Effects of ear point needle embedding therapy on memory disorder and expression of beta-amyloid protein in the rat of vascular dementia / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the mechanism of auricular acupuncture for improvement of learning and memory disorders in the rat of vascular dementia (VD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The vascular dementia rat model was made by 4-vessel occlusion method. Four groups, a sham operation group, a normal control group, a model group and an auricular acupuncture group were set up. After acupuncture was given at auricular points, Brain and Kidney. Immunohistochemical analysis, behavioural observation and computer image analysis were made.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Auricular acupuncture could decrease significantly the beta-amyloid protein (A beta) immunoreactivive neurons and increase its average optical density in the parietal cortex of the VD rats (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Auricular acupuncture can reduce or inhibit the over-production of Abeta in the brain, so as to improve the learning and memory capacity of the VD model rat.</p>

Effects of acupoint thread implantation and Chinese herb on PTH and TGF-beta1 in the rate of chronic renal failure / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To probe into the mechanisms of thread implantation at Zusanli(ST 36) and Chinese herbs in treatment of chronic renal failure(CRF).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CRF rat model was made by Platt subtotal nephrectomy. They were divided into 5 groups, sham operation group, model group, Chinese herbs group, thread implantation group and thread implantation plus Chinese herbs group. After treatment of 8 weeks, serum parathyroid hormone (PHT), transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) expression in residual renal cells, malondialdehyde(MDA) content in the residual renal tissue, serum urea nitrogen(BUN) and creatinine(Scr), protein in urine and pathological changes were investigated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The above indexes after treatment by thread implantation at acupoint, Chinese herbs, and acupoint thread implantation plus Chinese herbs showed begin reversion, especially, the most obviously improvement in the acupoint thread implantation plus Chinese herbs treatment group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The mechanism of acupoint thread implantation and Chinese herbs in improvement of CRF is related with decrease of PTH, inhibition of TGF-beta1 expression, decrease of MDA content and resisting lesion of renal fibrosis.</p>