To examine the preventive and therapeutic effects of ginsenoside Rb1 for neural injury during cerebral infarction, we used a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in rats to investigate the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 with Edaravone as a control. Ginsenoside Rb1 was given to the rats by intragastric administration either before or after the MCAO surgery to study its preventive and therapeutic effects. Ginsenoside Rb1-treated rats had a smaller infarct volume than the positive control. Interleukin-1 (IL-1), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), neurofilament (NF) and growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) were measured to determine brain damage and the recovery of nerves. These findings suggest that ginsenoside Rb1 has neuroprotective effects in rats, and the protection efficiency is higher than Edaravone. The protective mechanism is different from Edaravone. The preventive ability of ginsenoside Rb1 is higher than its repair ability in neuroprotection in vivo.

Background. Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex male dysfunction, mostly seen in young and middle-aged men with a history of more than 3 months. As a traditional therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture has been proven an effective method to treat CP/CPPS in recent years. Though some meta-analyses on acupuncture for chronic prostatitis were published in 2018 and 2019, most of the included studies were low in quality according to the JADAD score (JADAD < 4). The conclusions of acupuncture for CP/CPPS remain indefinite. Purpose. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for CP/CPPS by including high-quality literature only (JADAD ≥ 4) to provide a reliable basis for clinical applications and research. Method. Nine electronic databases were searched from inception to March 1, 2022, and only randomized controlled trials (RCT) with high-quality (JADAD ≥ 4) were included. Data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. and was verified through trial sequential analysis (TSA). We carried out a sensitivity analysis for the heterogeneity (I2 ≥ 50%). Publication bias was explored using a funnel plot. Result. Ten RCTs (11 trials) of high-quality methodology involving 798 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that compared to sham acupuncture (SAT) and western medicine (WM), acupuncture (AT) played superior roles for CP/CPPS patients in pain score, NIH-CPSI score, quality of life score, urinary symptom, and efficacy rate. As for the adverse effects, 4 RCTs described mild hematoma and pain in AT and SAT groups, while specific symptoms including nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and low blood pressure were reported in WM groups. Conclusion. This meta-analysis indicated that acupuncture has measurable benefits on CP/CPPS, and security has also been ensured. However, this meta-analysis only included 10 RCTs; thus, RCTs with a larger sample size and longer-term observation are required to verify the effectiveness of acupuncture further in the future.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is one of major causes of morbidity and mortality in intensive care. In pathophysiological events of ALI, endothelial surface layer (ESL) injury can result in capillary leakage as the initial event. The "Fusu agent", a traditional Chinese medicine, can inhibit inflammatory factors, attenuate lung capillary leak as seen in our previous study. This study was aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of Fusu agent treatment with ALI. Consistent with previous studies, we found that Fusu agent has the protective effect on LPS-induced ALI model rats. Further investigation demonstrated that heparanase activation is necessary for the LPS-induced ALI model to aggravate ESL loss. Fusu agent can inhibit heparanase activation and heparan sulfate proteoglycans' (HSPGs) degradation to mitigate the ESL injury. Furthermore, TNF-α and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were significantly reduced upon Fusu agent pre-treatment to inhibit inflammatory cell influx and neutrophil adhesion in ALI. These findings shed light on the pharmacologic basis for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine in treating ALI.

Background and purpose: Dyskinesia is a series of movement disorders arising from a stroke. Western medicine focuses on anticoagulation, which can lead to intracranial and gastrointestinal bleeding, and reduce the body's immunity. Traditional therapies including acupuncture, tuina, and Chinese herbs, etc., works slowly as well as the relatively simple efficacy. The triple facilitation therapy, an integrated rehabilitation therapy of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, consisting of Lee's pestle needle therapy, Du’s massage therapy, and functional exercise, has effects on improving muscle strength, reducing muscle tension, and assisting in establishing normal movement patterns according to a pilot trial. Whether the triple facilitation therapy is superior to Zhongfengxingnao Oral Liquid, a commonly used Chinese patent medicine in dyskinesia patients after stroke remains unclear. This study aims to compare the effect and safety of triple facilitation therapy and Zhongfengxingnao oral liquid in improving motor function and quality of life in post-stroke dyskinesia patients, and to further verify the non-inferiority of the triple facilitation therapy.Methods and analysis: This study is a randomized-controlled, single-blind trial of triple facilitation therapy (n=33) versus Zhongfengxingnao oral liquid (n=33) in the non-acute stage of post-stroke dyskinesia patients. MMT freehand muscle strength grading, modified Ashworth grading, simplified Fugl-Meyer scoring, isokinetic muscle test outcomes, and 3-D gait analysis outcomes are the primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes include ADL/disability (FIM), general indexes, biochemical indexes, and adverse events. All the primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline (1 day) and 4-weeks/post-intervention (28 days). This study will confirm whether triple facilitation therapy improves rehabilitation of the non-acute stage of post-stroke dyskinesia better than Zhongfengxingnao oral liquid. Ethics and dissemination: Institutional Review Board of the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine approved the research and will obtain the written informed consent of each subject or representative.Trial registry number: ChiCTR2100045105 (www.chictr.org.cn)