Effect of electroacupuncture on metabolism of lipids in rats of obesity induced by sodium glutamate / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore mechanisms of acupuncture for reducing of body weight.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The rat obesity model was developed by subcutaneous injection of sodium glutamate solution, and the experimental rats were divided into a blank control group, a model group, an electroacupuncture group and a sibutramine group; blood TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C contents and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity, and serum leptin and insulin levels were determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The body weight and Lee's index, and TG, TC and LDL-C contents in the electroacupuncture group decreased significantly as compared with those in the model group (all P<0.01), the actions in the electroacupuncture group being superior to those in the sibutramine group; the HDL-C contents in both the electroacupuncture and the sibutramine groups were higher than that of the model group (P<0.01) with no significant difference between the electroacupuncture group and the sibutramine group; LPL activity in the electroacupuncture group increased significantly as compared with that in the model group (P<0.01); serum leptin and insulin levels in both the electroacupuncture group and the sibutramine group were lower than that in the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01), with no significant difference between the electroacupuncture group and the sibutramine group in the effect on insulin content, and the decrease of leptin level in the electroacupuncture group was more as compared with the sibutramine group (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electroacupuncture can improve the status of high blood lipids, increase lipoprotein lipase activity, and regulate serum leptin and insulin levels in the obestic rat.</p>

Effects of taurine on rabbit cardiomyocyte apoptosis during ischemia/reperfusion injury / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To study the effect of taurine (Tau) on rabbit cardiomyocyte apoptosis during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rabbit heart I/R injury was induced by occluding the left anterior descending coronary artery for 45 min and reperfusion for 180 min. taurine (200 mg/kg) was intravenously injected 5 min before heart ischemia. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was measured by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase--mediated dUTP nick end labeling method (TUNEL), flow cytometry (FCM) and DNA agarose gel electrophoresis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>DNA ladder pattern of DNA in myocardium was revealed by agarose gel electrophoresis in I/R group while was not found in Tau + I/R group. Apoptotic cardiomyocytes were sparse within ischemic myocardium at risk in Tau + I/ R group as compared with that in I/R group (TUNEL stain). Apoptosis rate in ischemic myocardium from I/R and Tau + I/R groups detected by flow cytometry was 17.66% +/- 1.54% and 4.86% +/- 1.23%, respectively. Fas and Bax protein expressions in ischemic myocardium of I/R group were higher than that in nonischemic myocardium group (P < 0.01), Bcl-2/Bax ratio in I/R group was lower than that in nonischemic myocardium (P < 0.01); while in Tau + I/R group, Fas and Bax protein expressions were lower than that in I/R group (P < 0.01), the Bcl-2/Bax ratio was higher than that in I/R group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Taurine reduced apoptosis of myocytes in I/R rabbit heart; its mechanism may involve Fas, Bax and Bcl-2 proteins expression.</p>