ABSTRACT
Objective: To observe the effect of puerarin on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in insulin resistant HepG2 cells. Method: HepG2 cells were treated with palmitic acid 0.5 mmol·L-1 and insulin 9×10-4 U·L-1 to induce insulin resistant condition for 24 h. Cell viability was detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay to determine the concentration of puerarin. This experiment included normal control group, model control group and puerarin groups of different doses (40, 80, 160,320 μg·L-1). Glucose detection kit was used to detect the content of glucose in cell culture supernatant. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in supernatant of cell culture medium were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatic glycogen assay kit was used for detecting the hepatic glycogen content in HepG2 cells. Western blot was applied to detect protein expression levels of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, GSK-3β and p-GSK-3β. Result: Compared with those in the normal control group, the glucose consumption rate was significantly down-regulated in HepG2 cells in the model control group (PPα and IL-6 were increased in supernatant of cell culture medium (PPβ protein expression was up-regulated (PPα and IL-6 were reduced in supernatant of cell culture medium (PPβ protein expression was down-regulated, but its phosphorylation inactivation was increased (PConclusion: Puerarin alleviates the insulin resistance of HepG2 cells by strengthening the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signal transduction process and increasing the glycogen content in hepatocytes.
ABSTRACT
The development and status of acupuncture-moxibustion in Turkey in the fields of education, legal establishment, treatment, etc. are introduced. There are four distinguished features of acupuncture-moxibustion development in Turkey: (1) The geographical position of the country as the link of Europe and Asia, has resulted in the special feature of acupuncture-moxibustion transmission and development. It combines both the traditional theories from the East and the modified and modern techniques from the West. (2) The combination of theories and clinical practice started when acupuncture-moxibustion was first introduced. (3) The application of acupuncture-moxibustion has gone through a process from spontaneous transmission among the people to legalization by the government, from disorderly to orderly, and from market behavior to government-lead regulation, which has powerfully promoted healthy development of the medicine. (4) Acupuncture-moxibustion education provided by registered universities has guaranteed the quality of the education itself and the competency of the professionals. It has raised the scientific and normative character of application and increased the credibility of the people, and also has ensured the sustainability of acupuncture-moxibustion development by providing qualified professionals.
Subject(s)
Humans , Acupuncture , Education , Acupuncture Therapy , Moxibustion , TurkeyABSTRACT
A brief history and new developments of acupuncture moxibustion in the former Soviet Union is provided in this paper, as well as in Russia. Science of acupuncture-moxibustion was introduced into Russia after the 10th Century. After the foundation of People's Republic of China, acupuncture-moxibustion therapy has drawn widespread attention in the former Soviet Union and Russia since the 1950s. Notably, acupuncture moxibustion therapy was legalized and popularized in mid 1950s in the Soviet Union, which was gradually accepted as a part of the country's medical system. In the latest 20 years, Federal health departments have paid attention to acupuncture-moxibustion therapy and issued laws and regulations on acupuncture reflexotherapy. The number of books and journals about acupuncture-moxibustion has been increasing; clinical application of acupuncture-moxibustion has been spreading and is welcomed by people. Academic exchanges between China and Russia are more frequent, which promoted the development of science of acupuncture-moxibustion in Russia.