Arginine Vasopressin-Aquaporin-2 Pathway-Mediated Dehydration Effects of Electroacupuncture in Guinea Pig Model of AVP-Induced Eendolymphatic Hydrops / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on endolymphatic hydrops (EH) and the regulation of arginine vasopressin (AVP)-aquaporin-2 (AQP2) pathway in guinea pigs.@*METHODS@#EH was induced in male guinea pigs by an intraperitoneal injection of AVP. For the treatment, EA was delivered to Baihui (GV 20) and Tinggong (SI 19) acupoints, once per day for 10 consecutive days. In histomorphological studies, cochlear hydrops degree was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and then the ratio of scala media (SM) area to SM + scala vestibuli (SV) area (R value) was calculated. In mechanical studies, a comparison of plasma AVP (p-AVP) concentrations, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels, vasopressin type 2 receptor (V2R) and AQP2 mRNA expressions in the cochlea were compared among groups.@*RESULTS@#EA significantly reduced cochlear hydrops in guinea pigs (P=0.001). EA significantly attenuated the AVPinduced up-regulation of p-AVP concentrations (P=0.006), cochlear cAMP levels (P=0.003) and AQP2 mRNA expression (P=0.016), and up-regulated the expression of V2R mRNA (P=0.004) in the cochlea.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The dehydrating effect of EA might be associated with its inhibition of AVP-AQP2 pathway activation.

Analgesic Effect and Mechanism of Electroacupuncture on Rats with Chronic Inflammatory Pain / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe analgesic effect of electroacupuncture ( EA) on rats with chronic inflammatory pain and its regulatory mechanism on ispilateral dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal dorsal horn (SDH) Mas-related G protein-coupled C receptor (MrgprC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 40 healthy male SD rats were divided into 4 groups according to random number table, i.e., the normal (N) group, the model (M) group, the acupuncture (Acu) group, the EA group, 10 rats in each group. The model of chronic inflammatory pain was established by subcutaneous injecting 0. 1 mL complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into right hind paw. Paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were measured before modeling, at day 1, 3, 5, 7, and after CFA injection, respectively. Expression levels of MrgprC in ispilateral DRG and SDH were detected by Western blot. The content of bovine adrenal medulla 22 (BAM22) in SDH was detected by immunohistochemical assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with N group at each time point, PWTs significantly decreased in M group (P <0. 01). Compared with M group, PWTs significantly increased at day 5 of EA and after EA in EA group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with Acu group at each time point, post-EA PWTs significantly increased in the EA group (P < 0.05). Compared with N group, expression of MrgprC in ispilateral DRG and ratio of BAM22 positive cells in ispilateral SDH increased in M group (P < 0.01). Compared with M group, expression of MrgprC in ispilateral DRG and ratio of BAM22 positive cells in ispilateral SDH increased in the EA group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA had favorable analgesic effect on chronic inflammatory pain induced by CFA, and its mechanism might be possibly associated with up-regulating MrgprC expression in ispilateral DRG and BAM22 content in ispilateral SDH.</p>

Study on rules of acupoints selection for vertigo in ancient acupuncture / 中国针灸

The characteristics of selection and matching acupoint and application rules of meridians in ancient acupuncture literature for vertigo were explored. The data were collected from literature regarding acupuncture for vertigo from the pre-Qin period to Qing dynasty and then database was established. Frequency statistics method and comparison of support degree were applied to analyze and explore application rules of acupoints and meridians, while association rules in data mining was used to extract combinations of acupoints. As a result, for treatment of vertigo, according to frequency of use and support degree, generally the most selected acupoints, in turn, were Fengchi (GB 20), Shangxing (GV 23), Yanggu (SI 5), Jiexi (ST 41), Zulinqi (GB 41) and Shenting (GV 24), etc.; the most methods for matching acupoint were combination of adjacent acupoints, combination of same-meridian acupoints, combination of the superior-inferior acupoints, combination of yang-meridian and yang-meridian acupoints and combination of child-mother meridians acupoints; the most selected meridians were bladder meridian of foot-taiyang, gallbladder meridian of foot-shaoyang and governor vessel. Compared between the ancient and modern literature, it was found out that the ancient and modern clinic has same points in selection of acupoint-meridian and matching acupoints methods. However, the use of Yanggu (SI 5), Jiexi (ST 41) and Feiyang (BL 58) as well as combination of child-mother meridians acupoints were less seen in modern clinic, which could provide new reference.

Clinical application of low-molecular-weight heparin (Fraxiparine) in rescuing venous crisis of island skin flap / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical efficacy of low molecular weight heparin (Fraxiparine) in rescuing venous crisis of island skin flap.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Of the 73 patients with venous crisis of island skin flap, 47 received subcutaneous injection of low-molecular-weight heparin (group I) and 26 were treated with phlebotomy, local compression and topical application of unfractionated heparin solution gauze (group II).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The flap survival ratio was (88.46∓8.64)% in group I and (38.37∓6.53)% in group II (P<0.001). At 0, 2, and 4 h after injection of low-molecular-weight heparin, the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) was obviously delayed (24.28∓6.71, 41.35∓7.64 and 32.34∓6.35, respectively, P<0.01), FXa:C level was significantly decreased (152.4∓30.7, 65.8∓24.4 and 83.4∓18.4, respectively, P<0.01), while FIIa:C level underwent no obvious alterations (155.70∓31.61, 143.20∓24.75, and 143.4∓23.35, respectively, P=NS).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Fraxiparine has good antithrombotic efficacy in rescuing venous crisis of island skin flap without adverse effect on systemic coagulation.</p>

Establishment of a rat model of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for repairing full-thickness skin defect / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a rat model of full-thickness skin defect to receive bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for wound repair.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A full-thickness skin defect measuring 4 cmx4 cm in 36 F344 rats, which were divided into 3 groups with the wound covered with alloskin graft, acellular dermal matrix, or petrolatum gauze. In vitro cultured BMSCs in the 5th passage were transplanted into the skin defect, and the time of wound dressing dissociation and number of transplanted Brdu-positive cells in the wound were observed 14 days later.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The alloskin graft resulted in significantly longer time before dressing dissociation, with greater number of Brdu-positive cells in the wound than the other two wound dressings (P<0.001). The acellular dermal matrix showed better effect than petrolatum gauze in terms of the dressing dissociation time and the viable transplanted cell number in the wound.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Alloskin graft can be ideal for covering the wound surface to protect the transplanted BMSCs in rats.</p>