Effect of acupuncture at different time points on kidney function and oxygen free radical metabolism in rats with simulated weightlessness / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of pre-acupuncture and immediate acupuncture on kidney function and oxygen free radical metabolism in rats with simulated weightlessness.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty male clean-grade Wister rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a model group, a pre-acupuncture group and an immediate acupuncture group, 5 rats in each one. The rats in the normal control group did not receive any treatment but free activities for 4 weeks. The rats in the rest groups received 4-week tail suspension to establish the model of simulated weightlessness. One week before the tail suspension, the rats in the pre-acupuncture group were treated with electroacupuncture at "Shenshu" (BL 23), "Pishu" (BL 20) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) for 30 min per treatment, once a day for 7 days. The rats in the immediate acupuncture group received tail suspension and acupuncture at the same time; during the tail suspension, the electroacupuncture was applied at "Shenshu" (BL 23), "Pishu" (BL 20) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) for 30 min per treatment, once every other day for 14 days. The colorimetric method was used to measure the content of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in serum as well as activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and content of malonaldehyde (MDA) in renal tissue in each group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the normal control group, the content of BUN in the model group was increased significantly (P<0.01), the activity of SOD and GSH-PX in nephridial tissue was significantly reduced (both P<0.01), and the content of MDA was increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the content of BUN in the pre-acupuncture group and immediate acupuncture group was significantly reduced (P<0.01, P<0.05), the activity of GSH-PX in the pre-acupuncture group was obviously increased (P<0.05) and the content of MDA in the immediate acupuncture group was increased significantly (P<0.01). Compared with the immediate acupuncture group, the content of MDA in the pre-acupuncture group was lower (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The pre-acupuncture and immediate acupuncture both have the capacity to improve the kidney function and anti-oxygen free radical injury in rats with simulated weightlessness, however, the capacity to increase the protection ability of the kidney and eliminate free radical in the pre-acupuncture group is superior to that in the immediate acupuncture group, which is likely to be related with improving antioxidant ability of kidney.</p>

Effect of electro-acupuncture at different acupoints on neuropeptide and somatostatin in rat brain with irritable bowel syndrome / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the regulatory effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) at acupoints Zusanli (ST36) and Hegu (LI4) on the visceral hyper-sensitivity in the rat model of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and to explore the acting targets and specialty of acupoints.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Except 8 rats of the normal control group, the rest 32 rats were prepared to set up the IBS models. IBS animal model was prepared by enema with acetic acid. Model rats were divided into three groups. Except for rats in the model group for control, those in the other two groups were treated 20 min by EA on ST36 (EA-ST36) and LI4 (EA-LI4) respectively for 2 weeks to observe the effect on behavior response of viscera sensitivity. The changes of neuropeptide (NPY), the somatostatin (SS) levels in blood and tissues of brain and intestine were monitored as well.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The volume thresholds for abdomen uplifting and back hunching were obviously increased after EA-ST36 (P<0.05), but showed insignificant change after EA-LI4. NPY contents lowered and SS contents increased in model rats; both EA-ST36 and EA-LI4 could raise the level of thalamic NPY (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively), but showed insignificant effects on NPY in colonic tissue. As for SS content, its colonic level could be reduced by EA-S36 and EA-LI4 (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively), however, its blood level was affected only by EA-ST36 (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EA-ST36 or EA-LI4 could regulate the NPY in thalamus and SS in colonic tissue, the former could affect blood level of SS as well. It is deemed that NPY and SS may be the key substances for regulating the action of acupuncture in the brain-intestinal axis; their different levels could be regarded as an indicator for the functional difference between the acupoints.</p>

Massage manipulation of supplementing marrow and kneading tendon in treating 30 children with spastic cerebral palsy / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic effect of massage with manipulation of supplementing marrow and kneading tendon (SMKT) on spastic cerebral palsy (CP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 60 children with CP were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group equally. All were treated with rehabilitation training, but massage with SMKT was carried out additionally for those in the treatment group, five times every week and 3 months as a therapeutic course. Clinical efficacy was assessed adopting the gross motor function measurement (GMFM-66) and the revised Ashworth scale (MAS) before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All children showed significant improvements in GMFM-66 after treatment. Compared with baseline, the improvement was statistically significant (P <0.01). Significant difference was also found between the 2 groups in MAS and in GMFM scores after treatment (P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Massage with SMKT manipulation shows a better effect than rehabilitation training therapy alone in treating spastic CP.</p>

Effects of electroacupuncture on CRH, IL-2 and beta-EP contents in the hypothalamus in the rat of adjuvant arthritis / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore Mechanisms of electroacupuncture in anti-inflammation and immunoregulation, and to compare differences among "Dazhui" (GV 14), "Mingmen "(GV 4) and non-acupoint in these actions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Adjuvant arthritis rat model was made. The rats were divided into 5 groups: normal group, model group, "Dazhui" (GV 14) electroacupuncture group, "Mingmen" (GV 4) electroacupuncture group and non-acupoint electroacupuncture group. Effects of electroacupuncture on local joint inflammation and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), beta-endorphin (betaEP) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) contents in the hypothalamus were observed and differences of the actions among different points were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CRH content in the hypothalamus in the "Dazhui" (GV 14) electroacupuncture group decreased as compared with the model group (P < 0.05); there was no significant change in beta-EP and IL-2 contents of the hypothalamus in the 3 electroacupuncture groups as compared with the model group (P > 0.05); there was positive correlation between CRH and IL-2 contents, and between IL-2 and beta-EP contents in the hypothalamus. The swelling rate of the toe in the "Dazhui" (GV 14) group and the "Mingmen" (GV 4) group was lower than that in the non-acupoint group (P < 0 05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electroacupuncture exerts anti-inflammation and immunoregulation possibly via regulation of CRH, IL-2 and beta-EP each other, and the anti-inflammation action of "Dazhui" (GV 14) and "Mingmen" (GV 4) is stronger than that of non-acupoint.</p>