Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is characterised by persistent pain, usually in the hands or feet, that is not proportionate in severity to any underlying injury. It often involves a variety of other symptoms such as swelling, discolouration, stiffness, weakness and changes to the skin. This overview sought to summarise and report all of the available evidence arising from systematic reviews for all treatments for this condition regarding how well they work and any potential harm that they might cause.
We identified six Cochrane reviews and 13 non-Cochrane systematic reviews that included evidence relating to a broad range of treatments, from drugs to surgical procedures, rehabilitation and alternative therapies. For most treatments there were only a small number of published trials and the quality of these trials was mixed. As such, most of the evidence for most treatments is of low or very low quality and can not be regarded as reliable.
We found low quality evidence that a daily course of the drug ketamine delivered intravenously may effectively reduce pain, although it is also associated with a variety of side effects. We found low quality evidence that the bisphosphonate class of drugs, calcitonin and programmes of graded motor imagery may be effective for CRPS, and that mirror therapy may be effective in people who develop CRPS after suffering a stroke. Low quality evidence suggested that physiotherapy and occupational therapy did not lead to clinically important benefits at one year follow up, and that blocking sympathetic nerves with local anaesthetic is not effective. There is moderate quality evidence that an intravenous regional blockade using the drug guanethidine is not effective and may be associated with complications.
For a range of other interventions we found only very low quality evidence or no evidence at all. No conclusions should be drawn regarding the value of these interventions based on this level of evidence.
Based on the existing evidence it is difficult to draw firm conclusions as to which therapies should be offered to patients with CRPS. Better quality research is vital to reduce uncertainty in this area and is necessary before confident recommendations can be made.

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Interventions for treating pain and disability in adults with complex regional pain syndrome

Background Since 1950, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cupping therapy has been applied as a formal modality in hospitals throughout China and elsewhere in the world. Based on a previous systematic literature review of clinical studies on cupping therapy, this study presents a thorough review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the therapeutic effect of cupping therapy. Method Six databases were searched for articles published through 2010. RCTs on cupping therapy for various diseases were included. Studies on cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments versus non-TCM therapies were excluded. Results 135 RCTs published from 1992 through 2010 were identified. The studies were generally of low methodological quality. Diseases for which cupping therapy was commonly applied were herpes zoster, facial paralysis (Bell palsy), cough and dyspnea, acne, lumbar disc herniation, and cervical spondylosis. Wet cupping was used in most trials, followed by retained cupping, moving cupping, and flash cupping. Meta-analysis showed cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments was significantly superior to other treatments alone in increasing the number of cured patients with herpes zoster, facial paralysis, acne, and cervical spondylosis. No serious adverse effects were reported in the trials. Conclusions Numerous RCTs on cupping therapy have been conducted and published during the past decades. This review showed that cupping has potential effect in the treatment of herpes zoster and other specific conditions. However, further rigorously designed trials on its use for other conditions are warranted.

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An Updated Review of the Efficacy of Cupping Therapy

Activation of the renal transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) system likely mediates the excess production of extracellular matrix in the diabetic kidney. To establish the role of the TGF-β system in type 2 diabetic nephropathy, we examined the intrarenal localization and expression of the TGF-β1 isoform, the TGF-β type II receptor, and the Smad signaling pathway in the 16-week-old db/db mouse, a genetic model of type 2 diabetes that exhibits mesangial matrix expansion, glomerular basement membrane thickening, and renal insufficiency that closely resemble the human disease. Compared with its nondiabetic db/m littermate, the db/db mouse showed significantly increased TGF-β1 mRNA expression by in situ hybridization in both glomerular and tubular compartments. Likewise, TGF-β1 protein, by immunohistochemical staining, was increased in both renal compartments, but the fractional expression of TGF-β1 protein was less than that of the mRNA in the glomerulus. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining for the TGF-β type II receptor revealed concordant and significant increases of both mRNA and protein in the glomerular and tubular compartments of diabetic animals. Finally, immunohistochemistry showed preferential accumulation of Smad3 in the nuclei of glomerular and tubular cells in diabetes. The complementary technique of Southwestern histochemistry using a labeled Smad-binding element demonstrated increased binding of nuclear proteins to Smad-binding element, indicating active signaling downstream of the TGF-β stimulus. We therefore propose that the TGF-β system is up-regulated at the ligand, receptor, and signaling levels throughout the renal cortex in this animal model of type 2 diabetes. Our findings suggest that the profibrotic effects of TGF-β may underlie the progression to glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis that characterize diabetic nephropathy.

https://ir.ymlib.yonsei.ac.kr/bitstream/22282913/142949/1/T200103407.pdf

Increased Glomerular and Tubular Expression of Transforming Growth Factor-β1, Its Type II Receptor, and Activation of the Smad Signaling Pathway in the db/db Mouse

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/994427.pdf

Cupping therapy: A prudent remedy for a plethora of medical ailments

The medical perspective of cupping therapy: Effects and mechanisms of action.

Though cupping therapy has been used in China for thousands of years, there has been no systematic summary of clinical research on it. This review is to evaluate the therapeutic effect of cupping therapy using evidence-based approach based on all available clinical studies. We included all clinical studies on cupping therapy for all kinds of diseases. We searched six electronic databases, all searches ended in December 2008. We extracted data on the type of cupping and type of diseases treated. 550 clinical studies were identified published between 1959 and 2008, including 73 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 22 clinical controlled trials, 373 case series, and 82 case reports. Number of RCTs obviously increased during past decades, but the quality of the RCTs was generally poor according to the risk of bias of the Cochrane standard for important outcome within each trials. The diseases in which cupping was commonly employed included pain conditions, herpes zoster, cough or asthma, etc. Wet cupping was used in majority studies, followed by retained cupping, moving cupping, medicinal cupping, etc. 38 studies used combination of two types of cupping therapies. No serious adverse effects were reported in the studies. According to the above results, quality and quantity of RCTs on cupping therapy appears to be improved during the past 50 years in China, and majority of studies show potential benefit on pain conditions, herpes zoster and other diseases. However, further rigorous designed trials in relevant conditions are warranted to support their use in practice.

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Clinical research evidence of cupping therapy in China: a systematic literature review.

In traditional Chinese medicine, astragalus injection is used to treat diabetic nephropathy (DN). The current study was conducted to determine the effects of astragalus injection on DN by assessing potential modulation of the transforming growth factor beta TGFβ/Smad signaling pathway. Diabetic, male KKAy mice, aged 14 weeks were randomly divided into a model group and an astragalus treatment group, while age-matched male C57BL/6J mice were selected as controls. The treatment group received daily intraperitoneal injections of astragalus (0.03 ml/10 g.d), while the model group received injections of an equivalent volume of saline. Mice were euthanized after 24 weeks. Serum samples were obtained from animals in each group, and blood glucose, creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels were measured. Tissue samples from the kidney were used for morphometric studies. The expression of TGFβ1, TGFβR-Ι, Smad3, and Smad7 were evaluated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and western blot analysis. Mice in the model group became obese, and suffered complications, including hyperglycemia, polyuria, and proteinuria. Astragalus treatment significantly reduced albuminuria, improved renal function, and ameliorated changes in renal histopathology. Moreover, administration of astragalus injection increased Smad7 expression, and inhibited the expression of TGFβR-Ι, Smad3 and its phosphorylation, and decreased the mRNA level of TGFβ1. The TGFβ/Smad signaling pathway plays an important role in the development of DN. Administration of astragalus injection could prevent or mitigate DN by rebalancing TGFβ/Smad signaling, and could play a protective role in DN-induced renal damage in KKAy mice.

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Effects of astragalus injection on the TGFβ/Smad pathway in the kidney in type 2 diabetic mice

Astragalus injection is used by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine to treat diabetic nephropathy (DN). The current study was conducted to determine the effect of astragalus on tubular epithelial transdifferentiation during the progression of DN in KKAy mice, as well as to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying this effect. Diabetic, 14-week-old, male KKAy mice were randomly divided into a model group and an astragalus treatment group, while age-matched male C57BL/6 J mice were selected as controls. The treatment group received daily intraperitoneal injections of astragalus (0.03 mL/10 g per day), while the model group received injections of an equal volume of saline. Mice were euthanized after 24 weeks. Serum samples were obtained from the animals in each group for blood glucose measurement. Kidney tissue samples were used for morphometric studies. The mRNA and protein expression levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (TGFβ-R1), alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and E-cadherin were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blotting. Astragalus significantly reduced blood glucose levels; inhibited morphological changes in the kidneys of KKAy mice; reduced mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF-β1, TGFβ-R1, and α-SMA; and increased E-cadherin expression. Tubular epithelial transdifferentiation plays an important role in the development of DN in diabetic mice. Administration of astragalus likely prevents or mitigates DN by suppressing tubular epithelial transdifferentiation, protecting KKAy mice from renal damage.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186%2Fs12906-016-1208-8.pdf

Qian Wang

Papers

Clinical research evidence of cupping therapy in China: a systematic literature review.

Effects of astragalus injection on the TGFβ/Smad pathway in the kidney in type 2 diabetic mice

Effect of astragalus injection on renal tubular epithelial transdifferentiation in type 2 diabetic mice.

Effect of Dachaihu decoction on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease model rats induced by a high-fat high-sugar diet

Effect of astragaloside combined with puerarin on endoplasmic reticulum stress in h9c2 rat cardiomyocytes induced by high glucose