Investigation of acupuncture in improving sleep, cognitive and emotion based on attenuation of oxidative stress in prefrontal cortex in sleep-deprived rats / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To explore whether acupuncture can improve sleep disturbance, cognitive impairment and emotional disorders caused by sleep deprivation, and its association with the attenuation of oxidative stress injury in prefrontal cortex. Methods: Fifty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=10), a model group (n=14), a manual acupuncture (MA) group (n=14), and a sham-MA group (n=14). All the groups were established as sleep deprivation models via the modified multiple platform method, except for the control group. Rats in both the MA group and the sham-MA group received corresponding intervention, respectively. After modeling and intervention, the four groups received three behavioral tests, namely sleep monitoring, by comprehensive lab animal monitoring system (CLAMS), Morris water maze (MWM) test and open-field test (OFT), followed by oxygen free radical level test and Western blot (WB) detection for the expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2. Results: The MA group derived more sleep time within 24 h than either the model group or the sham-MA group (both P<0.05). On MWM orientation navigation test day 1, there were no significant differences in escape latency among the control, MA and sham-MA groups (P>0.05), and the escape latency was significantly shorter in these three groups than that in the model group (all P<0.05). On test day 4, the escape latency was markedly shorter in the MA group than that in either the model group or the sham-MA group (both P<0.05); meanwhile, the MA group showed significantly better performance compared with these two groups in space probe test (both P<0.05). In OFT, compared with the control group, there was a significant decline in the horizontal movement score in the other three groups (all P<0.05), and the decrease was more significant in the model group and the sham-MA group than that in the MA group (both P<0.05). The superoxide dismutase (SOD) content was markedly higher and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content was markedly lower in the MA group than those in the model group and the sham-MA group (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group and the sham-MA group, the expression of Bax was significantly lower and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly higher in the MA group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: MA therapy can lengthen the sleep time in sleep-deprived rats and improve learning and memory impairments induced by sleep deprivation, and the underlying mechanism may be associated with the enhancement of antioxidant capacity in the prefrontal cortex and the inhibition of hippocampal neuronal apoptosis.

Effects of electroacupuncture on the behaviors and expressions of hippocampal neurotransmitters and Bax/Bcl-2 proteins in rat models of anxiety disorder / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the behaviors of rat with anxiety disorder, and the expressions of hippocampal neurotransmitters including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA), and the expressions of hippocampal B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X (Bax).Methods: Forty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=10), a model group (n=12), an EA group (n=12), and a drug group (n=12). Except the control group, the other three groups were established into rat models of anxiety disorder using uncertain empty bottle stimulation. Rats in the EA group and the drug group received corresponding interventions for 15 consecutive days [EA group was given EA at Baihui (GV 20) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6); the drug group was given aqueous solution of alprazolam via intragastric administration]. After intervention, all four groups received open-field test (OFT) and elevated plus-maze (EPM) for behavioral evaluations. The expressions of 5-HT, NE and DA in hippocampus were determined by fluorescence spectroscopy (FS) while the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in hippocampus were determined by Western blot (WB). Results: The OFT horizontal scores in the control group, EA group and drug group were significantly higher than that in the model group (all P<0.05), and the difference between the EA group and the drug group was statistically insignificant (P>0.05); the OFT vertical scores in the model group, EA group and drug group were significantly lower than the score in the control group (all P<0.05). The EPM percent of open-arm entries (OE％) in the control group, EA group and drug group was higher than that in the model group (P<0.05), and the differences among these three groups were statistically insignificant (P>0.05); though the percent of open-arm total time (OT％) in the EA group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), the difference was statistically insignificant when compared with the drug group (P>0.05), and it was significantly higher than that in the model group (P<0.05). The expression of 5-HT in the EA group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); the expression of 5-HT in the EA group was significantly lower than that in the model group (P<0.05); the difference between the EA group and the drug group was statistically insignificantly (P>0.05). The expression of NE in the model group was significantly higher than that in the other three groups (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference among these three groups (P>0.05). The expression of DA in the EA group was significantly higher than that in the control group and the drug group (both P<0.05), while the difference between the EA group and the model group was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). The expression of Bax in the model group was significantly higher than that in the other three groups (all P<0.05), whereas the expression of Bcl-2 in the model group was significantly lower than that in the other three groups (all P<0.05), and the differences in both Bax and Bcl-2 among the other three groups were statistically insignificant (all P>0.05). Bax/Bcl-2 in the EA group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05) and lower than that in the model group (P<0.05), and the difference was statistically insignificant when compared with the drug group (P>0.05). Conclusion: EA shows promising effects in attenuating rats' anxiety disorder, which may be achieved by the down-regulation of the expressions of 5-HT and NE in the hippocampus and/or inhibition of hippocampal neuronal apoptosis. The efficacy is comparable to that of intervention with alprazolam.

Protective effects of garlic oil on n-hexane-induced neurotoxicity in rats via inhibition of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effects of garlic oil (GO) on the peripheral nerve injuries induced by n-hexane.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (10 rats in each group): the control, the n-hexane treatment (2000 mg/kg), the low dose GO, and the high dose GO groups. The rats in the low and high doses of GO groups were pretreated with GO (40 and 80 mg/kg) before exposure to n-hexane (2000 mg/ kg), while the animals of the n-hexane treatment group were given normal saline and then 2000 mg/ kg n-hexane. The rats were exposed to GO and n-hexane 6 times a week for 10 weeks. The gait scores and staying time on the rotating rod for all rats were detected every two weeks. The rats were sacrificed at the end of ten weeks, then the levels of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), maleic dialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px), total antioxidation capacity(T-AOC) and the ability of inhibition of *OH in livers were examined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The gait scores increased significantly and the time staying on the rotating rod obviously decreased in rats of n-hexane treatment group, as compared with control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). In the hepatic tissues of n-hexane group, the levels of MDA and ADH significantly increased, the activities of GSH-Px, T-AOC and the ability of inhibition of *OH obviously decreased, as compared to control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). In 2 GO groups, the gait scores and the staying time on the rotating rod were significantly improved, the levels of MDA and ADH significantly decreased, the activities of GSH-Px, T-AOC and the ability of inhibition of *OH obviously increased, as compared with n-hexane group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01 ).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ADH could play an important role in the protective effects induced by garlic oil on the peripheral nerve injuries produced by n-hexane.</p>

The role of CYP2E1 in the protection of garlic oil's from n-hexane-induced neurotoxicity / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the role of CYP2E1 in the protective effects and mechanism of garlic oil (GO) on the peripheral nerve injuries induced by n-hexane.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 10): the control, the GO (80 mg/kg) control, the n-hexane (2000 mg/kg) model, the low dose GO (40 mg/kg) plus n-hexane, and the high dose GO (80 mg/kg) plus n-hexane groups. All rats were treated by intragastric administration 6 times a week for 10 weeks. The gait scores were determined every two weeks for monitoring the peripheral neurotrosis. All rats were sacrificed in 10 weeks, the activities and expression levels of hepatic CYP2E1 and 2, 5-HD in serum were examined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with control group, the content and activity of hepatic CYP2E1 in GO control group reduced by 83.1% and 48.3% respectively (P < 0.01), the content and activity of hepatic CYP2E1 in model group increased by 112.5% and 72.2% respectively (P < 0.01). As compared with model group, the contents of hepatic CYP2E1 in low dose and high dose GO groups reduced by 32.9% and 39.1% respectively, the activities of hepatic CYP2E1 in low dose and high dose GO groups reduced by 27.4% and 44.5% respectively (P < 0.01); the contents of serum 2,5-HD in low dose and high dose GO groups reduced by 47.7% and 78.7% respectively (P < 0.01). The gait scores in model, low dose and high dose GO groups were significantly lower than that in control group, but the gait scores in low dose and high dose GO groups were significantly lower than that in model group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Garlic oil can effectively reduce the peripheral neurotrosis induced by n-hexane due to the decreased content and activity of hepatic CYP2E1, resulting in the reduced formation of 2, 5-HD from n-hexane.</p>

Effects of garlic oil, age and sex on n-hexane metabolism in rats / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate effects of garlic oil (GO), age and sex on n-hexane metabolism in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The Wistar rats were used as experimental animals. (1) Intragastric administration: n-hexane group (3000 mg/kg n-hexane), GO treated group (80 mg/kg GO ig. an hour earlier than 3000 mg/kg n-hexane), then blood was taken from tails of rats at 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 h points after n-hexane administration. (2) Intraperitoneal injection: n-hexane group (1000 mg/kg n-hexane), GO treated group (80 mg/kg GO ig. an hour earlier than 1000 mg/kg n-hexane), then took blood was taken from tails of rats at 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 h points after n-hexane injection. (3) 7 rats each group of 6, 8, 10 weeks age were administrated by 3000 mg/kg n-hexane intragastrically, then were taken blood from tails at 16, 20, 24 h points after administration. (4) 7 male and 7 female rats of 8 weeks age were administrated by 3000 mg/kg n-hexane intragastrically, then were taken blood from tails at 16, 20, 24, 28 h points after administration. The gas chromatography was used to determine the metabolite 2, 5-hexanedione concentration of n-hexane in serum and 2, 5-hexanedione concentration was compared between GO and no GO treated rats, different ages and different sexes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Intragastric administration: 2, 5-hexanedione concentrations in serum of n-hexane group and GO treated group had the peak 19.2 and 12.3 µg/ml at 20h and 24 h points. Compared with n-hexane group, the serum 2, 5-hexanedione concentration of GO treated group was lower at time points prior to peak and 2, 5-hexanedione eliminating process was slower after peak. (2) Intraperitoneal injection: effects of GO on the serum 2, 5-hexanedione concentrations was very similar to intragastric administration, 2, 5-hexanedione concentrations in serum of n-hexane group and GO treated group had the peak 15.0 and 6.7 µg/ml at 12 h and 16 h points. (3) Comparison of the serum 2, 5-hexanedione concentrations of different weeks age rats: The serum 2, 5-hexanedione concentrations of 6, 8, 10 weeks age rats were 25.5, 15.0, 12.8 µg/ml each (8, 10 weeks age significantly lower than 6 weeks age) at 16 h point; at 20 h point, they were 24.7, 18.3, 15.0 µg/ml each (10 weeks age significantly lower than 6 weeks age); at 24 h point, they were 11.0, 14.7, 8.1 µg/ml each (10 weeks age significantly lower than 8 weeks age). (4) Comparisons of the serum 2, 5-hexanedione concentrations of different sex rats: the serum 2, 5-hexanedione concentrations of male and female rats were 22.5, 17.2 µg/ml each at 16 h point (different significantly); at 20, 24, 28 h points, they were 27.6, 22.9 µg/ml, 24.6, 19.1 µg/ml, 19.1, 13.8 µg/ml each (different non-significantly).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GO reduces production of 2, 5-hexanedione in serum generated by n-hexane in rats; the metabolic capacity of low age rats on n-hexane is stronger than high age ones.</p>