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ST36 acupoint injections with dexamethasone outperforms conventional western medicine in treating chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression, significantly improving clinical efficacy and recovery.
2021 Frontiers in Oncology Zusanli (ST36) Acupoint Injection With Dexamethasone for Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Chen J, Lin Z, Ding J
Systematic Review Cancer Treatment Support Dexamethasone Myelosuppression
The study executed a systematic evaluation of the efficacy of ST36 acupoint injection with dexamethasone in treating chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression. A total of 17 randomized controlled trials from eight different databases were extracted for this meta-analysis. A detailed examination and analysis of various data gathered were performed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool for bias, Excel 2010 for creating an information extraction database, and RevMan 5.3.0 software for analyzing test data. The quality of evidence was graded using GRADE profiler 3.6 software.
The results indicated that compared to conventional western medicine, ST36 acupoint injection with dexamethasone vastly improved the clinical aggregate effective rate. Notably, it increased the white blood cell count and hemoglobin levels in patients, further enhancing their Karnofsky performance status. The treatment also shortened the recovery time of myelosuppression. However, there were no significant differences observed in platelet elevation between the ST36 acupoint injection with dexamethasone and conventional western medicine.
Acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) might be effective in reducing injuries induced by sepsis in various organs by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.
2020 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) for Experimental Sepsis: A Systematic Review Lai F, Ren Y, Lai C, Chen R, Yin X, Tan C, et al.
Systematic Review Sepsis ST36
The researchers conducted a systematic review of seven databases, covering the inception of each to May 2019. They identified 54 studies that used acupuncture at ST36, a specific acupuncture point, for treating experimental sepsis, drawing from both English and Chinese literature resources.
The studies reviewed suggest that acupuncture could serve as a complementary strategy in treating sepsis by reducing damage in multiple body systems: cardiac, lung, kidney, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and the immune system. It's thought to achieve these results through several mechanisms: limiting oxidative stress, managing inflammation, improving microcirculation, and upholding immune balance with the help of dopamine. Worth noting, however, is that these positive findings must be carefully considered due to the methodological quality and potential publication bias of the included studies.
Kiwifruit increases water retention in the small bowel and ascending colon and increases total colonic volume. It could be used as a dietary alternative to laxatives in mild constipation.
2019 Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics Mechanisms underlying effects of kiwifruit on intestinal function shown by MRI in healthy volunteers WilkinsonâSmith V, Dellschaft N, Ansell J, Hoad C, Marciani L, Gowland P, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial fMRI Study
This study aimed to use MRI techniques to identify the mechanism of action behind the therapeutic benefit seen from kiwifruit in previous studies. We hypothesised that some of the physicochemical properties of kiwifruit would increase intestinal water, and we have found this to be the case.
Colonic water content, reflected by T1 relaxation time, showed some increase in the ascending colon. This is likely due to water trapping by the fruit fibre in the small intestine. The timing of the increase in colonic water content in the second half of the study day is in accordance with when the meal contents would be predicted to reach the caecum.
In the descending colon measuring T1 relaxation time was challenging, as the descending colon was sometimes empty. There was no difference in T1 found here and the values were generally lower than those in the ascending colon. This is as previously reported15 and in keeping with the function of the colon in progressively dehydrating colonic contents as they move distally.
Acupuncture, as an adjuvant therapy or monotherapy, can protect and restore dopaminergic neurons, bearing positive implications for the Parkinson's disease treatment.
2015 Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture for Parkinson's Disease: a review of clinical, animal, and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies Danqing X
Review Article Acupuncture fMRI Study Parkinson's Disease
Methodologically, animal studies were used to investigate the effects of acupuncture treatment on Parkinson's disease. An examination was conducted to see if the treatment was neuroprotective, if it could protect dopaminergic neurons from degeneration, and restorative, if it could restore tyrosine hydroxylase positive dopaminergic terminals in the striatum. These pathways were monitored at both molecular and cellular levels. The research also looked into whether the protection was mediated through the same mechanisms as other neuroprotective agents such as anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic pathways.
The results indicated that acupuncture was not only neuroprotective and restorative, but also seen to improve motor performance in animal models of Parkinsonism. The protective effect appeared to be mediated through common mechanisms of other neuroprotective agents, while restoration of function involved activation of certain compensatory brain regions to correct the imbalances stemming from the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, clinical studies in China and Korea depicted a positive impact of acupuncture in treating Parkinson's disease, specifically by reducing the dosage of dopaminergic medications and the associated side effects.
Most studies suggest that acupuncture can modulate the activity within specific brain areas, and the evidence based on meta-analyses confirmed some of these results.
2012 PLOS One Characterizing Acupuncture Stimuli Using Brain Imaging with fMRI - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature Huang, W., Pach, D., Napadow, V., et al.
Systematic Review Acupuncture fMRI Study
Brain response to acupuncture stimuli encompasses a broad network of regions consistent with not just somatosensory, but also affective and cognitive processing. While published results on acupuncture and fMRI were heterogeneous, from a descriptive perspective most studies suggest that acupuncture can modulate the brain activity within specific brain areas, and the evidence based on meta-analyses confirmed part of these results. Future studies should further improve methodological aspects and reporting related to both fMRI and acupuncture, and strictly control experimental conditions for more robust inference. Specifically, direct contrast analyses should be used to contrast different stimulus conditions (e.g. verum versus sham acupuncture) when evaluating research questions concerning acupuncture specificity.
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