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OBJECTIVE: To explore the distribution of pressure- and heat-sensitive acupoints of the Large Intestine of Hand-Yangming, Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming and the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin below the elbow and knee joints in patients with allergic rhinitis, so as to explore the positive reaction points at the body surface of allergic rhinitis. METHODS: Thirty variant rhinitis volunteer subjects and 30 healthy subjects were recruited in the present study. The subcutaneous induration, reaction points of emptiness-like feeling or pressing pain below the elbow- and knee-joints along the Large Intestine Meridian, Stomach Meridian and the Lung Meridian were inspected first, then re-examined by using heat-sensitized moxibustion method and a hand-held pain threshold tester (mechanical pressure), respectively. The frequency and coincidence rate of pressing-pain sensitive and heat-sensitive points were analyzed. RESULTS: In the 30 patients with allergic rhinitis, 10 positive reaction points as Kongzui (LU6), Chize (LU5), Hegu (LI4), Quchi (LI11), Shousanli(LI10), Zusanli (ST36), Shangjuxu (ST37), Fenglong (ST40), Xiajuxu (ST39), and non-acupoint of the Lung Meridian were found. Among them, the duration of heat-sensitive reaction in the LU6, LI10, ST37, ST40, and ST39 regions was obviously shorter in patients than in healthy subjects (P0.05). CONCLUSION: There is a high overlap in the distribution of pressure- and heat-sensitive acupoints of the Lung, Large Intestine and Stomach meridians below the elbow and knee joints in patients with allergic rhinitis, and there is an imbalance between the left and right limbs in the mechanical pain threshold of the pressure- and heat-sensitive acupoints, but needing being further confirmed.
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OBJECTIVE: To observe the correlation between the referred pain regions of stable angina pectoris (SAP) and the acupoints in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients and to investigate the rule of regional sensitized point distribution in rats. METHODS: A total of 1 046 CHD patients with SAP from 8 hospitals in China were recruited in the present study. The tenderness was palpated along the left and right chest, back, shoulder, upper limb, etc. by a specially-assigned researcher in each hospital. Among them, 77 patients accepted pain threshold (PT) measurement by using a hand-held esthesiometer. In animal experiments, 14 SD rats were subjected to occlusion of the left anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery for 4 h for establishing myocardial ischemia (MI) model, and other 4 normal rats were used as the sham-operation control group. Four hours after MI, all the rats accepted tail venous injection of 5% Evans blue (50 mg/kg) for examining the distribution of the blue dye exudation spots at the body surface where the mechanical PT was also detected by a von Frey. RESULTS: In 1 046 CHD patients, 987 (94.36%) were found to have at least one tenderness spot. The tenderness spots were found at the left chest (87.47%), right chest (13.67%), left arm (ulnar side, 41.30%), right upper limb (4.68%), left shoulder back (30.21%), right shoulder back (7.07%), etc., accompanied with rash or pigmentation, subcutaneous induration, cord-like tissue contracture, skin sag, etc. The mechanical PT level was significantly lower at the tenderness spots of the left upper limb than at non-tender points of the right upper limb in CHD patients (P<0.001). Tenderness and cutaneous abnormal changes in angor pectoris patients distributed mostly on the left chest, back, shoulder and upper limb, and some also on the right. Tender points scattered on, near or outside acupoints. A similar distribution of the blue exudation spots and lower mechanical PT spots were found in MI rats, but not in sham-MI rats. CONCLUSION: In the case of MI, a regular "referred sensitization" response frequently occurs in the dermatomere area innervated by the corresponding segments (T 1－T 5) in both CHD patients and MI rats, which may be closely associated with the formation of acupoints in ancient China.
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Objective To observe the changes of mechanical pain thresholds and autophagy related proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1 also known as p62) expression levels in the C57BL/6 mouse models of chronic prostatitis/ chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS),and provide animal experimental evidence for CP/CPPS pain and autophagy study.Methods 36 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups: the model group,control group and na(i)ve group.The CP/CPPS model was established by subcutaneous injection in the lower abdomen region with suspension liquid,containing protein extract of male SD rat prostate gland and complete Freund adjuvant.At 1month and 6 months after modeling,the mice were sacrificed and prostate tissues were harvested for histological examination using HE staining.Mechanical tactile hyperalgesia was measured with von Frey filaments.The autophagy-related proteins LC3 and p62 expression levels were detected by immunohistochemistry,respectively.The average IOD was measured by Image Pro Plus 6.0,and the statistical analysis was performed with GraphPad Prism 5 software.Results The histopathology showed the appearance of chronic prostatitis in the model group,representing hyperplasia and lymphocytic infiltration to a different degree and lasted for 6 months after modeling.Moreover,prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) appeared in the model group at 6 months after modeling,characterized by the disappearence of basement membrane and obvious nuclear abnormality,while the control and na(i)ve groups showed normal histology during the 1-6 months.Compared with the control and na(i)ve groups,the mechanical pain threshold in the model group was significantly decreased along with the time from (0.353±0.154) g at 0 week to (0.008±0.00) g at 22 weeks (P<0.05).The average IOD of LC3 and p62 expression in the model group was significantly increased with timing from [(2.767±0.464)%,(2.872±1.642)%] at 1month to [(13.501±1.900)%,(9.07±0.49)%] at 6 month,P<0.05.Conclusions A CP/CPPS model is successfully established in C57BL/6 mice.For the model group,the mechanical pain threshold is decreased and autophagy levels are increased gradually with time.These phenomena show that chronic inflammation microenvironment may promote pain and autophagy activity in the prostate,which is closely related with the occurrence and development of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.
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Objective To investigate the role of astrocytes activation in post herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods The kunming mice (20-25 g) were used in this study. Resiniferatoxin was injected into the peritoneal cavity.Immunofuorescence was used to detect the activation of astrocytes , mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (MWT)and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were used to assay the mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, respectively. Fluorocitrate, an inhibitor of astrocytes was intrathecally (i.t.) or intraperitonealy (i. p.) injected into the mice. Results Compared with the vehicle group, MWT was decreased, and TWL was increased significantly in the RTX group. Pre-treatments of fluorocitrate (Fc, i.t.,or i.p.) inhibited the decrease of MWT. Conclusion The activation of astrocytes mediates the post herpetic neuralgia.
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BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between A118G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of human micro-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene and the postoperative pain response in Korean patients undergoing thyroidectomy. METHODS: Fifty two adult patients undergoing thyroidectomy were enrolled in this study. Their blood samples were genotyped for the A118G polymorphism. Pain intensity was assessed by a verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS) at postanesthesia care unit, postoperative 6, 24, and 48 hours. Mechanical pain threshold was assessed using electronic von Frey preoperatively and repeated at postoperative 24 and 48 hours on the forearm and periincisional regions. RESULTS: Of the 50 patients, 23 patients were A118 homozygous (AA), 19 patients were heterozygous (AG), and 8 patients were 118G homozygous (GG). The VNRS score was higher in patients with GG genotype than other genotypes at PACU (P < 0.05). Mechanical pain thresholds on the forearm and periincisional area were decreased at postoperative 24 and 48 hours from the preoperative values in all genotypes (P < 0.05). However, the changes in pain thresholds were similar among the genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: A118G SNP of OPRM1 gene is associated with inter-individual difference in immediate postoperative pain score in Korean population.