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In order to accurately understand the location of Shenshu (BL 23) and to improve the efficacy of acupuncture, a discussion is performed in this paper from aspects of acupoint function, anatomical structure, experiment research, clinical application, etc., hoping to provide benefit for future animal experiments and clinical selection of acupoint. The characteristics of rat spine is different from that of human, and the reliability and authenticity of acupoint location would be compromised if the anatomical characteristics of human was inflexibly applied on animals. "Shenshu" (BL 23) belongs to the bladder meridian of foot, and is located 1.5lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra. It is close to kidney, therefore deep insertion or repeated lifting and thrusting of needle would damage kidney and causes acupuncture accident. Therefore, to locate "Shenshu" (BL 23) in rat, the 6th lumbar vertebra is located firstly based on tuber coxae of rat, and then 11th thoracic vertebra is located by upward 4 vertebral bodies or locate 9th to 11th thoracic vertebra which are tight, and finally 2nd lumbar vertebra is located by downward 4 vertebral bodies, and "Shenshu" (BL 23) is 5 mm lateral to it. During clinical treatment, the technique should be gentle; oblique and outward insertion of needle is not allowed; the maximum depth of needle insertion is 1.6(approximately 4.30 cm); the vertical or oblique insertion with needle 45° towards spine is appropriate; the depth of 0.8 to 1.2(2.00 to 3.10 cm) is suitable. In cases of too thin or fat patients, the depth of needle insertion should be adjusted for safety.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To verify the clinical efficacy on postmenopausal osteoporosis treated with acupoint injection of salmon calcitonin.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety patients of postmenopausal osteoporosis were randomized into three groups, 30 cases in each one. In the acupoint injection group, Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) were selected bilaterally. The injection 4 mL was prepared with salmon calcitonin 100 U (1 mL) and 0.9% sodium chloride injection. Each acupoint was stimulated with the injection, 1 mL. In the blank group, 0.9% sodium chloride injection was applied to bilateral Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36), 1 mL at each acupoint. In the intramuscular injection group, salmon calcitonin 100 U was injected at gluteus maximus. The treatment was given once every two days in the patients of the three groups and lasted for 2 months. The levels of bone mineral density (BMD), bone alkaline phosphatase (NBAP), C-terminal telopeptides of typeⅠcollagen (CTX), urine calcium/creatinine (Ca/Cr) and the symptom score of osteoporosis were detected in the patients of the three groups before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the patients of the three groups, NBAP and BMD in lumbar vertebra after treatment were higher than those before treatment (all<0.05); CTX, Ca/Cr and symptom score were lower than those before treatment (all<0.05). After treatment, NBAP was (32.7±2.5) μg/L in the acupoint injection group, higher than those in the blank group and the intramuscular injection group (both<0.05). In the acupoint injection group, CTX was reduced to (239.7±63.6) μmmol/L and Ca/Cr was reduced to 0.525±0.274, apparently lower than those in the blank group and intramuscular injection group (both<0.05). After treatment, in the acupoint injection group, BMD of lumbar vertebra was (0.731±0.062) g/m, higher than the level of the rest two groups (both<0.05). After treatment, the symptom score was 5.2±0.6 in the acupoint injection group, lower than those in the blank group and intramuscular injection group (both<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Salmon calcitonin injec-tion at Zusanli (ST 36) and Shenshu (BL 23) achieves significant efficacy on postmenopausal osteoporosis, stimulating osteoblast activity and inhibiting bone absorption of osteoclast.</p>
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Objective To investigate the effects of preconditioning with repeated electroacupuncture (EA)at Shenshu acupoint on renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats.Methods Fifty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 260-320 g,were randomly divided into 4 groups:sham operation group (n =5),I/R group,pentobarbital sodium + I/R group (PB + I/R group) and repeated EA at Shenshu acupoint + I/R group (EA + I/R group).The model of renal I/R injury was established by occlusion of bilateral renal pedicles for 45 min followed by reperfusion.Pentobarbital sodium 30 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally everyday for 5 consecutive days and I/R was induced 24 h after the last injection in PB + I/R group.The animals received EA at Shenshu acupiont 30min per day for 5 consecutive days under pentobarbital sodium anesthesia and I/R was induced 24 h after the last preconditioning in EA + I/R group.Blood samples were taken at 1,3 and 7 days after I/R to determine the levels of serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr).The animals were then sacrificed and the kidney was isolated.The histological changes of the kidney was scored.The apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells was measured using TUNEL at 3 days after I/R.Apoptosis index (AI) was calculated.The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA),Bcl-2,Bax,Fas and FasL in renal tubular epithelial cells was measured by immuno-histochemistry at 3 days after I/R.Results Compared with group S,the levels of serum BUN and Cr,and histological score were significantly increased at 1,3 and 7 days after I/R in I/R and PB + I/R groups,and at 1 and 3 days after I/R in EA + I/R group,the expression of PCNA,Bcl-2,Bax,Fas and FasL was up-regulated in I/R,PB + I/R and EA + I/R groups,and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was significantly increased in I/R and PB + I/R groups (P ＜0.05).Compared with I/R and PB + I/R groups,the levels of serum BUN and Cr,and histological score were significantly decreased at 3 and 7 days after I/R,AI and the expression of Bax,Fas and FasL were significantly decreased,and the expression of PCNA and Bcl-2 was up-regulated in EA + I/R group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Preconditioning with repeated EA at Shenshu acupoint can attenuate the renal I/R injury in rats by promoting the proliferation of renal tubular epithelial cells and reducing the apoptosis in cells.
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Objective To investigate the effects of acupoint catgut-embedding therapy(ACT) on hypothalamic of hypothalamic norepinephrine(NE),dopamine(DA),5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),5-hydroxyindole acetic acid(5-HIAA) in menopause rats,and to explore the preventive and therapeutic mechanism of ACT for climacteric syndrome.Methods Sixty female SD rats were equally randomized into treatment group,model group and sham-operation group.Except the rats in the sham-operation group,the rats in other groups received removal of bilateral ovaries to establish ovariectomized menopause rat models.The treatment group received catgut-embedding on acupoints of Shenshu,Sanyinjiao and Zigong,once per week,and the treatment lasted 4 weeks.After treatment,the hypothalamic NE,DA,5-HT,5-HIAA levels were measured by radioimmunoassay.Results NE and DA levels were significantly decreased(P
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0.05).Conclusion The therapeutic mechanism of AEP of Chinese herbal medicine for asthma may be related with the inhibition of EOS infiltration,the decrease of peripheral IL-4 content and the increase of IFN-?.
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Objective To observe the effect of electroacupuncture(EA) on long-term potentiation(LTP),calmodulin(CaM) and calmodulin protein kinase Ⅱ(CaMPKⅡ) mRNA expression in vascular dementia rats.Methods Seventy SD rats,half in male and aged 2 months,were randomized into 5 groups: normal group(N =14),pseudo-operation group(N = 14),EA group(N = 12),western medicine group(N = 12),and model group(N =12).EA group were given acup uncture on Baihui(GV20),Dazhui(GV14) and Shenshu(BL23),and western medicine group were given nimoldipine 12 mg.kg-1.d-1.The normal group,model group and pseudo-operation group were fed routinely without any medication.Escape latency and frequency of rats crossing the quadrant of the platform in Morris water maze,in-vivo hippocampal LTP,and neuronal CaM and CaMPKⅡ mRNA expression were observed.Results Compared with the model group,escape latency was shortened,frequency of rats crossing the original and left quadrants of the platform rised,LTP amplitude and duration increased,and neuronal CaM and CaMPKⅡ mRNA expression enhanced in EA group and western medicine group(P
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Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of Chinese herbal and western medicines(CHM & WM)combined with acupoint pulse-laser stimulation(APLS)for calculus of upper urinary tract.Methods Sixty cases of calculus of upper urinary tract were allocated to the treatment group(Group A,n=36)and the control group (Group B,n=24).Group A was treated with CHM & WM combined with APLS and Group B with CHM alone.Results The therapeutic effect rate was 94.4% and 75.0% in Group A and Group B respectively (P