Acute liver failure: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of optimal type of stem cells in animal models

The efficacy and potential mechanism of the acupuncture treatment for allergic rhinitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of data from animal models

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in treating allergic rhinitis (AR) in animal models of the disease, and to explore the underlying mechanism of acupuncture in AR.

METHODS

Related literature was retrieved from multiple databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang databases, SinoMed databases, VIP database, PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, up to September 2023. The inclusion criteria were focused on animal experiments that investigated the effect of acupuncture therapy on animal models of AR. Studies combining acupuncture with other Chinese medicine therapies were excluded. Data were extracted independently by two reviewers using standardized forms. A total of 75 studies were finally included. The risk of bias in individual studies was evaluated using the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) tool, and the quality of reporting was evaluated according to Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guidelines. Meta-analyses and plotting were conducted using STATA 17.0 and RevMan 5.4. When heterogeneity was present, a random effects model was applied. Subgroup, meta-regression and sensitivity analyses were also performed.

RESULTS

The SYRCLE scores ranged from 3 to 7, and the ARRIVE scores ranged from 6.5 to 11 points. Meta-analysis results demonstrated that acupuncture could significantly down-regulate EOS counts in both blood and nasal mucosa, and reduce the serum levels of IL-5, compared to the AR model group. The results of the qualitative analysis showed that acupuncture could reduce the behavior scores of AR, down-regulate serum levels of IL-4, IgE and sIgE, as well as up-regulate IFN-γ levels. Subgroup analysis results suggested that the different interventions might contribute to the observed heterogeneity.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that acupuncture effectively alleviates the nasal allergic symptoms in animal models, inhibits immune and inflammatory signaling transduction, and reduces the release of inflammatory mediators. This study highlights the potential of acupuncture as a promising therapeutic option for AR, however, further studies are required to fully understand its mechanisms of action.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells protect against ferroptosis in acute liver failure through the IGF1-hepcidin-FPN1 axis and inhibiting iron loading

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a significant global issue with elevated morbidity and mortality rates. There is an urgent and pressing need for secure and effective treatments. Ferroptosis, a novel iron-dependent regulation of cell death, plays a significant role in multiple pathological processes associated with liver diseases, including ALF. Several studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have promising therapeutic potential in the treatment of ALF. This study aims to investigate the positive effects of MSCs against ferroptosis in an ALF model and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of their therapeutic function. Our results show that intravenously injected MSCs protect against ferroptosis in ALF mouse models. MSCs decrease iron deposition in the liver of ALF mice by downregulating hepcidin level and upregulating FPN1 level. MSCs labelled with Dil are mainly observed in the hepatic sinusoid and exhibit colocalization with the macrophage marker CD11b fluorescence. ELISA demonstrates a high level of IGF1 in the CCL 4+MSC group. Suppressing the IGF1 effect by the PPP blocks the therapeutic effect of MSCs against ferroptosis in ALF mice. Furthermore, disruption of IGF1 function results in iron deposition in the liver tissue due to impaired inhibitory effects of MSCs on hepcidin level. Our findings suggest that MSCs alleviate ferroptosis induced by disorders of iron metabolism in ALF mice by elevating IGF1 level. Moreover, MSCs are identified as a promising cell source for ferroptosis treatment in ALF mice.