World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion最新文献

{"title":"Global acupuncture randomized controlled trials: Evaluating status, guideline impact, and future research trends","authors":"Gao-feng LIU (刘高峰) ,&nbsp;Xiao-li HUANG (黄小力) ,&nbsp;Wei-xing ZHONG (钟伟兴) ,&nbsp;Yin XIE (解寅) ,&nbsp;Si-yuan XIE (谢思远) ,&nbsp;Yuan-xun LIN (林源洵) ,&nbsp;Yun-ao-long ZHANG (张沄奡龙) ,&nbsp;Hong-wen LIU (刘洪文) ,&nbsp;Qing-guang QIN (秦庆广) ,&nbsp;Yi-kai LI (李义凯)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aims to evaluate the current state of acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs), their impact on guidelines, and future development trends, providing a reference for future research directions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Search for acupuncture-related RCT articles in the Web of Science Core Collection and confirm their guideline inclusion on Google Scholar. Analyze study characteristics to predict future research directions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The analysis covered 1422 articles, reflecting a substantial rise in publications from 77 articles between 1993 and 2002 to 960 articles between 2013 and 2022. The Western Pacific region led in publication numbers with 622 articles (43.7 %), followed by Europe (466 articles; 32.8 %), Americas (250 articles; 17.6 %), Eastern Mediterranean (62 articles; 4.4 %), and Southeast Asia (22 articles; 1.5 %), with Africa showing a research void. Regrettably, only 29.6 % (421 articles) were incorporated into guidelines. The low rate of inclusion of research results in guidelines and the uneven distribution of research fields are particularly prominent. From 1993 to 2002, there were 77 articles, among which 51 (66.2 %) were included in the guidelines; from 2003 to 2012, there were 385 articles, with 202 (52.5 %) included; from 2013 to 2022, there were 960 articles, and only 168 (17.5 %) were included, showing a decreasing trend in the inclusion rate year by year. Regarding geographical distribution, 1167 articles were from the Eastern Hemisphere, with 326 (27.9 %) included; 255 were from the Western Hemisphere, and 95 (37.3 %) were included. Regionally, 179 articles (42.5 %) from Europe were included, 140 (33.3 %) from the Western Pacific, 95 (22.6 %) from the Americas, 6 (1.4 %) from the Eastern Mediterranean, and 1 (0.2 %) from Southeast Asia. China, the United States, and Germany were the top publishing countries, with consistent growth in countries like China, South Korea, Spain, Brazil, Turkey, and Iran. Noteworthy researchers such as Cesar Fernandez-de-las-Penas, Zhi-shun LIU, Jing-wen YANG, Cun-zhi LIU, Li-xing LAO, Stefan N Willich, and Benno Brinkhaus have collaborated on research in areas such as pain management, cognitive impairments, insomnia, digestive system diseases, and urinary system diseases. There has been a particular increase in research focus on neck pain and myofascial trigger points.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Despite the growth in acupuncture RCTs, their impact on revising medical guidelines remains disproportionate. The skewed geographic distribution underscores the urgent need for more comprehensive, regionally-targeted trials to foster globally applicable outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 331-340"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145499879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moxibustion modulates gut microbiota and improves bone marrow hematopoiesis in mice with myelosuppression-induced aplastic anemia","authors":"Wen-qing HU (胡文清) ,&nbsp;Jian-fei SHI (石健菲) ,&nbsp;Yuan LU (陆嫄) ,&nbsp;Huan-gan WU (吴焕淦) ,&nbsp;Guo-na LI (李国娜) ,&nbsp;Xiao-ling YIN (殷晓聆) ,&nbsp;Dan-li JIAO (焦丹丽) ,&nbsp;Jing LI (李璟) ,&nbsp;Ling-xiang WU (吴凌翔) ,&nbsp;Chen ZHAO (赵琛)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To observe the effects of moxibustion on the hematopoietic function in mice with aplastic anemia (AA) induced by bone marrow (BM) suppression, and to investigate the intervention effects of moxibustion on AA from the perspective of intestinal bacteria.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 24 C57BL/6 J male mice were randomly and evenly divided into control, model and moxibustion groups. The myelosuppression-induced AA model was established by cyclophosphamide (CTX) and cyclosporine (Cs) intraperitoneal injection. Mice in the moxibustion group were intervened in mild moxibustion at unilateral “Zusanli(ST36)” acupoint for 15 min per day, and the sides were switched the next day. The intervention of mild moxibustion lasted 60 days consecutively. The red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), platelet (PLT) counts and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration levels of mice in each group were detected by peripheral blood cells count staining, and the BM hematopoietic cells and hematopoietic structures were observed by BM smear Wright-Giemsa staining and HE staining. 16SrDNA sequencing was used to analyze the gut bacterial species abundance and diversity in mice from each group.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After all the intervention, compared to the control group, the model group had lower levels of RBC, WBC, PLT counts and Hb concentration in peripheral blood (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and fewer hematopoietic cells and hematopoietic structures; compared to the model group, moxibustion group had higher levels of RBC, WBC, PLT counts and Hb concentration in peripheral blood (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), and more BM hematopoietic cells and hematopoietic structures. Gut flora showed that moxibustion increased the species richness and diversity of intestinal bacteria in mice; compared with the control group, the relative abundance of <em>Faecalibaculum</em> and <em>Anaeroplasmataceae</em> in the model group was higher (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05); whereas, the relative abundance of <em>Faecalibaculum</em> and <em>Anaeroplasmataceae</em> in the moxibustion group was lower (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) when compared with the model group. In addition, <em>Faecalibaculum</em> was significantly correlated with RBC, WBC, PLT count and Hb concentration (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Moxibustion can improved BM histology, restored hematopoietic cells function, and increased peripheral blood cells count and Hb concentration in AA mice. The mechanism may be related to the fact that moxibustion regulates the abundance of specific intestinal bacteria to maintain the stability of the flora structure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 357-366"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145499882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"China Association of Acupuncture and Moxibustion leading the development of acupuncture-moxibustion discipline: Achievement and practice","authors":"Yin-long LI (李印泷),&nbsp;Shu-dong LI (李述东),&nbsp;Yuan WU (吴远),&nbsp;Wen-jun YI (易文军),&nbsp;Qiu-fang ZUO (左秋芳),&nbsp;Xiao-chun YU (喻晓春)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>China Association of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (CAAM) is the largest acupuncture-moxibustion individual member science and technology group in the world, and has become an important academic organization leading the development of international acupuncture-moxibustion discipline over the past 40 years. This paper systematically reviews the work of CAAM in international communication, policy making, basic research, scientific knowledge popularization and integrated development of industry, education and research. (1) Enhancing the world recognition of acupuncture and moxibustion by means of innovation. (2) Building a highland for the domestic development of acupuncture and moxibustion with comprehensive strategies. (3) Consolidating the foundation for the development of acupuncture-moxibustion discipline. (4) Driving scientific knowledge popularization in a variety of forms and contents. (5) Coordinating resources to promote integrated development of industry, education and research. Guided by inheriting the essence and maintaining the right while innovating, CAAM has played an important role in promoting the modernization and internationalization of acupuncture-moxibustion discipline, and contributed to the construction of Healthy China initiative with our wisdom. Focusing on domestic and international perspectives, CAAM strives to promote the development of acupuncture-moxibustion discipline and industry, and contribute greatly to health for all with acupuncture and moxibustion. CAAM will continue to deepen international cooperation, strengthen talent cultivation, promote the commercialization of scientific and research findings, advance the standardization of acupuncture-moxibustion equipment and techniques and build a unified standard system of acupuncture and moxibustion worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 393-397"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145500437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neural anatomical connections between \"Shenshu(BL 23)\" \"Guanyuan(CV 4)\" and the ovary in rats","authors":"Huan-fang XU (许焕芳) ,&nbsp;Peng-fei DU (杜鹏飞) ,&nbsp;Dong-sheng XU (徐东升),&nbsp;Jing-jing Cui (崔晶晶),&nbsp;Yi-gong FANG (房繄恭),&nbsp;Jia WANG (王佳),&nbsp;Li YANG (杨莉)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the distribution characteristics of sensory, sympathetic, and motor neurons associated with the \"Shenshu (BL 23)\" and \"Guanyuan (CV 4)\" acupoints and the ovary, and to elucidate the neural anatomical connections between these acupoints and the ovary.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, dual fluorescent neural tracing was utilized, with twelve female Sprague-Dawley rats being randomly allocated into two groups (<em>n</em> = 6 per group) for the purpose of administering tracer injections at distinct anatomical sites: the \"BL 23\"-ovary group received injections of Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated cholera toxin subunit B (AF488-CTB) at the left \"BL 23\" and Fluoro-Gold (FG) in the left ovary; the \"CV 4\"-ovary group received AF488-CTB at “CV 4” and FG in the left ovary. Three days post-injection, the distribution of AF488-CTB and FG-labeled neural components was observed in the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), sympathetic chain, and spinal cord tissues.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>① Sensory neurons labeled with AF488-CTB associated with \"BL 23\" were primarily distributed in the thoracic (T) 10 to lumbar (L) 2 DRGs, concentrated in T12-T13; postganglionic sympathetic neurons were mainly located in the thoracolumbar sympathetic chain; motor neurons were predominantly found in the anterior horn of the T11-L1 spinal cord segments. ② Sensory neurons labeled with AF488-CTB associated with \"CV 4\" were primarily located in T10-L3 DRGs, concentrated in T13-L2 DRGs; postganglionic sympathetic neurons were mainly distributed in the lumbar sympathetic chain; motor neurons were primarily found in the anterior horn of T11-L2 spinal cord segments. ③ FG-labeled sensory neurons associated with the ovary were mainly distributed in the T9-L3 DRGs, concentrated in the T12-L2 DRGs; postganglionic sympathetic neurons were primarily located in the lumbar sympathetic chain. ④ Double-labeled (AF488-CTB and FG) sensory neurons associated with the \"BL 23\" and ovary were mainly distributed in the T12-T13 DRGs, with double-labeled postganglionic sympathetic neurons primarily in the lumbar sympathetic chain; double-labeled sensory neurons associated with the \"CV 4\" and ovary were mainly distributed in the T13-L1 DRGs, with double-labeled postganglionic sympathetic neurons primarily in the lumbar sympathetic chain. No double-labeled motor neurons were observed for either acupoint with the ovary.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>\"BL 23\" and \"CV 4\" and the ovary in rats exhibit segmental connections in sensory and sympathetic innervation, which may serve as the neural anatomical pathway and basis for acupuncture at these acupoints to regulate ovarian function.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 341-348"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145499880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of warm needling in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis: A multicenter randomized controlled trial","authors":"Wen-bin NIE (聂文彬) ,&nbsp;Qi FAN (范琦) ,&nbsp;Yi-xuan FENG (丰逸轩) ,&nbsp;Yu-xiu SUN (孙玉秀) ,&nbsp;Shi-xi HUANG (黄石玺) ,&nbsp;Yong-ming YE (叶永铭) ,&nbsp;Ming-juan HAN (韩明娟) ,&nbsp;Wen-jing BAI (白文静) ,&nbsp;Hong ZHAO (赵宏)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Although there is evidence to support the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis (AR), it is not clear whether acupuncture can achieve an efficacy comparable to that of pharmacological therapy. This multicenter, non-inferiority, single-blinded randomized controlled trial aimed to compare the differences in efficacy between warm needling (WN) therapy and loratadine (LO) in improving AR symptoms and quality of life.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 98 patients with persistent AR (PAR) were randomly divided into two groups in a 1:1 ratio: treatment group receiving WN therapy at Dazhui (GV14) and normal acupuncture at other acupoints for 12 sessions in 4 weeks and control group receiving LO at a dosage of 10 mg/day for oral administration. The study duration was 28 weeks (4-week treatment period with a 24-week follow-up). The primary outcome was the mean change in the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) from baseline to week 28, and the secondary outcomes included the Total Non-Nasal Symptom Score (TNNSS) and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) score. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS22.0. Both intention-to-treat and treatment compliance analyses were performed to analyze all outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After intervention, TNSS scores improved from baseline to week 28 by 5.18 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 3.91, 6.45; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) in the WN group and 4.59 (95 % CI 3.28, 5.89; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) in the LO group, but the changes did not differ between the groups (<em>P</em> = 0.515). The margin by 95 % CI (−1.20, 2.38) was not reached, indicating non-inferiority. WN therapy resulted in clinical improvements in TNNSS, with a significant difference compared with LO treatment (<em>f</em> = 5.466, <em>P</em> = 0.021). WN therapy also resulted in clinical improvements in RQLQ scores, with a significant difference compared with LO (<em>f</em> = 9.222, <em>P</em> = 0.003).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>WN therapy demonstrated comparable efficacy to oral LO in improving nasal symptoms of PAR. However, it showed superior effects in alleviating concomitant nasal symptoms and enhancing patients’ quality of life.</div><div>Clinical Trial Registration: <span><span>ClinicalTrials.gov</span><svg><path></path></svg></span> Identifier NCT02339714.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 349-356"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145499881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence map of systematic reviews on acupuncture and moxibustion for prevention and management of cancer-related conditions","authors":"Xiao-yan LYU (吕笑颜) ,&nbsp;Xin-ru YUAN (袁馨如) ,&nbsp;Zi-yang FAN (樊紫阳) ,&nbsp;Jia-ni MA (马佳妮) ,&nbsp;Chang-qi LI (李昌奇) ,&nbsp;Xin-yang LI (李昕洋) ,&nbsp;Hui ZHANG (张慧) ,&nbsp;Li-yuan FU (傅丽媛) ,&nbsp;Bin-xu SUN (孙彬栩) ,&nbsp;Dan LI (李丹) ,&nbsp;Xiao-hua WEN (温小华) ,&nbsp;Tian-yi ZHAO (赵天易) ,&nbsp;Mei-dan ZHAO (赵美丹) ,&nbsp;Yi-nan GONG (公一囡) ,&nbsp;Bin WANG (王斌) ,&nbsp;Ao-xiang CHEN (陈翱翔) ,&nbsp;Yi GUO (郭义) ,&nbsp;Shi-yan YAN (闫世艳) ,&nbsp;Bo CHEN (陈波)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>In this study, we evaluated the methodological quality of systematic reviews on acupuncture and moxibustion for the prevention and management of cancer-related conditions, aiming to provide evidence-based support and establish levels of evidence for clinical application.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A comprehensive search was conducted to identify systematic reviews on acupuncture and moxibustion for the prevention and management of cancer-related conditions, covering databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Databases, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang Data, from their inception to August 1, 2024. The methodological quality of the included systematic reviews was assessed by using AMSTAR 2, and bubble plots were employed to visualize the evidence.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Overall, 137 systematic reviews were included, with China being the most prolific country, with 117 reviews. These reviews addressed 21 cancer-related conditions, with the three most frequently studied being cancer-related fatigue (25 reviews), nausea and vomiting (20 reviews), and cancer pain (19 reviews). The three most commonly used acupuncture modalities were manual acupuncture (81 reviews), electroacupuncture (55 reviews), and moxibustion (39 reviews). Quality assessment revealed that one systematic review was rated as ``high quality,” eight as ``low quality,” and 128 as ``critically low quality,” primarily due to the absence of protocol registration and lists of excluded studies.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Acupuncture and moxibustion have shown potential efficacy in alleviating cancer-related conditions and treatment-related adverse effects, and their clinical use has been widely reported. However, the overall methodological quality of the included systematic reviews was low, limiting the reliability and the strength of the evidence. Future high-quality studies are needed to improve the quality of evidence and support the standardized application and broader promotion of acupuncture and moxibustion clinical practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 290-302"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145500440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanisms of tumor growth inhibition by electroacupuncture in breast cancer-bearing mice","authors":"Xue-chao HUANG (黄学超) ,&nbsp;Jing-xuan LIU (刘敬萱) ,&nbsp;Tian-yu LI (李天玉) ,&nbsp;Rui ZHANG (张锐) ,&nbsp;Qian MO (默倩) ,&nbsp;Guo-wu LEI (雷国伍) ,&nbsp;Ran-ran LIU (刘冉冉) ,&nbsp;Chun-sheng JIA (贾春生) ,&nbsp;Li-Jia PAN (潘丽佳)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) on inhibiting tumor growth in breast cancer-bearing mice.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Thirty Bagg Albino (c) (BALB/c) mice were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a tumor group, a chemotherapy group, and an acupuncture group, and an EA group, with six mice in each one. Except in the sham-operation group, 4T1 cells were injected into the fourth mammary fat pad on the right side of each mouse in the rest groups to develop breast-cancer bearing models. In the sham-operation group, the sham operation was underwent by injecting normal saline with the same volume as 4T1 cell suspension. After successful modeling, the intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin solution was delivered in the chemotherapy group. In the acupuncture group, needles was inserted at “Zusanli” (ST36) and “Sanyinjiao” (SP6) perpendicularly, without manipulation, once daily and needles were retained for 15 min. In the EA group, on the basis of the operation as the acupuncture group, electric stimulation was attached to “ST36” (positive electrode) and “SP6” (negative electrode), once daily, 15 min each time. Starting on Day 1 of intervention, the changes of tumor volume was observed once every two days in each group photographed. The sample was collected on Day 21 of intervention. The tumors were photographed and weighed. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes of tumor tissue. Western blot, fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were adopted to detect the protein expression, mRNA expression, and positive expression of CYLD, BCL-3, and P50 in tumor tissue, respectively.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;(1) The tumor volume in the tumor group, chemotherapy group, acupuncture group, and EA group was (815.67 ± 275.61) mm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, (197.50 ± 66.11) mm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, (412.62 ± 58.96) mm³, and (327.51 ± 125.46) mm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, respectively, and the tumor mass was (1.21 ± 0.39) g, (0.39 ± 0.05) g, (0.66 ± 0.06) g, and (0.55 ± 0.11) g on Day 21 of intervention, respectively. Compared with the tumor group, the tumor volume and mass were lower in the chemotherapy group, acupuncture group, and EA group (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). (2) Respectively, in the tumor group, chemotherapy group, acupuncture group, and EA group, the mRNA expression of CYLD in tumor tissue was 1.01 ± 0.19, 2.90 ± 0.24, 2.55 ± 0.03, and 4.01 ± 0.32; the protein expression was 1.00 ± 0.00, 1.88 ± 0.16, 1.64 ± 0.11, and 2.30 ± 0.29; and the positive expression was 0.06 ± 0.01, 0.11 ± 0.01, 0.11 ± 0.004, and 0.14 ± 0.003. Compared with the tumor group, the mRNA expression, protein expression, and positive expression of CYLD were higher in the intervention groups (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05), and each expression in the EA group was higher in comparison with the chemotherapy and acupuncture groups (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). (3) The mRNA expression ","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 367-375"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145499884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acupuncture for the treatment of temporomandibular disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Quan MIAO (苗荃),&nbsp;Qiu-yi CHEN (陈秋怡),&nbsp;Sheng-xian LI (李晟贤),&nbsp;Wo-yu WANG (王握瑜),&nbsp;Li-min NIE (聂利敏),&nbsp;Shu-ting LI (郦淑婷),&nbsp;Ying LIN (林颖),&nbsp;Yu-han LIU (刘昱含),&nbsp;Lu LIU (刘璐),&nbsp;Bin LI (李彬)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are the leading cause of chronic orofacial pain, which significantly affects patients’ quality of life. However, the efficacy of acupuncture in the management of TMD remains unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This systematic review aimed to conduct a PRISMA-compliant review to critically assess the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture as an intervention for patients with TMD.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We searched nine electronic databases for randomized controlled trials on acupuncture for TMD published up to February 4, 2025. Eligible studies included adults diagnosed with TMD and compared acupuncture (manual, electroacupuncture, warm, auricular, thread-embedding, or laser) with conservative treatment (positive control) or sham acupuncture (negative control). Outcomes included pain intensity, mouth opening, pressure pain threshold, and adverse events. Risk of bias was assessed using ROB 2, and certainty of evidence was evaluated using GRADE. All outcome data were analyzed using RevMan 5.4 software. Low heterogeneity was defined as <em>I</em>² ≤ 50% and <em>P</em> ≥ 0.1, in which case a fixed-effects model was applied. High heterogeneity (<em>I</em>² &gt; 50% or <em>P</em> &lt; 0.1) prompted further analysis to identify its source. After excluding the influence of evident heterogeneity, a random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of the 2664 screened records, 14 randomized controlled trials involving 476 participants met the inclusion criteria. Acupuncture significantly reduced pain intensity compared with that of negative controls (MD = −1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] −2.47 to −1.03; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.00001; I² = 60%) but showed no difference compared with that of positive controls (MD = −0.06, 95% CI −0.62 to 0.50; <em>P</em> = 0.83; I² = 0%). No significant differences were observed in pain-free jaw opening, whereas acupuncture improved maximum mouth opening relative to negative controls (MD = 1.80, 95% CI 1.62 to 1.97; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.00001; I² = 0%). For pressure pain threshold, two small studies suggested greater increases with acupuncture. Safety data were limited, with only one trial reporting mild adverse events in the acupuncture group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Based on limited evidence, acupuncture appears superior to negative controls in relieving pain associated with TMD but shows no significant advantage over positive controls. The certainty of the evidence for all outcomes, as assessed by GRADE, was low or very low. Therefore, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Future high-quality randomized controlled trials are warranted to further evaluate the role of acupuncture in the management of patients with TMD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 320-330"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145500443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acupuncture treatment for Bartholin’s abscesst: A case report and literature review","authors":"Xiao-xuan GENG (耿晓萱),&nbsp;Sheng CHEN (陈晟),&nbsp;Wen-yi YANG (杨文夷),&nbsp;Mei-lun HUANG (黄美伦),&nbsp;Jia-le KANG (康家乐)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.09.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A 30-year-old female patient with Bartholin’s abscess was treated by acupuncture. Before visit, she had taken <em>wuwei xiaodu yin</em> for 4 consecutive days, but the symptoms were not alleviated markedly and pain was worsening. According to the conditions of tongue and pulse, and physical signs, the case was differentiated as pathogenic heat invading blood phase; and the injury of <em>qi</em> and <em>yin</em> by the herbal decoction the patient took before. In treatment with acupuncture, the treatment principle focused on benefiting <em>qi</em>, nourishing <em>yin</em>, expelling pus from the interior and draining toxin, and promoting the circulations of meridians to stop pain. <em>He</em>-sea points were selected to clear heat and resolve damp, and replenish the liver and kidney; and the acupoints of bladder meridian were combined under the guidance of “<em>taiyang</em> dominating the openings,” aiming at elevating <em>qi</em> and expelling toxin from the interior. Acupuncture was given once daily. After treated for 4 days, abscess was ruptured, pain disappeared, and no recurrence was presented and no sequelae happened during over 2 years of follow-up. This case shows that acupuncture is effective on Bartholin’s abscess. By reviewing this case, it is put forward that there may by the signs before the onset of Bartholin’s abscess, and the treatment should focus on opening a way for eliminating pathogens. Moreover, the clinical trial is required to verify acupuncture effect on this disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 384-387"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145500434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adrenergic agonist therapy and emerging acupuncture targets in asthma: A review of mechanisms and therapeutic implications","authors":"Jin LU (卢进) ,&nbsp;Jun-tao FENG (冯俊涛) ,&nbsp;Lei-miao YIN (尹磊淼) ,&nbsp;Yong-qing YANG (杨永清)","doi":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.08.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wjam.2025.08.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of adrenergic agonists (AAs) for asthma has provided important mechanistic insights into acupuncture-based target discovery and treatment strategies. This review describes the historical evolution of AA therapy, including the precise optimization of nonselective to β₂-selective agonists, improvement from short-acting to ultra-long-acting agents, shift from targeted monotherapy to combination regimens, and alterations in drug formulation. Additionally, this review summarizes recent advances in acupuncture treatment for asthma, including the development of novel targeted therapies, application of acupuncture-based combination regimens, and optimization of the mode of administration. Taken together, this article discusses key insights from research on AA that inform acupuncture approaches, with a focus on: (1) precision targeting: identifying acupuncture-specific targets to improve efficacy; (2) synergistic treatment: employing multi-target combination regimens to enhance therapeutic outcomes; (3) formulation innovation: advancing acupuncture delivery methods to improve patient compliance; and (4) evidence-based development: strengthening clinical research to generate high-quality evidence to inform the discovery of novel targets and treatment strategies for asthma.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44648,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion","volume":"35 4","pages":"Pages 269-275"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145500438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}