The aim of the study was to evaluate the therapeutic value and possible mechanisms of transcutaneous electroacupuncture (TEA) in a double-blind and cross-over study in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). Twenty-seven patients with FD were enrolled and the study consisted of two parts: (i) acute effects of TEA at PC6 and ST36 on gastric slow waves and heart rate variability and (ii) chronic (2 weeks) effects of TEA at PC6 and ST36 on dyspepsia symptoms, gastric slow waves, heart rate variability and neuropeptide Y (NPY) and motilin. The results of this study are: (i) The dyspepsia symptom score was decreased by 55% at the end of chronic TEA and the improvement was significant (P < 0.01); (ii) the high frequency (HF) assessed from the spectral analysis of heart rate variability was markedly increased with both acute TEA (76% increase, P = 0.01) and chronic TEA (75% increase, P = 0.025); (iii) gastric slow waves were not altered by either acute or chronic TEA; and (iv) the plasma level of NPY but not motilin was increased after chronic TEA. Non-invasive and needleless transcutaenous electroacupuncture at ST36 and PC6 markedly improves dyspepsia symptoms and the improvement may be associated with the increase in HF heart rate variability and the modulation of NPY.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading worldwide, with a staggering number of cases and deaths. However, available data on the psychological impacts of COVID-19 on pregnant women are limited. The purposes of this study were to assess the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms among pregnant women, and to compare them with non-pregnant women. From February 28 to March 12, 2020, a cross-sectional study of pregnant and non-pregnant women was performed in China. The online questionnaire was used to collect information of participants. The mental health status was assessed by patient health questionnaire, generalized anxiety disorder scale, insomnia severity index, somatization subscale of the symptom checklist 90, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist-5. Totally, 859 respondents were enrolled, including 544 pregnant women and 315 non-pregnant women. In this study, 5.3%, 6.8%, 2.4%, 2.6%, and 0.9% of pregnant women were identified to have symptoms of depression, anxiety, physical discomfort, insomnia, and PTSD, respectively. However, the corresponding prevalence rates among non-pregnant women were 17.5%, 17.5%, 2.5%, 5.4%, 5.7%, respectively. After adjusting for other covariates, we observed that pregnancy was associated a reduced risk of symptoms of depression (OR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.12–0.45), anxiety (OR = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.16–0.42), insomnia (OR = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.06–0.58), and PTSD (OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.04–0.53) during the COVID-19 epidemic. Our results indicate that during the COVID-19 epidemic in China, pregnant women have an advantage of facing mental problems caused by COVID-19, showing fewer depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD symptoms than non-pregnant women.

Maternal HBsAg carriage was associated with several adverse pregnancy outcomes. Furthermore, hepatitis B viral activity in pregnancy might have certain effects on pregnancy outcomes. Careful surveillance of maternal HBsAg status as well as viral activity in the second trimester among HBsAg carriers is warranted.

The purposes of this study were to examine concentrations of leptin and biochemical parameters in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) individuals, and also to explore the links of leptin (LEP) G2548A and leptin receptor (LEPR) Gln223Arg polymorphisms with leptin levels and GDM risk among Chinese. Our study included 357 GDM and 355 NGT individuals who were at 24~30 gestational weeks. Plasma leptin and insulin levels were analyzed by ELISA. Gene polymorphisms were genotyped using TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. The results showed that plasma leptin levels were significantly higher in the impaired fasting glucose (IFG) group than NGT group (34.35 (26.54, 56.48) ng/mL vs 26.31 (17.99, 37.87) ng/mL, P < 0.05). Plasma leptin levels correlated with plasma fasting insulin levels, pre-pregnant body mass index, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index both in GDM and NGT group (P < 0.05). However, neither LEP G2548A nor LEPR Gln223Arg polymorphisms were significantly associated with GDM risk and plasma leptin levels (P > 0.05). Our findings showed that high leptin level was associated with GDM. And larger and more rigorous researches were needed to further explore the association of LEP and LEPR gene polymorphisms and GDM among Chinese population.