Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic complex musculoskeletal disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbance, memory defects and mood changes. Fisetin, a plant flavonoid polyphenol, has been reported to possess potent antioxidant, antinociceptive and neuroprotective activities. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of fisetin against reserpine-induced FM (RIF) in rats. RIF was induced in male Wistar rats (180-220 gm) using reserpine (1 mg/kg; subcutaneous; once daily for 3 consecutive days) and the rats were treated with fisetin (5, 10 and 25 mg/kg) for 21 days. Various behavioral, biochemical and molecular parameters were evaluated. Administration of reserpine induced allodynia, hyperalgesia and depression, which were significantly ameliorated (P<0.05) by fisetin (10 and 25 mg/kg), as reflected by an increase in paw and tail withdrawal latency, increased paw withdrawal threshold, and decreased immobility time. Reserpine led to decreased biogenic amine levels [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA)] and increased the ratio to their metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the spinal cord, thalamus and prefrontal cortex was significantly decreased (P<0.05) by fisetin. Immunohistological analysis of brain tissue revealed that fisetin significantly inhibited (P<0.05) reserpine-induced depletion of 5-HT. It also significantly inhibited (P<0.05) elevated oxido-nitrosative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, as analyzed by flow cytometry in RIF rats. Fisetin exerts its antinociceptive and anti-depressive potential via modulation of decreased levels of biogenic amines (5-HT, NA and DA), elevated oxido-nitrosative stress and ROS to ameliorate allodynia, hyperalgesia, and depression in experimental RIF.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effects of the combination of acupuncture-related therapies with conventional medication compared with conventional medication in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).Methods: A literature search within eight databases [including Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine (CBM), VIP, and Wanfang Database] was performed covering a time frame from their inception to August 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture-related therapies combined with conventional medication vs. conventional medication in patients with PD were eligible. Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias. Assessments were performed with the total and subscales scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), the dosage of Madopar, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Data were analyzed by adopting the Cochrane Collaboration's RevMan 5.4 (Review Man, Copenhagen, Denmark); and mean effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Tests for heterogeneity were used to assess differences in treatment effects across different types of acupuncture used.Results: Sixty-six trials met the inclusion criteria, of which 61 trials provided data for the meta-analysis. We defined high-quality articles as those with a low risk of bias in four or more domains; and only 10 (15.15%) articles were of high quality. Compared with the controls, acupuncture-related therapies with conventional medication achieved a benefit in the primary outcomes of UPDRS (motor subscore: −3.90, −4.33 to −3.49, P &lt; 0.01; total score: −7.37 points, −8.91 to −5.82, P &lt; 0.001; activities of daily living subscore: −3.96, −4.96 to −2.95, P &lt; 0.01). For the subgroup difference test among the effects of different acupuncture methods, significant differences existed in outcomes with the UPDRS-III, UPDRS-I, UPDRS-IV, and PDQ-39 scores and Madopar dosage, while non-significant differences existed with the UPDRS-total, UPDRS-II, HAMD, and MMSE scores.Conclusions: Acupuncture-related therapies combined with conventional medication may benefit individuals with PD. Our review findings should be considered with caution because of the methodological weaknesses in the included trials. Future, large randomized trials of acupuncture-related therapies for PD with high methodological quality are warranted.Systematic Review Registration: Identifier CRD42021228110.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of mind–body exercise on global cognitive function, depression, sleep disorders, fatigue level, and quality of life (QOL) in a Parkinson’s disease (PD) population.Methods: Total six English and Chinese databases were searched for articles published up to May 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating mind–body excises on non-motor symptoms of PD were included. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality, and we defined high-quality studies as having a low risk of bias in four or more domains. Global cognitive function was considered the primary outcome and was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The secondary outcomes included QOL, fatigue, depression, and sleep quality, which were measured using the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), 16-item Parkinson’s Disease Fatigue Scale (PFS-16), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and revised Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS-2), respectively. Subgroup analyses were conducted for global cognitive function and QOL to assess the optimal treatment measure across the various mind–body exercises.Results: Fourteen RCTs with 404 patients were finally included in the meta-analysis. Eight (57.14%) studies were of high quality. The pooled results showed that mind–body exercises generally had a significant advantage over the control intervention in improving global cognitive function (MD = 1.68; P = 0.0008). The dose subgroup analysis revealed that the low dose (60–120 min per week) and moderate dose (120–200 min per week) significantly increased MoCA scores compared with the control group (MD = 2.11, P = 0.01; MD = 1.27, P = 0.02, respectively). The duration subgroup analysis indicated a significant difference in the effect of the duration (6–10 and &gt;15 weeks) on increasing MoCA scores compared with the control group (MD = 3.74, P &lt; 0.00001; MD = 1.45, P = 0.01, respectively).Conclusion: Mind–body exercise may improve global cognitive function, sleep quality, and QOL in the PD population. In addition, low to moderate doses and appropriate durations significantly improved global cognitive function.Clinical Trial Registration: [www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [CRD42021275522].

In this study, mung beans were added to rice porridge as supplementary cereal at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% (beans/100 g total mixture), respectively to investigate the effect of mung beans on the rheological and frictional properties of rice porridge. During the frequency scanning experiment, the storage modulus (G') of all samples was more substantial than the loss modulus (G''). Moreover, the data obtained from the creep-recovery tests were modeled using Berger's model. The addition of mung beans also increased the instantaneous elastic modulus (E 1) and retarded elastic modulus (E 2) values. In tribology test, the friction curves of the mung bean-rice porridge did not resemble the traditional Stribeck curve and with the increase of mung bean addition ratio and it was more difficult for the fluid (porridge) to enter the next zone. Furthermore, the sensory evaluation indicated that the rice porridge containing 25% and 50% mung beans represented the highest overall preference among evaluators. This study provided theoretical support for finding the relationship between rheology and sensory characteristics of porridges.

IntroductionPostural balance is impaired in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). In addition, the swaying velocity can be affected by low back pain (LBP) dysfunction. However, the extent to which the dysfunction affects postural balance in CLBP patients remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of LBP-related disability on postural balance among CLBP patients and determine factors associated with postural balance impairments.MethodsParticipants with CLBP were recruited and instructed to complete the one-leg stance and Y-balance test. Moreover, they were divided into two subgroups (i.e., low and medium to high LBP-related disability groups) to compare the difference in postural balance based on the degree of LBP-related disability measured by the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. The relationships between postural balance and negative emotions as well as LBP characteristics were determined using the Spearman correlations.ResultsA total of 49 participants with low LBP-related disabilities and 33 participants with medium to high LBP-related disabilities participated in the study. Compared to the medium to high LBP-related disability group, patients in the low LBP-related disability group performed better in one-leg stance on the left leg (z = -2.081, p = 0.037). For Y-balance test, patients in the low LBP-related disability group also had greater normalized values of left leg reach in posteromedial (t = 2.108, p = 0.038) direction and composite score (t = 2.261, p = 0.026) and of right leg reach in posteromedial (t = 2.185, p = 0.032), and posterolateral (t = 2.137, p = 0.036) directions as well as composite score (t = 2.258, p = 0.027). Factors associated with postural balance impairments were also revealed, such as anxiety, depression, and fear avoidance belief.DiscussionThe greater the dysfunction degree, the worse the CLBP patient’s postural balance impairment. Negative emotions could also be considered contributing factors for postural balance impairments.

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Background:To investigate the relation between serum leptin levels and cerebral infarction (CI) by meta-analysis.Materials and Methods:Scientific literature databases were searched for studies published in Chinese and English. After retrieving relevant articles through database searches and screening using predefined selection criteria, high-quality studies related to our research topic were selected for inclusion in this meta-analysis. All statistical analyses were conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 2.0 (CMA 2.0, Biostat Inc., Englewood, New Jersey, USA).Results:The study results revealed that serum leptin levels were significantly higher in CI patients as compared to normal controls. The outcomes of subgroup analysis by ethnicity suggested that the serum leptin levels in CI patients were significantly higher than normal controls in both Asian and Caucasian populations. Further, subgroup analysis based on the detection method indicated that the serum leptin levels in CI patients were significantly higher compared with normal controls when measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) but enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based measurements did not show such statistically significant differences.Conclusion:Our meta-analysis results suggest that serum leptin levels in CI patients may be closely correlated with CI risks.