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To observe the effect of electro-acupuncture on the relapse to heroin-seeking induced by heroin-related cues after withdrawal from heroin self-administration in rats.Methods:Sixty male Wistar rats were randomized into physiological saline group,withdrawal group A,withdrawal group B,electro-acupuncture(EA)treatment group A and EA treatment group B,with 12 rats in each group.The rats were trained by nose-poke response to self administer heroin (50 μg/kg/per infusion) or saline with one daily 4-h session for 14 consecutive days,the session ended after 25 infusions were eamed or 4 hours had passed,the reinforcement schedule was a progressive ratio.Then rats in withdrawal group A and withdrawal group B were withdrawn from heroin for 1 week and 2 weeks respectively,and then they were reintroduced to their training chambers for 4-h relapse testing which was induced by heroin-related environmental cues;And rats in EA treatment group A and EA treatment group B were also withdrawn from heroin for 1 week and 2 weeks respectively,during which they were given EA treatment for 20 min daily,then they received relapse testing;In the meantime,rats in saline group were trained with saline instead of heroin for 14 days as control.after 7 days of withdrawal from saline,they received relapse testing.Results:Following 7-8 days of drug training,the rats began to establish the stable intravenous heroin self-administration behavior;For the stable heroin self-administrating rats that received EA treatment,when they were reintroduced to their training chambers,their heroin-seeking behaviors were obviously inhibited,and this inhibitory effect related to the cumulativeness of EA stimulation.Conclusion:The results suggested that EA could prevent relapse to heroin-seeking to a certain extent.
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To observe the regulative effect of applying garlic cream on acupoint Shenque (CV8) on circadian rhythm disorder induced by sleep deprivation.Methods:Twenty healthy adult men were randomly divided into normal group(group A),sleep deprivation group (group B) and treatment group (group C).Subjects in group B and C received 48-hour sleep deprivation,and in the meantime subjects in group C were treated by applying garlic cream on acupoint Shenque(CV8),while subjects in group A received no any treatment,then contents of serum noradrenaline (NA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were detected.Results:The contents of NA in three groups all appeared typical circadian rhythm(P＜0.01 when group A is compared with group C,and P＜0.05 when group A is compared with group B).The peak value in group A was 158.377 and appeared at 10:56,peak value in group B was 291.529 and appeared at 19:44,peak value in group C was 255.964 and appeared at 17:06.The peak phase in group B shifted more obviously when compared with group A,and the peak phase in group C recovered slightly when compared with group B.The contents of 5-HT in group A showed typical circadian rhythm (P＜0.01) and the circadian rhythms in group B and C disappeared (P＞0.05).the peak value in group A was 196.563 and appeared at about13:10.Conclusion:The application of garlic cream on acupoint Shenque (CV8) Can adjust the disturbed circadian rhythm and accelerate the recovery of circadian rhythm.It is a simple and effective therapeutic method for adjusting circadian rhythm disorder.
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To observe the effect of electro-acupuncture on matrix metalloproteinase in degenerated cervical intervertebral disc rats.Methods:The rat model of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration was induced by unbalanced dynamic and static forces,then the rats were randomly allocated to model group,electro-acupuncture groupⅠ(acupoints Dazhu(BL 11) and Tianzhu(BL 10) were electro-acupunctured),and electro-acupuncture group Ⅱ(acupoints Dazhu (BL 11),Tianzhu(BL 10)and Shenshu(BL 23) were electro-acupunctured),with the normal rats as control.then the HE staining method was adopted to observe the morphological change of cervical intervertebral disc and the immunohistochemical staining method was used to detect the marx metalloproteinases-1(MMP-1) and matrix metalloproteinases-3(MMP-3) in cervical intervertebral disc.Results:The morphological observation showed that after electro-acupuncture treatment,the degrees of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration in electro-acupuncture groupⅠand electro-acupuncture group Ⅱ were alleviated,and the electro-acupuncture group Ⅱ was superior to electro-acupuncture group Ⅰ.The expressions of MMP-1 and MMP-3 in degenerated cervical intervertebral disc were increased(P＜0.01),and after electro-acupuncture treatment,the expressions of MMP-1 and MMP-3 in degenerated cervical intervertebral disc were decreased,especially the electro-acupuncture group Ⅱpresented the better effect as compared with electro-acupuncture group Ⅰ(P＜0.05).Conclusions:Electro-acupuncture at acupoints Dazhu (BL 11) and Tianzhu (BL 10) had a certain therapeutic effect on cervical intervertebral disc degeneration,and in combination with acupoint Shenshu(BL 23),this therapeutic effect could be enhanced,its action mechanism might be that electro-acupuncture can reduce the expressions of MMP-l and MMP-3 in degenerated cervical intervertebral disc,inhibit the degradation of matrix in intervertebral disc.so as to relieve cervical intervertebral disc degeneration.
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Objective: To explore the effect of electro-acupuncture and musk injection on recovery of injured sciatic nerve function in rats, so as to provide the experimental evidences for the promotion of peripheral nerve regeneration by electro-acupuncture and musk injection.Methods: Following establishing rat model of sciatic nerve injury by operation, the rats were randomly divided into electro-acupuncture group, musk injection group, electro-acupuncture plus musk injection group and model group, then sciatic functional index (SFI) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) were measured after 4 weeks of treatment, 8 weeks of treatment and 12 weeks of treatment respectively to evaluate recovery of nerve function. Results: SFI and MNCV in electro-acupuncture group, musk injection group and electro-acupuncture plus musk injection group were improved more obviously than that in model group, with significant differences(P＜0.01, P＜0.05). Conclusions: Both electro-acupuncture and musk injection could promote recovery of injured nerve function, and they had a certain synergetic effect and might be the effective methods in promoting recovery of injured peripheral nerve function.
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Objective: This present study is to investigate the biochemical adaptations in the related brain regions of the mesolimbic dopamine system, such as the ventral tegrnental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (Nac), amygdale (Amy), prefrontal cortex (PFC) , substantia nigra (SN) and caudateputamen (Cpu) in response to heroin self-administration in rats and observe the effect of electroacupuncture on them. Methods: 2hirty rats were trained by nose-poking response to establish stable intravenous heroin self-administration within 14 days, and then divided randomly into model group (group B) including 6 rats, withdrawal group which were withdrawn from heroin for 1 week (group C, n = 6) and for 2 weeks (group D, n= 6), during which time they only lived in their individual home cages,and electro-acupuncture group which were also withdrawn from heroin for 1 week (group E, n= 6) and for 2 weeks (group F, n= 6), during which time they were given electro-acupuncture treatment for 20 min daily and then returned to their individual home cages; in the meantime, another 6 rats were trained by nose-poking response with saline for 14 days as control (group A); Then the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in VTA, Nac, Amy, PFC, SN, Cpu were detected with immunohistochemistry method. Results: The leveks of TH and GFAP in VTA of the heroin self-administrating rats were obviously increased, and the levels of TH and GFAP in Nac were also decreased, and these changes were not found in SN, Cpu, Amy and PFC; Electro-acupuncture could promote the up-regulation of TH and GFAP in VTA and down-regulation of TH and GFAP in Nac to return to the normal level. Conclusions: The chronic heroin self-administration produced some biochemical adaptations in the rdated brain regions of the mesolimbic dopamine system and electroacupuncture could promote the repair of the injured DA neurons in VTA of heroin addicted rats and their functional recovery.
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To investigate the mechanism of moxibustion in regulating cellular apoptosis in rat's precancerous lesion of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods:Seventy-four rats were randomly allocated to normal group,model group and moxibustion group,and the diethylic nitrosamine (DEN) was used to establish HCC model. Moxibustion with moxa cone which is as big as a grain of wheat was performed on acupoint Zusanli (ST 36),3 cones for each acupoint and 0.5 mg for each cone,the treatment was given once a day,totally 16 weeks. Then the changes in the body weight,liver weight and thymus weight,a morphological change in the liver tissue and changes in γ-GT and GST were observed;Immunohistochemical staining method was adopted to observe the tendency of changes in relevant apoptosis genes such as C-myc,N-ras and mutant type P53,and the influence of moxibustion on cell cycle modulation genes such as cyclinD1,CDK4 and p16. Results:Moxibustion could reduce the activities of γ-GT and GST in the blood,obviously decrease the protein expression of relevant apoptosis genes such as C-myc,N-ras and mutant type P53 and markedly inhibit the over-expression of relevant cell cycle modulation genes such as cyclinD1 and CDK4 and the mutation of cell cycle modulation gene p16. Conclusion:Moxibustion might play a certain role in relieving HCC precancerous lesion and its action mechanism might be related to the regulation on partial apoptosis genes.
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Objective: The present study was to observe the expression of COX-2 protein in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in rats with chronic inflammatory pain to investigate whether COX-2 is involved in the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia. Methods: After EA treatment, the pain score and expression of COX-2 protein in the dorsal horn of spinal cord in rats with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis were measured by the behavioral test and immunohistochemistry technique, and compared with those of the normal group, model group and medicine group. Results: EA could decrease the pain score significantly and repeated EA treatments had the remarkable cumulative analgesic effect; and with the increase in EA treatments, the number of COX-2 immunoreactive cells was obviously decreased. Conclusion:EA at acupoints Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Kunlun (BL 60) had remarkable analgesic effect on adjuvant arthritis rats; and in the meantime, could inhibit the expression of COX-2 protein in the dorsal horn of spinal cord.
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Daiwenjiu Gao plasters were stuck onto the following two groups of acupoints,group 1 including acupoints Guanyuan (CV 4), Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) and group2 including acupoints Zhongji (CV 3), Pangguangshu (BL 28) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), to treat 100 cases of infantile enuresis, the results showed that 92 cases were cured, 6 cases got remarkable effect, 2 cases got effect, with total effective rate being 100%.
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Objective: To observe the influence of electroacupuncture with different frequencies on rats swimming endurance and sift out the optimal frequency parameter.Methods: Wistar rats were randomly allocated to control group, non-acupoint group and electroacupuncture with low frequency group (EA with 2 Hz group), electroacupuncture with medium frequency group (EA with 15 Hz group), and electroacupuncture with high frequency group (EA with 100 Hz group), acupoints Zusanli (ST 36) and Taichong (LR 3) were punctured and rats load swimming time was used as an index, and the change of swimming endurance time before and after acupuncture was observed. Results: After electro-acupuncture, swimming time was increased in 15 Hz and 100 Hz groups respectively, with the significant differences between before and after acupuncture (P＜0.05). There was also a significant difference in the percentage of increase in swimming time between 15 Hz group and other groups (P＜0.05).Conclusion: It is suggested that electroacupuncture at acupoints Zusanli (ST 36) and Taichong (LR 3) with a frequency of 15 Hz could enhance rats's swimming endurance, and 15 Hz might be an optimal frequency parameter during the electrical stimulation.
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Objective: The present study is to observe and compare the different effects of electroacupuncture(EA) at acupoint Neiguan (PC 6), intravenous administration of L-arginine(L-Arg, a precursor of nitric oxide), and the drug administration combined with the EA on acute myocardial ischemia(AMI) in rats. Methods: The rat model of AMI was established by occlusion of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery, then the animals were divided randomly into 5 groups,i.e. control group, AMI group, L-Arg treatment group, EA treatment group and L-Arg plus EA treatment group, the mean arterial pressure(MAP), heart rate(HR) and the cardiac functions were observed and recorded. Results: The data showed that MAP, HR and all the indices of cardiac functions in the AMI group were significantly lower than those in control group, and the indices in each treatment group were all improved to different extents, especially in L-Arg plus EA treatment group. Conclusion: The combined use of L-Arg and EA had the better therapeutic effect on the AMI.
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Objective: To investigate the mechanism of improvement effect of electro-acupuncture at acupoint Neiguan (PC 6) on acute myocardial ischemia (AMI). Methods: Ninety-six rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, myocardial ischemia model group and myocardial ischemia model plus electro-acupuncture group, the rat model of AMI was established by occlusion of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery, then electro-acupuncture therapy was performed at bilateral acupoint Neiguan (PC 6). The myocardial enzyme activities in plasma was detected with biochemical method, and the myocardial c-fos gene expression was detected with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) method. Results: The myocardial enzyme activities in plasma and the myocardial c-fos gene expression in myocardial ischemia model group were obviously higher than those in sham group(P＜ 0.05), after electro-acupuncture treatment, the myocardial enzyme activities in plasma and the myocardial c-fos gene expression were decreased,there was a significant difference (P＜ 0.05). Conclusion: The mechanism of improvement effect of electro-acupuncture at acupoint Neiguan (PC 6) on AMI is related to down-regulation of the myocardial c-fos mRNA expression.
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The author selected the acupoints Fengfu (GV 16), Fengchi (GB 20), Hegu (LI 4),Jianjing (GB 21), and adopted manual techniques such as Yizhichan-Thumb waving pressing,An-pressing, Rou-stationary circular pressing, Nie-pinching, Nian-finger twisting, Na-holding,Yao-rotation and Cuo-palm twisting to warm and dredge meridians and collaterals, promote the circulation of qi and blood, and lubricate the joints, to treat 150 cases of infantile brachial plexus injury. The total effective rate was 99.3%.
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Purpose: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture plus Chinese herbs in treatment of poststroke depression. Methods: Forty-two cases of poststroke depression were treated by acupuncture plus Chinese herbs, and 30 cases of poststroke depression were treated by Western drug as control. Results: After 6 weeks of treatment, the scores of Hamilton Depressive Scale in two groups were all reduced statistically and remarkably when compared with before treatment; when the acupuncture plus Chinese herbs group were compared with Western drugs group, no significant difference was found in total effective rate. Conclusion: Acupuncture plus Chinese herbs had marked therapeutic effect in the treatment of poststroke depression, and had the advantages of safety and no side effect.
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Objective: This present study is to establish a rat model of intravenous heroin self-administration and observe the effect of electro-acupuncture on the heroin-seeking behavior of the heroin self-administrating rat. Methods: Six Male Wistar rats were surgically implanted with an intra-jugular intravenous catheters under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia,following a minimum recovery of 7 days, the rats were trained by nose-poke response with one daily 4-hour session for 14 consecutive days to self administer heroin (50 μg /kg / per injection), the session ended after 25 infusions were earned or 4 hours had passed, whichever came first, the reinforcement schedule was fixed ratio 1 (FR1) that the rat received a heroin injection for each nose poke response. And then the rats were given electro-acupuncture treatment daily 30min prior to each session and then were trained with one daily 4-h session for 7 consecutive days. Results: Stable intravenous heroin self-administration behavior of rats was established after 7-8 days' drug training, electro-acupuncture given to the stable heroin self-administrating rat 30 min prior to each session could reduce the drug self-administration behavior, namely the total heroin intake in each session was reduced, especially the 1st hour heroin intake, the initiation of first nose-poke response in each session was relayed, and the haste heroin-seeking behavior also became slower. Conclusions: The above results suggested that the electro-acupuncture had better detoxification effect.
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The authors punctured the acupoints Jianyu (LI 15), Jianliao (TE 14), Jianzhen (SI 9), Binao (LI 14), Quchi (LI 11), Shousanli (LI 10) and Hegu (LI 4) and applied massage to the affected regions to treat 32 cases of the myotenositis of long head of biceps brachii. The results showed 8 cases were cured, 10 cases were remarkably effective, 11 cases were effective and 3 cases got no effect; the total effective rate was 90.6%.
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Fifty-six cases of chronic low back pain were randomly divided into electroacupuncture group (n= 30) and control group (n= 26). Patients in electro-acupuncture group were treated with electro-acupuncture plus physical therapy, and patients in control group were treated with single physical therapy. The results showed that Electro-acupuncture plus physical therapy could obviously relieve pain, improve the patients' life quality, and its therapeutic effect was superior to that of the single physical therapy.
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Thirty cases of peripheral facial palsy were treated with the comprehensive therapy, and 30 cases of peripheral facial palsy were treated with shallow electro-acupuncture as control. The results showed that the cure rate in treatment group was higher than that in the control group(P＜ 0.05), and no significant difference was found in effective rate between two groups.
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Fifty-four cases of woman with lactation insufficiency were treated with acupuncture at acupoints Shaoze (SI 1), Danzhong (CV 17), Rugen (ST 18), Pishu (BL 20), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), and 42 cases got significant effect that the milk could fully meet baby's nutritional requirement, 9 cases got improvement, 3 cases discontinued the treatment.
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Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture in the treatment of chloasma.Methods: Ninety patients were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 45 cases in each group, then patients in the treatment group were classified into three types according to the syndrome differentiation and were treated with acupuncture, while patients in control group were treated with Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Results: The effective rates in treatment group and control group were 93.3% and 73.3% respectively, and no remarkable difference was found in therapeutic effect among three syndrome-types in treatment group (P＞0.05). Conclusions: Acupuncture therapy has a marked therapeutic effect in the treatment of chloasma of different syndrome types.
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Twenty cases of ankle sprain were treated on the outside with Tuina combined with physical therapy. After 10 treatments, 19 cases restored normal ankle function, and 1 case got no obvious effect.