Clinical research on elongated needle combined with herb-partitioned moxibustion in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To optimize the best acupuncture therapy in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and to explore its mechanism in terms of immunology.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and eleven cases were randomized into an acupuncture-moxibustion group, an elongated needle group and a herb-partitioned moxibustion group, 37 cases in each group. In acupuncture-moxibustion group, penetration needling with elongated needle was applied at Dachangshu (BL 25), Guanyuanshu (BL 26) and Huantiao (GB 30), which was followed with herb-partitioned moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) and Yaoyangguan (GV 3), etc, once a day. Elongated needle and herb-partitioned moxibustion were applied in the elongated needle group and herb-partitioned moxibustion group respectively. The efficacy of each group was observed after 21 treatments and the value of serum immunoglobulin was measured and analyzed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The effective rate was 97.3% (36/37) in acupuncture-moxibustion group, which was superior to 75.7% (28/37) in the elongated needle group and 73.0% (27/37) in the herb-partitioned moxibustion group (both P<0.05). The visual analogue scale (VAS), straight-leg raising range and motion range of the lumbar vertebra in three groups were all improved after treatment (all P<0.05), which was more significant in the acupuncture-moxibustion group (all P<0.05). The difference of value of serum immunoglobulin before and after treatment was significant in the acupuncture-moxibustion group (P<0.05), which was not in the elongated needle group and the herb-partitioned moxibustion group (both P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The therapy of elongated needle combined with herb-partitioned moxibustion achieves superior efficacy in the treatment of LDH as compared with elongated needle or herb-partitioned moxibustion therapy, and it can regulate the humoral immunity system of patients.</p>

Berberine potentizes apoptosis induced by X-rays irradiation probably through modulation of gap junctions / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Clinical combination of some traditional Chinese medical herbs, including berberine, with irradiation is demonstrated to improve efficacy of tumor radiotherapy, yet the mechanisms for such effect remain largely unknown. The present study investigated the effect of berberine on apoptosis induced by X-rays irradiation and the relation between this effect and gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The role of gap junctions in the modulation of X-rays irradiation-induced apoptosis was explored by manipulation of connexin (Cx) expression, and gap junction function, using oleamide, a GJIC inhibitor, and berberine.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In transfected HeLa cells, Cx32 expression increased apoptosis induced by X-rays irradiation, while inhibition of gap junction by oleamide reduced the irradiation responses, indicating the dependence of X-rays irradiation-induced apoptosis on GJIC. Berberine, at the concentrations without cytotoxicity, enhanced apoptosis induced by irradiation only in the presence of functional gap junctions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>These results suggest that berberine potentizes cell apoptosis induced by X-rays irradiation, probably through enhancement of gap junction activity.</p>