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Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of blood-letting therapy (BLT) in treatment of hypertension.Methods: A comprehensive electronic and manual bibliographic searches were performed in Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Excerpt Medica Database (EMBASE), PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wanfang Database to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which hypertensive patients were treated with BLT or BLT plus antihypertensive drugs (BPAD) against placebo, no treatment or antihypertensive drugs. The Cochrane Risk Assessment Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of trials. The Review Manager 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.Results: A total of 7 RCTs with 637 hypertensive patients from 1989 to 2017 were identified. Compared with antihypertensive drugs, blood pressure was significantly reduced by BLT (RR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.44, P=0.03; heterogeneity: P=0.06, I2=60%) and BPAD (RR=1.25, 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.53, P=0.03; heterogeneity: P= 0.01, I2=71%). Moreover, a significant improvement in Chinese medicine syndrome by BLT (RR=1.32; 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.53, P=0.0002; heterogeneity: P=0.53, I2=0%) and BPAD (RR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.04, P=0.02; heterogeneity: P=0.13, I2=56%) was identified. The reported adverse effects were well tolerated.Conclusion: Although some positive findings were identified, no definite conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of BLT as complementary and alternative approach for treatment of hypertension could be drew due to the generally poor methodological design, significant heterogeneity, and insufficient clinical data. Further rigorously designed trials are warranted to confirm the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Increasing evidence indicates that plant responses to ions (uptake/transport, inhibition, and alleviation of inhibition) are dependent upon ion activities at the outer surface of root-cell plasma membranes (PMs) rather than activities in the bulk-phase rooting medium. Methods: A web-accessible computer program was written to calculate the electrical potential ( ψ) at the outer surface of root-cell PMs ( ψ). From these values of ψ, activities of ion I with charge Z ({ I}) can be calculated for the outer surface of the PM ({ I}). In addition, ψ and { I} in the Donnan phase of the cell walls ( ψ and { I}) can be calculated. Results: By reanalysing published data, we illustrate how this computer program can assist in the investigation of plant-ion interactions. For example, we demonstrate that in saline solutions, both Ca deficiency and Na uptake are more closely related to {Ca} and {Na} than to {Ca} and {Na} (activities in the bulk-phase media). Additional examples are given for Zn and P nutrition, Ni toxicity, and arsenate uptake. Conclusions: The computer program presented here should assist others to develop an electrostatic view of plant-ion interactions and to re-evaluate some commonly-held views regarding mechanisms of ion transport, toxicity, competition among ions, and other phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]