RECENT RESEARCH
Acupuncture and TCM
Wang X, Fan Y, Xiang Y, Zhang S, Yang Y. Comprehensive gut microbiota and metabolomics combined with network pharmacology reveal the effects of acupuncture treatment for chemotherapyinduced nausea and vomiting. Transl Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025 Apr 14; 10:26. doi: 10.21037 / tgh-24-35. PMID: 40337760; PMCID: PMC12056097.
Background: Chemotherapyinduced nausea and vomiting( CINV) significantly impact cancer patients ' quality of life. Traditional pharmacological treatments often have limited effectiveness and can cause adverse effects. Acupuncture, a key practice in traditional Chinese medicine( TCM), shows promise as a complementary therapy for CINV. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of acupuncture in treating CINV.
Methods: We employed a multi-faceted approach to comprehensively explore the abnormal performances of CINV model and to elucidate the regulatory effects of acupuncture in treating CINV through the integration of 16S rRNA analysis, serum metabolomics, and network pharmacology.
Results: Acupuncture significantly reduced kaolin consumption, mitigated anorexia, and attenuated body weight loss compared to the model group. Acupuncture was found to modulate the gut microbiota composition, enhancing beneficial taxa and reducing harmful ones. Serum metabolomic analysis revealed significant alterations in metabolic profiles, with acupuncture impacting various metabolites involved in pathways related to fatty acid biosynthesis, urea cycle, and amino acid metabolism. Spearman correlation analysis indicated a significant association between gut microbial taxa and serum metabolites. Furthermore, network pharmacology analysis identified key genes( MAPK1, STAT3, EGFR, AKT1, SRC) and pathways( PI3K / Akt, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction) associated with the anti-
CINV effects of acupuncture. In conclusion, acupuncture holds promise in ameliorating CINV through its multifaceted impact on gut microbiota, serum metabolome, and molecular pathways.
Conclusions: Acupuncture was an adjunctive and important non-drug treatment for CINV, with the protective effects linked to the improvement of gut microbiota disruption and metabolic abnormalities.
Chen P, Jin X, Yu D, Chen X, Lin Y, Wu F, Shao B. Efficacy of acupuncture on lower limb motor dysfunction following stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2025 May 7; 20( 5): e0312918. doi: 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0312918. PMID: 40333934.
Background: Acupuncture is widely used for Lower Limb Motor Dysfunction Following Stroke( LLMD) in China, though its effectiveness remains unclear. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for LLMD.
Methods: We searched eight databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM, up to December 2023. Randomized controlled trials on acupuncture therapy for LLMD after stroke were included in this study. Outcome measures included motor function, balance function, walking ability, and daily living activities. Two researchers conducted independent literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment in accordance with Cochrane Collaboration network ' s standards. Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 17.0 were used in data analysis. Results were presented as mean difference( MD) or standardized mean difference( SMD) with 95 % confidence interval( 95 % CI).
Results: Twelve studies involving 1318 patients, most of which showed low or unclear risk of bias, were included in this review. Meta-analysis results indicate that compared with conventional treatment, acupuncture intervention can improve scores in Fugl-Meyer Assessment for lower scale( SMD =-0.48, 95 % CI [-0.92,-0.04 ], Z = 2.16, P =. 03), Berg Balance Scale( SMD =-0.86, 95 % CI [-1.65,-0.07 ], Z = 2.14, P =. 03), Functional Ambulation Category scale( SMD =-0.74, 95 % CI [-2.33, 0.84 ], Z = 0.92, P =. 36), and Modified Barthel Index Scale( SMD = 0.27, 95 % CI [-0.30, 0.84 ], Z = 0.94, P =. 35).
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that acupuncture combined rehabilitation training may be more effective than conventional rehabilitation alone in improving LLMD, balance function, walking ability, and daily living activities after stroke. Despite limitations due to the low quality of the included studies and methodological constraints, acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training may serve as an effective approach for the treatment of LLMD poststroke.
Kraft J, Hardy A, Baustädter V, Bögel-Witt M, Krassnig K, Ziegler B, Waibl PJ, Meissner K. Traditional Chinese medicine for post- COVID: A retrospective cohort study. Medicine( Baltimore). 2025 May 2; 104( 18): e42275. doi: 10.1097 / MD. 0000000000042275. PMID: 40327434; PMCID: PMC12055149.
Post-COVID syndrome affects at least 10 % of individuals recovering from COVID-19. Currently, there is no causal treatment. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the potential of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) in treating post-COVID symptoms. TCM physicians in Germany and Austria completed online questionnaires to retrospectively record symptoms, treatment approaches, and outcomes for patients diagnosed with post- COVID. Nine physicians collected data from 79 patients( 65 % female, 47 ± 16 SD). The most common TCM treatments for post-COVID were acupuncture( n = 66; 85 %), Chinese pharmacological therapy( n = 61; 77 %), and Chinese dietary counseling( n = 32; 41 %). After an average of 7 ± 4 TCM consultations, physicians rated global symptom improvement as 62 % ± 29 %. Significant alleviation from the start
104 | vol31 | no2 | JATMS