared to moxibustion or BMSCs transplantation alone, BMSCs-MOX showed improved outcomes, such as reduced estrous cycle disorders, improved ovarian weight and index, normalized serum hormone levels, increased ovarian reserve, and reduced follicle atresia. Moxibustion enhanced Sdf1 and Cxcr4 expression, promoting BMSCs migration. BMSCs-MOX reduced ROS levels; upregulated MMP and ATP levels in ovarian granulosa cells (GCs); and downregulated Drp1, Pink1, and Parkin expression in ovarian tissues. Mdivi-1 significantly mitigated mitochondrial dysfunction in ovarian GCs and improved ovarian function. CCCP inhibited the ability of BMSCs-MOX treatment to regulate mitophagy and ameliorate Cy-induced ovarian injury.
CONCLUSIONS
Moxibustion enhanced the migration and homing of BMSCs following transplantation and improves their ability to repair ovarian damage. The combination of BMSCs and moxibustion effectively reduced the excessive activation of mitophagy, which helped prevent mitochondrial damage, ultimately improving ovarian function. These findings provide a novel approach for the treatment of pathological ovarian aging and offer new insights into enhancing the efficacy of stem cell therapy for POI patients.
Topics: Humans; Female; Rats; Animals; Mitophagy; Reactive Oxygen Species; Moxibustion; Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency; Cyclophosphamide; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Mitochondria; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; Protein Kinases; Hormones; Adenosine Triphosphate
PubMed: 38589967
DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03709-0 -
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and... Dec 2023Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the most common chronic degenerative joint disease and places a substantial burden on the public health resources in China. The purpose of...
Efficacy and safety comparison of infrared laser moxibustion and traditional moxibustion in knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a Zelen-design randomized controlled non-inferiority clinical trial.
BACKGROUND
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the most common chronic degenerative joint disease and places a substantial burden on the public health resources in China. The purpose of this study is to preliminarily evaluate whether infrared laser moxibustion (ILM) is non-inferior to traditional moxibustion (TM) in the treatment of KOA.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In the designed Zelen-design randomized controlled non-inferiority clinical trial, a total of 74 patients with KOA will be randomly allocated to one of two interventions: ILM treatment or TM treatment. All participants will receive a 6-week treatment and a follow-up 4 weeks after treatment. The primary outcomes will be the mean change in pain scores on the numeric rating scale (NRS) measured at baseline and the end of last treatment at week 6. The secondary outcomes will be the pain scores on the NRS from weeks 1 to 5 after the start of treatment and the changes from baseline to endpoints (weeks 6 and 10) in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), SF-36, knee circumference, and 6-min walking test. In addition, safety assessment will be performed throughout the trial.
CONCLUSION
The results of our study will help determine whether a 6-week treatment with ILM is non-inferior to TM in patients with KOA, therefore providing evidence to verify if ILM can become a safer alternative for TM in clinical applications in the future.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Clinical Trial Registration Platform (ChiCTR2200065264); Pre-results. Registered on 1 November 2022.
Topics: Humans; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Moxibustion; Knee Joint; Pain; Lasers; Treatment Outcome; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 38042770
DOI: 10.1186/s13018-023-04408-x -
Annals of Palliative Medicine Jan 2022To assess the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for post-stroke depression (PSD). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
To assess the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for post-stroke depression (PSD).
METHODS
A search was conducted in the following English and Chinese databases: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM), VIP and Wanfang. The outcomes included Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), effective rate, and Modified Edinburgh-Scandinavian Stroke Scale (MESSS) scale. The formulation of search strategy, data extraction, and quality evaluation of involved studies was performed according to Cochrane handbook guidelines. The software RevMan 5.4 and Stata 16 were used for data analysis. The evidence quality of each outcome was evaluated by GRADEpro guideline development tool (GDT).
RESULTS
A total of 14 trials with 863 participants were included. A certain risk of bias of unclear or high was detected in the included studies. Compared with the control group, adding moxibustion could change the value of HAMD [standardized mean difference (SMD) =-1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.55 to -0.79; I2=85.5%; P<0.01] and the effective rate [risk ratio (RR) =1.22; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.32; I2=0.0%; P=0.56], and the differences in the MESSS scale (SMD =-0.72; 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.38; I2=0.0%; P=0.80) had statistical differences. The certainty was low in effective rate, and very low in HAMD and MESSS. Besides, moxibustion was shown to be generally safe.
DISCUSSION
This review found that moxibustion may be an effective intervention for PSD. However, the results of this study have a certain limitation. The benefits of moxibustion for PSD need to be confirmed in the future by more high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Topics: China; Depression; Humans; Moxibustion; Stroke
PubMed: 35144401
DOI: 10.21037/apm-21-3421 -
Medicine Apr 2021Infantile Diarrhea is a common and frequent digestive tract disease in children. The causes of this disease are relatively complex and the onset time is relatively long....
BACKGROUND
Infantile Diarrhea is a common and frequent digestive tract disease in children. The causes of this disease are relatively complex and the onset time is relatively long. At present, there is no specific treatment method in Western medicine. Moxibustion is a simple and painless external treatment. However, due to the lack of high-quality evidence to support the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion therapy for pediatric diarrhea. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to verify the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of pediatric diarrhea.
METHODS
We will use PubMed, Cochrane Library, Wan Fang Database, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Science Journal Database, China Biomedical Literature Database to carry out a progressive search of diseases. The study will be screened according to eligibility criteria, and quality of the study will be assessed by using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.
RESULTS
Through this study, we will systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of pediatric diarrhea.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study will provide reliable evidence of the safety and effectiveness of moxibustion in the treatment of infantile diarrhea, and provide a therapeutic basis for the future clinical application.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
Since this paper does not involve ethical issues, it does not need to pass the review of the ethics committee. It can only collect relevant literature and study.
INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER
INPLASY202130091.
Topics: Diarrhea, Infantile; Humans; Infant; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Moxibustion; Research Design; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33907156
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000025712 -
Medicine Apr 2021Ankylosing spondylitis is a complex and progressive autoimmune inflammatory disease with a worldwide prevalence ranging up to 0.9%. Several systematic reviews and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Ankylosing spondylitis is a complex and progressive autoimmune inflammatory disease with a worldwide prevalence ranging up to 0.9%. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of traditional Chinese medicine alternative therapies, such as acupuncture or moxibustion, have demonstrated the effectiveness of moxibustion and acupuncture in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. However, there is no relevant literature to comprehensively evaluate the evidence. The purpose of this overview is to synthesize and evaluate the reliability of evidence generated in the systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis of moxibustion and acupuncture as a primary or complementary therapy for patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
METHODS
PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched for systematic reviews and meta-analysis that review the efficacy of acupuncture or moxibustion as the primary treatment for patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis. The literature published before August 2020 will be selected. Additionally, the relevant SRs and meta-analyses that unpublished or ongoing will be searched in PROSPERO and INPLASY. The methodological guidelines for overviews will be used to review and extract data by 2 reviewers, and their will do it independently. Methodology quality will be analyzed by the assessment of multiple systematic reviews-2and the risk of bias by POBIS. For the included studies, we will adopt the following results as primary evaluation indicators: effective rate, visual analogue scale and bath AS disease activity index. Reviewers will assess the certainty of evidence by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.
RESULTS
The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
CONCLUSION
This overview will provide comprehensive evidence of moxibustion and acupuncture for patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Topics: Acupuncture Therapy; Humans; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Moxibustion; Pain Measurement; Research Design; Spondylitis, Ankylosing; Systematic Reviews as Topic
PubMed: 33847616
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000025179 -
Medicine Dec 2021Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-malignant enlargement of the prostate gland that is common in older men. The clinical manifestations of BPH are frequent...
BACKGROUND
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-malignant enlargement of the prostate gland that is common in older men. The clinical manifestations of BPH are frequent urination, urgency, incomplete dribbling of urine, and urinary retention. Moxibustion, as a convenient, safe and effective method, has been widely applied in the clinical treatment of BPH. The study aim to assess the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for BPH.
METHODS
The following electronic databases will be searched regardless of language and publication status: Pubmed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, China Biomedical Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database, and Wanfang Database, to select studies that meet the requirements. The study will consist of a prospective randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of moxibustion in the treatment of BPH, language of publication does not have barrier of blinding or restrictions, adverse events will be assessed and reported for safety assessment. Two reviewers will independently conduct and screen all included studies and the meta-analysis will be performed with RevMan V5.3.
RESULTS
The study will provide a high-quality convincing assessment of efficacy and safety of moxibustion for BPH.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion of this study will provide the latest evidence for judging whether moxibustion is effective and safe in the treatment of BPH.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
INPLASY2021120021.
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Aged; Humans; Male; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Moxibustion; Prospective Studies; Prostatic Hyperplasia; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Research Design; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34941196
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000028437 -
Complementary Therapies in Medicine Dec 2022Acupuncture and moxibustion have promising effects in managing primary dysmenorrhea. However, some evidence from clinical trials remains controversial due to... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Acupuncture and moxibustion have promising effects in managing primary dysmenorrhea. However, some evidence from clinical trials remains controversial due to methodological flaws in study designs that involve acupuncture and its related modalities and require urgent attention and dialogue.
METHODS
Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), PubMed, Web of Sciences, Chinese Biological Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP), and Wanfang database were searched from their inception to July 2021. Data were extracted based on the types of study design, primary outcome measures, adverse events (AEs), and participants' subjective views.
RESULTS
Most studies (n = 282, 93 %) were published in Chinese and 21 (7 %) in English. Among these, there were 209 (69 %) randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 39 (13 %) non-randomized controlled trials (nRCTs), 30 (10 %) case-series reports, 15 (5 %) cohort studies, and 10 (3 %) case reports. The most frequent reported outcome was pain, followed by emotion, sleeping quality, quality of life, skin temperature, changes in brain function, uterine and ovarian blood flow, and reproductive endocrine level. AEs were reported in 37 studies with mild events, and all recovered without actions taken; 31 trials reported no AEs; 235 failed to report any AEs. One RCT found that the satisfaction rate of the intervention group was statistically significantly higher than the control group.
CONCLUSION
Clinical studies on acupuncture and its related modalities face methodological challenges and require urgent attention. RCT with blinding and sham control might be the gold standard trial design. However, it may not be the most suitable research method for these modalities. We recommend using pragmatic RCTs in this field, where trial protocol registration on the trial registry platforms and detailed safety reporting should be mandatory.
Topics: Female; Humans; Research Design; Moxibustion; Acupuncture Therapy; Quality of Life; China; Dysmenorrhea
PubMed: 35998757
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2022.102874 -
BMJ Open Mar 2024Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a global chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and the poor efficacy of currently available pharmacological regimens makes the management of UC...
INTRODUCTION
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a global chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and the poor efficacy of currently available pharmacological regimens makes the management of UC a great challenge. Moxibustion has shown great potential in the management of UC. However, its effectiveness and safety are still controversial. The purpose of this study is to synthesise the latest evidence regarding the clinical efficacy and safety of moxibustion for UC.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and SinoMed databases will be searched from inception to July 2023, to identify all randomised controlled trials with moxibustion for UC. The primary outcome will be clinical efficacy, as measured by validated scales. The serum inflammatory factor, colonoscopy results, quality of life, recurrence rate and adverse events will be the secondary outcomes. The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool will be used to assess the methodological quality of each included trial. All data extraction will be carried out independently by two investigators. RevMan V.5.4 software will be used for data analysis and Cochran's Q statistic and I test will be used to assess heterogeneity between studies. In addition, we will perform subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses and publication bias if the available data are sufficient. The strength of evidence will be graded using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
Ethics approval is not required for this review. Our findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42023425481.
Topics: Humans; Moxibustion; Colitis, Ulcerative; Quality of Life; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Research Design; Review Literature as Topic
PubMed: 38503422
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078878 -
IDCases 2020Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese treatment that has been utilized for centuries. It also plays an important role in traditional Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and...
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese treatment that has been utilized for centuries. It also plays an important role in traditional Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and Mongolian medicine. It is considered safe by practitioners of Alternative Medicine, similar to acupuncture treatment, and consists of burning plant materials called "moxa" on or very near the surface of the skin near meridian points. Traditional practitioners believe that it can be effective against chronic conditions and improve blood in one's body. However, Moxibustion is not without risk to the patient. This case report describes a case of a patient whose moxibustion treatment led to septic shock secondary to necrotizing fasciitis.
PubMed: 33294368
DOI: 10.1016/j.idcr.2020.e00990 -
Medicine Aug 2023This study was developed to compare the relative clinical efficacy of traditional moxibustion and Jade moxibustion in an effort to define the most effective approaches... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
This study was developed to compare the relative clinical efficacy of traditional moxibustion and Jade moxibustion in an effort to define the most effective approaches to treating knee osteoarthritis.
METHODS
In total, 94 patients were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to the traditional moxibustion (TM) and Jade moxibustion (JM) groups. For JM, a jade kneepad was preheated for 3 minutes via electrification, with the jade in the kneepad being pressed onto acupoints when reaching an initial temperature of 46°C. For patients in the TM group, moxa cones were applied to acupoints for treatment. In total, 12 treatments were performed for patients in each group, with treatment being conducted 3 times per week. Study outcomes included 36-item short-form health survey and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index knee stiffness scores. In addition, serum levels of osteoarthritis-related cytokines were measured.
RESULTS
Overall, 89/94 patients completed this study, including 44 and 45 in the TM and JM groups, respectively. The 36-item short-form health survey physical functioning at weeks 12 and 24 (P = .033, 0.001), role-physical at weeks 4 and 24 (P = .030, 0.014), and role-emotional at week 4 (P = .045) were the only scores to differ significantly between the TM and JM groups. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index stiffness scores in the JM groups improved significantly relative to baseline at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 24 (all P < .01). The scores in the TM group differed significantly at all time points relative to baseline (all P < .01), with no differences between groups (all P > .05). Serum Interleukin-2 levels were lower in both groups (all P < .01). Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 only differed significantly for patients treated via JM (P < .05, P < .01), with the same also being true for Interleukin-1β and Interleukin-8 in the TM group (all P < .01). No significant differences in other cytokines were observed, nor did they differ significantly between groups (all P > .05).
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that JM treatment can improve knee osteoarthritis patient quality of life, alleviating joint stiffness and restoring joint function with a level of efficacy comparable to TM.
Topics: Humans; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Moxibustion; Quality of Life; Treatment Outcome; Cytokines; Acupuncture Points
PubMed: 37543785
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034537