Effects of electroacupuncture pretreatment on ovarian function and expression of VEGF in rats with ovulation induction / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the protective effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on ovarian function in rats with ovulation induction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty SD female rats were numbered according to random number table. According to vaginal smear method, rats of estrus were divided into a normal group (10 rats) and cohabitated with male SD rats with the proportion of 1:1. With computer-generated random number, the remaining rats were divided into a model group and an EA group, 10 rats in each one. The model of superovulation was established with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the model group and EA group. Before model establishment and cohabitation, rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Guanyuan (CV 4)" and "Sanyinjiao (SP 6)", once for 15 min, for consecutive 7 days. Rats in the normal group and model group received no further treatment. The third day 23:00 pm after cohabitation, blood samples in three groups were collected to test the level of estradiol (E₂) and progesterone (P). After the rats were sacrificed, the HE staining method was applied to observe the morphological changes of ovarian tissue; the immunohistochemical method was applied to measure the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor VEGFR-2; the real-time quantitative PCR technique was applied to measure the gene expression of VEGF and VEGFR-2.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of ovarian follicle in the EA group was higher than that in the model group and normal group (all P < 0.05); the ratio of corpus luteum size to ovarian size in the EA group was lower than that in the model group (P < 0.01). The ratio of plasma estradiol to progesterone in the EA group tended to be normal group (P < 0.05) and lower than that in the model group (P < 0.01). The protein expression of VEGF and VEGFR-2 in lutein granulosa cell and follicular fluid in the EA group was lower than that in the model group (P < 0.05); gene level of VEGF and VEGFR-2 in ovarian tissue in the EA group was lower than that in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA pretreatment has certain protective effect on ovarian function in rats with ovulation induction, which is likely to be related to regulation of VEGF and its receptor.</p>

Effect observation of float needle combined with reperfusion activity for pain induced by cyclomastopathy / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical effect of float needle therapy combined with reperfusion activity for pain induced by cyclomastopathy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-five female patients with cyclomastopathy were randomly divided into a comprehensive group (18 cases) and a float needle group (17 cases). In the comprehensive group, float needle manipulation was used at the centre of the biceps brachii belly or the ligature between the affected nipple and breast nodule, about 4 cm beside the exterior margin of the breast, and the reperfusion activity of the affected upper limb and breast was combined. In the float needle group, simple float needle therapy was adopted. In the two groups, treatment was started 7 ± 3 days before menstruation, once every other day. After 3-time treatment, the changes of short form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) scores before and after treatment, the time of pain relieved during the first treatment, recurrence in 3 months after treatment and the adverse reaction were observed. Also, the clinical effects of the two groups were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Immediately at the end of the first treatment,after 3-time treatment and while followed up for one month, each item score and the total score of SF-MPQ were decreased apparently than the scores before treatment (all P < 0.05), and all the scores mentioned above of the comprehensive group were declined more obviously than those of the float needle group (all P < 0.05). The time of pain relieved during the first treatment of the comprehensive group was much shorter than that of the float needle group [(94.72 ± 33.67) s vs (162.06 ± 29.16) s, P < 0.01]. The recurrence rate of the comprehensive group in 3 months after treatment was 5.9% (1/17), which was better than 20.0% (3/15) of the float needle group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Float needle therapy combined with reperfusion activity and simple float needle therapy can both safely and effectively improve cyclomastopathy, and the combination therapy is better than simple float needle therapy in the aspects of pain relieving effect at once and the long term effect.</p>

Effects of Pricking Bloodletting Therapy on Local Anti-inflammatory Cytokine in Rats with Acute Gouty Arthritis on Ankle / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To explore the anti- inflammatory of pricking blood therapy in acute gouty arthritis rats. Methods 60 Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into normal group, bloodletting normal group, sham group, arthritis group, bloodletting group and ibuprofen group. The acute gouty arthritis model was established with injecting uric acid sodium salt into the right ankle joint cavity. The ibuprofen group was administrated with ibuprofen intragastrically, the bloodletting normal group and bloodletting group were pricked the right Kunlun (BL60) acupoint. The cross section diameter of the right ankle joint were measured before and after treatment. Levels of mRNA and protein of interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-4 expressed in ankle were determined with RT-PCR and Western blotting Results The cross section diameter increased in the bloodletting group compared with the normal group after treatment (P<0.05), and decreased (P<0.05) compared with the arthritis group and the ibuprofen group, while the expression of IL-10 mRNA increased (P<0.05) compared with the normal group, the arthritis group and the ibuprofen group, as well as the IL-10 protein compared with the normal group and the arthritis group (P< 0.05). The expression of IL-4 mRNA and protein increased without significance (P>0.05) in the bloodletting group compared with the normal group. Conclusion IL-10 may play a role of anti-inflammatory in pricking bloodletting therapy for acute gouty arthritis.