Consideration of a New Category of Patients for Whom Ryokeijutsukanto is Effective at a Different Stage Then was Previously Reported / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Ryokeijutsukanto consists of four crude drugs, Hoelen, Cinnamonmi Cortex, Atractylodis Rhizoma, and Glycyrrhizae Radix. In Kampo medicine, it is used for the yang stage, fluid disturbances, and qi counterflow. It is also used for orthostatic disturbance, which does not change smoothly from parasympathetic nerve dominance to sympathetic nerve dominance. This time, we report that ryokeijutsukanto is also effective for disturbance with function regulation of autonomic nervous system. Case 1: a patient who had headache after exercise and working. Case 2: a patient who had dizziness and cold sweat that appeared in the evening. Case 3: a patient who had headache after working or on holidays. In these cases, ryokeijutsukanto was effective for symptoms that appeared when the patient could not change smoothly from sympathetic nerve dominance to parasympathetic nerve dominance. Furthermore, we found that ryokeijutsukanto was effective, even if there was no sign of fluid disturbance in conjunction with the yang stage and qi counterflow. We identified a new category of patients for whom ryokeijutsukanto is effective.

Anatomy and Physiology of the Autonomic Nervous System / 대한평형의학회지

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) integrates the function of the internal organs for the homeostasis against various external environmental changes. The efferent components of the ANS are regulated by sensory signals arising from the viscera as well as non-visceral organs. The central neural networks that integrate these sensory signals and modify visceral motor output are complex, and synaptic reflexes formed in the brainstem and spinal cord integrate behavioral responses and visceral responses through the central neural networks. A detailed understanding of the neural network presented above may explain the role of the vestibular system on the homeostasis more extensively.

Characteristics of Deceleration Capacity and Heart Rate Variability in Patients With Vasovagal Syncope / 中国循环杂志

Objective: To quantitatively evaluate the abnormal tense of parasympathetic nerve via measuring the heart rate deceleration capacity (DC) and heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with vasovagal syncope (VVS). Methods: Our research included 2 groups: VVS group,n=28 patients with positive head-up tilt test treated in our hospital from 2013-06 to 2014-08 and Control group,n=30 patients without cardiovascular disorders. The DC and HRV were examined and compared between 2 groups. Results:① The overall deceleration capacity (ODC) (9.4 ± 2.9) ms and daytime deceleration capacity (DDC) (8.9 ± 2.9) ms in VVS group were higher than those in Control group (7.5 ± 2.5) ms and (7.5 ± 2.5) ms respectively,P1 than those in Control group (9/28, 32.1% vs 2/30, 6.7%),P=0.019.③ The SDNN (139.8 ± 34.0) ms, SDSD (29.9 ± 15.7) ms and rMSSD (40.9 ± 18.8) ms in VVS group were higher than those in Control group, (115.5 ± 29.4) ms, (21.8 ± 6.6) ms and (28.9 ± 8.4) ms respectively,P Conclusion: VVS patients have abnormally increased indexes of DC and HRV, HDC is the predictor for vasovagal syncope occurrence.

Parasympathetic Nerve Function Status in Female with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Background: Sudden cardiac death in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis has been attributed to the decreased vagal drive to the heart. Objective: To assess cardiac parasympathetic nerve function status in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Shahbag, Dhaka from January to December 2010. Sixty female RA patients aged 18-50 years were included in the study group. They were enrolled from the Out Patient Department of Rheumatology Wing of the Department of Medicine, BSMMU, Dhaka. For comparison age matched thirty apparently healthy females were also studied as control. To assess parasympathetic nerve function status, all the subjects were examined by three noninvasive cardiovascular reflex tests such as heart rate response to valsalva maneuver (valsalva ratio), heart rate response to deep breathing and heart rate response to standing (30th :15th ratio). For statistical analysis independent sample t test was used. Results: Mean values of valsalva ratio, deep breathing test and 30th :15th ratio were significantly (p<0.001) lower in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to those of healthy control. Conclusion: From this study it may be concluded that lower cardiac parasympathetic nerve activity characterized the autonomic nerve dysfunction in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Relationship Between Parasympathetic Nerve Function and Ovarian Hormones During Different Phases of Ovarian Cycle In Healthy Young Women.

Background: Women having regular ovarian cycle often experience premenstrual syndrome which may be associated with alterations of autonomic nerve function due to fluctuation of ovarian hormones during different phases of ovarian cycle. Objective: To observe the parasympathetic nerve function status and their relationships with ovarian hormones during different phases of ovarian cycle in healthy young women. Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out in the department of Physiology at BSMMU, Dhaka in 2007 on 30 eumenorrhogic healthy females aged 20 to 30 years. Serum estrogen and progesterone were measured by MEIA method and parasympathetic nerve functions were assessed by valsalva, deep breathing test and orthostatic test during follicular and luteal phases of ovarian cycle. Data were analyzed by paired student ‘t’ test, and Pearson’s Correlation coefficient test where applicable. Results: Mean resting HR,SBP,DBP and all measures of parasympathetic nerve function were similar in all phases of ovarian cycle. With serum estrogen level, deep breathing showed significant (p<0.05) positive correlation in follicular and luteal phase and valsalva showed significant positive correlation during luteal phase. Conclusion: The results this study suggest that estrogen has got positive influence on parasympathetic nerve function which support cardioprotective role of estrogen in premenopausal females.

Parasympathetic Nerve Function Status During Different Phases Of Menstrual Cycle In Healthy Young Women.

Background: Autonomic nerve function status may be changed during follicular and late luteal phases of menstrual cycle due to fluctuations of serum estrogen and progesterone levels. This alteration in autonomic nerve functions may affect cardiovagal control and usually associated with decreased parasympathetic activity in late luteal phase. Objective: To observe the parasympathetic nerve function status during follicular and late luteal phases of menstrual cycle and also their relationships with serum estrogen and progesterone levels in healthy young women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology, Sir Salimullah Medical College (SSMC), Dhaka from 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2009. A total number of thirty (30) apparently healthy unmarried women age ranged from 20-25 years were studied in both follicular (phase A, control) and late luteal (phase B, study) phases of menstrual cycle. Simple autonomic nerve function tests like heart rate (HR) response to valsalva maneuver (valsalva ratio), HR response to deep breathing, HR response to standing (30th:15th ratio) were done to assess parasympathetic activity and serum estrogen and progesterone levels were also measured by AxSYM method. All these tests were performed in both follicular and late luteal phases of menstrual cycle of the same subject. Data were analysed by paired student’s ‘t’ test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient test as applicable. Results: Mean values of both HR response to valsalva ratio and HR response to standing (30th:15 th ) were non-significantly decreased but HR response to deep breathing was significantly (p<0.05) decreased in late luteal phase than those of follicular phase. Conclusion: From this study it can be concluded that parasympathetic activity is decreased in late luteal phase of menstrual cycle.

Parasympathetic Nerve Function Status in Postmenopausal Women.

Background: In postmenopausal women, the risk of cardiovascular diseases gradually increases and alterations in autonomic nerve functions commonly affect cardiac vagal control. Objective: To observe some aspects of parasympathetic nerve function status in apparently healthy post menopausal women. Method: This cross sectional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. In this study, 30 postmenopausal women with age 45 to 60 years were included in group B (study group) and 30 premenopausal women aged 20 to 30 years were taken in group A (control group). They were further divided into group A1(menstrual),A2(follicular), A3(luteal) according to phases of menstrual cycle during which they were studied. Serum estrogen and progesterone levels were measured in postmenopausal women and also during follicular and luteal phases in premenopausal women and were estimated by MEIA technique. To assess parasympathetic nerve function status, three noninvasive cardiovascular reflex tests such as heart rate response to valsalva maneuver, heart rate response to deep breathing and heart rate response to standing were performed in all the subjects. Data were collected by recording ECG in resting conditions. For statistical analysis, unpaired t test and multiple regression analysis was used. Results: In postmenopausal women, serum estrogen and progesterone levels were significantly (p<0.001) lower compared to those of follicular and luteal phases of premenopausal women except progesterone level during follicular phase which was though lower but not statistically significant. Heart rate response to valsalva maneuver were almost similar in all the groups.Heart rate response to deep breathing and heart rate response to standing were significantly lower in group B than those of group A1, A2 and A3 respectively. On regression analysis parasympathetic nerve function in post postmenopausal women showed significant association with estrogen level. Conclusion: From this study it may be concluded that parasympathetic nerve function was lower in postmenopausal women, which may be related to decreased level of estrogen.

Mechanism of spinal cord stimulation in augmentation of cerebral blood flow / 上海第二医科大学学报

0.05).The effects of SCS on augmentation of CBF were significantly inhibited in V 1+SCG group.Conclusion SCS-induced CBF augmentation may be realized by both parasympathetic and sympathetic pathways.

Central Vagal Involvement in Ovarian Innervation of the Rat / 체질인류학회지

The mammalian ovary has been known as receiving its innervation by sympathetic and sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system from the brain. Recently, there were several functional reports that the vagus nerves were also regulating the ovarian function, but the vagus nerve had not been identified by clear morphological evidence. A viral transneuronal tracing technique has been used to demonstrate the morphological evidence for the central vagal involvement in ovarian innervation in brain areas. Bartha strain of pseudorabies virus injection was made into the ovary of Sprague Dawley rats. In experimental group, the vagus nerve of the same injection side was removed right after ovarian injection. At five days after initial injection, all the rats were sacrificed and brains were processed for immunohistochemistry. Several central nuclei including hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus showed strong bilateral positive labelings after unilateral injection in control rats, but the positive labelings were disappeared or decreased in several hypothalamic nuclei and nuclei of the vagus nerve. In conclusion, these results provide the morphological evidence that vagus nerve has neural connection to ovary and by which the central nervous system may maintains the state of ovulation and reproduction as a possible parasympathetic routes in mammals.

The Localization of Efferent and Afferent Neurons Innervating the Rat Thymus Using the Neural Tracers / 대한해부학회지

The localizations of efferent and afferent neurons were observed following injection of neural tracers, cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) and wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) into the rat thymus with ages. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were examined at 3 weeks, 5~6 and 20 months of age. After survival times of 48~96 hours following injection of neural tracers, the rats were perfused and their brain, spinal cord, sympathetic ganglia, dorsal root ganglia and vagal ganglia were frozen sectioned (40 mm). These sections were stained by CTB immunohistochemical and HRP histochemical staining methods, and observed with polarized dark and light microscope. The results were as follows: 1. WGA-HRP and CTB labeled parasympathetic neurons were bilaterally seen in the nucleus ambiguus and medullary reticular formation of medulla with all ages. 2. WGA-HRP labeled sympathetic neurons were bilaterally labeled in superior cervical ganglia, middle cervical ganglia, stellate ganglia and T4-8 sympathetic chain ganglia. The number of labeled sympathetic neurons was increased in the thymus at 20 months of age. According to the aging, sympathetic neuronal processes were more developed, and the nerve fibers were coarse and more branched. 3. WGA-HRP labeled sensory neurons were bilaterally observed within the vagal and C1-6 dorsal root ganglia. The number of labeled sensory neurons was decreased in the thymus at 20 months of age.

Effects of a short time water immersion at subaxillary level on cardiac autonomic nerve activity. A study in water at 25.DEG.C., 30.DEG.C. and 34.DEG.C / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to assess an alteration of cardiac autonomic nerve activity during water immersion. Ten healthy young males (age : 21-28 yr.) were immersed in water at the temperatures of 25°C, 30°C and 34°C. Subjects sat calmly for 20 minutes in sitting position before water immersion, and then were immersed in water at subaxillary level in sitting position for 15 minutes, performing controlled breathing (15 cycle/min.) . Electrocardiograms were recorded continuously. Autonomic nerve activity was estimated with the analysis of power spectral by using the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) . High (HF ; 0.15-0.50 Hz) and low (LF ; 0.04-0.15 Hz) frequency areas and the ratio of LF to HF (LF/HF) were calculated as the indices of cardiac parasympathetic nerve activity, sympathetic nerve activity with parasympathetic modulation, and sympathetic nerve activity, respectively. During the water immersion at 25°C, 30°C and 34°C, HF was significantly increased, while the heart rate and LF/HF were significantly decreased. There were no statistically significant differences among both of HF and LF/HF during the immersion at 25°C, 30°C and 34°C, although the rate of change in HF at the temperature of 25°C appeared to be prominent compared to those at 30°C and 34°C and some subjects showed an exaggerated change in HF immediately after immersion. These results suggest that cardiac parasympathetic nerve activity is enhanced and cardiac sympathetic nerve activity is suppressed during a short time water immersion at the thermo-neutral temperature (34°C) and the temperatures of 25°C and 30°C, which are the usual temperatures found in indoor pools.