Somato stimulation and acupuncture therapy / 中国结合医学杂志

Acupuncture is an oldest somato stimulus medical technique. As the most representative peripheral nerve stimulation therapy, it has a complete system of theory and application and is applicable to a large population. This paper expounds the bionic origins of acupuncture and analyzes the physiological mechanism by which acupuncture works. For living creatures, functionally sound viscera and effective endurance of pain are essential for survival. This paper discusses the way in which acupuncture increases the pain threshold of living creatures and the underlying mechanism from the perspective of bionics. Acupuncture can also help to adjust visceral functions and works most effectively in facilitating the process of digestion and restraining visceral pain. This paper makes an in-depth overview of peripheral nerve stimulation therapy represented by acupuncture. We look forward to the revival of acupuncture, a long-standing somato stimulus medicine, in the modern medical systems.

Auricular acupuncture and biomedical research--A promising Sino-Austrian research cooperation / 中国结合医学杂志

Treatment by auricular acupuncture has a long history. Ear-acupoint research has been advancing step by step in China and also in Europe. Auricles are rich in nerves, therefore a close relationship with different functions of the human body has been proved by the research teams of the two main authors of this article from China and Austria. In recent years, great progress has been made in the research of regulating human body functions through electroacupuncture at the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, which is part of auricular acupuncture therapy. It is well known that the auricular branch of the vagus nerve is the only peripheral pathway to the cerebral cortex. Studies of the Chinese team on hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy and depression have shown that the mechanism of auricular vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may be comparable with cervical VNS in terms of pathways. Auricular VNS has a broad clinical application prospect.

Progress of research on specificity of meridian acupoint efficacy / 中国结合医学杂志

Acupuncture point specificity is the theoretical basis for meridian and acupuncture theory. Also it is the key factor for the efficacy of acupuncture treatment. Studies on acupoint specifificity have aroused wide interest in scholars both at home and abroad. Some researchers abroad do not support acupoint specifificity. Chinese scholars have, after years of research, preliminarily confifirmed the existence of acupoint specifificity. However, there is still no conclusive evidence to support acupoint specificity in terms of its specific physiological foundation, underlying mechanism and laws. This paper summarizes and analyzes basic and clinical researches on acupoint specificity in biological structure, physiology and acupoint effect, provides clues for further studies and develops the theoretical basis for acupont specifificity.

Keratin 17 mutation in pachyonychia congenita type 2 in a Chinese Han family / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the keratin 17 gene (KRT17) mutation in a pedigree with pachyonychia congenita type 2 (PC-II).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>DNA was extracted from the blood samples of the patients, unaffected members of the pedigree, and 100 unrelated healthy controls. PCR was performed to amplify the hot spots in KRT17 gene. PCR products were directly sequenced to detect mutation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A heterozygous 296T-->C mutation was found in all the affected members of this family, which resulted in the substitution of leucine by proline in codon 99 (L99P) in the 1A domain of the KRT17, but not in the healthy individuals from the family and the 100 unrelated controls.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The mutation of KRT17 may play a major role in the pathogenesis of this pedigree with pachyonychia congenita type 2.</p>

Mutation analysis of KRT10 gene in a patient with bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the gene mutation in one sporadic case of bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (BCIE), and to explore the relationship between the genotype and phenotype.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>DNA was extracted from the blood samples of the patient with BCIE, unaffected members of the pedigree, and 50 unrelated healthy controls. PCR was used to amplify the hot spot fragment of keratin 1 (KRT1) and keratin 10 (KRT10) gene. The PCR products were directly sequenced to detect the mutations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A heterozygous 467G>A mutation was found in the patient, resulting in the substitution of arginine (R) by histidine (H) in codon 156 (R156H) in the 1A domain of the KRT10 protein but not in the healthy individuals from the family and the 50 unrelated individuals.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The mutation of 467G>A in exon 1 of KRT10 gene identified may play a major role in the pathogenic mechanism of this case of BCIE.</p>