Effect of acupotomy intervention on the morphology and ultrastructure of rectus femoris muscle in rabbits with knee osteoarthritis / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of acupotomy on the morphology and ultrastructure of rectus femoris muscle in rabbits with knee osteoarthritis and to reveal the possible therapeutic mechanism involved in the effect of acupotomology on the treatment of knee osteoarthritis(KOA).@*METHODS@#Twenty-four male New Zealand rabbits aged 6 months and weighed (2.0±0.5) kg were randomly divided into blank group, model group and acupotomy group, 8 rabbits in each group. KOA model was established by modified Videman method with left hind limb extended plaster immobility for 6 weeks. In acupotomy group, the transfascial focal points of quadriceps femoris muscle were released by acupotomy under the guidance of Jingjin theory for 4 times and once a week, and the treatment points include Hedingci, Binwaixia, Binneixia. Blank group and model group were fed normally without intervention. One week after the end of the intervention, the pennation angle(PA), muscle thickness(MT), cross-sectional area(CSA) and strain ratio(SR) of rectus femoris were measured by ultrasound. HE staining was used to observe the changes of the tissue morphology, the number of muscle fibers and the average area of muscle fibers. The myofibril of rectus femoris, sarcomere and myofilament were observed by transmission electron microscope.@*RESULTS@#The PA of rectus femoris muscle in the blank group was (9.05±0.21)°. The MT was(1.09±0.09) cm and the CSA was(1.30±0.01) cm2. The PA of rectus femoris muscle in the model group was (3.06±0.15)°. The MT was (0.71±0.02) cm and the CSA was(0.77±0.02) cm2. The PA of rectus femoris muscle in the acupotomy group was (6.94±0.28)°. The MT was (0.80±0.05) cm and the CSA was(0.94±0.03) cm2. The muscle PA, MT and CSA of rectus femoris in the model group were significantly smaller than those in the blank group (P<0.05). Those in acupotomy group were significantly increased compared with those in model group (P<0.05). The SR of rectus femoris muscle was 1.19±0.02 in the blank group, 3.50±0.05 in the model group and 1.99±0.07 in the acupotomy group. The elastic SR of the model group was significantly higher than that of the blank group (P<0.05). These in acupotomy group was significantly lower than that in model group(P<0.05). The results of HE staining showed:in blank group, the fascicles of rectus femoris were arranged neatly, the number of beam of muscle fibers within the fixed visual field was 94.38±3.50 and the average CSA was(0.75±0.22) mm2. In model group, the fascicles of rectus femoris with different sizes were disorganized with a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration, the number of beam of muscle fibers within the fixed visual field was 196.63±2.62 and the average CSA was(0.26±0.03) mm2. Compared to the blank group, a significant increase in the number of muscle fibers in the fixed field in the model group (P<0.05) and the average CSA decreased significantly(P<0.05). In acupotomy group, the rectus femoris fascicles in the acupotomy group tended to be arranged in a more orderly manner, with the inflammatory cells decreased, the number of beam of muscle fibers within the fixed visual field was 132.88±4.61 and the average CSA was(0.70±0.07) mm2. Compared to the model group, a significant decrease in the number of muscle fibers in the fixed field in the model group(P<0.05) and the average CSA increased significantly(P<0.05). The results of transmission electron microscope showed:compared with the blank group, the overall arrangement of the myofibrils of the rectus femoris in the model group was less structured. There was fracture between the muscle fibers and the sarcomere, the myofilaments were disordered, and the fracture of the Z line was discontinuous. Compared with the model group, the myofibrillar texture of rectus femoris in acupotomy group was clearer, and the Z line was more continuous.@*CONCLUSION@#Based on the jingjin theory, the release of quadriceps femoris by acupotomy can effectively improve the morphology and structure of rectus femoris, and promote the repair and reconstruction of chronic skeletal muscle injury in rabbits with KOA, which may be one of the mechanisms of acupotomy in the treatment of KOA.

Effect of Modified Erchentang on VEGF,VEGFR2,IL-4,ET-1 in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To observe the effects of Erchen on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor R2 (VEGFR2), interleukin (IL)-4 and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Method: The 50 SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, 10 rats in each group, which were normal group, model group, Erchentang low, medium and high dose group (10, 20, 40 g · kg-1 · d-1). COPD rat model was established by smoking combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intratracheal drip. After successful modeling, the treatment group was given intragastric administration, and the normal group and the model group were given intragastric distilled water of equal volume. The pathological changes of pulmonary vessels in rats were observed by light microscopy, and the thickness of pulmonary vascular wall was measured. The concentration of IL-4 in rat serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung homogenate was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to detect the expression of ET-1 and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of VEGF,VEGFR2 and ET-1 in lung tissue. Result: Compared with normal group, the concentration of IL-4 in serum, BALF and lung homogenate of model group rats decreased significantly (PPPPPPConclusion: Modified Erchentang can alleviate the process of pulmonary inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling in COPD rats, and slow down the progress of COPD and its complications by increasing the content of IL-4, inhibiting the expression of VEGF, VEGFR2, ET-1.

Effect of Modified Erchentang on PPARγ Expression in Lung Tissue of Rats with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To explore the effect of modified Erchentang on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) protein and gene expressions in lung tissue of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rat model, and the expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in serum, lung homogenate and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Method: Seventy SD rats were randomly divided into seven groups:normal group, model group, high, medium and low-dose modified Erchentang groups (40, 20, 10 g · kg-1 · d-1), Xiaokechuan group (5 g · kg-1 · d-1), and Erchentang group (5 g · kg-1 · d-1). The rat COPD model was established through smoking and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After successful modeling, the treatment group was given drug by gavage, while the normal group and the model group were given the same amount of saline. The concentrations of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α in serum, lung homogenate and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) of rats were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (Real-time PCR) was used to detect the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot were used to detect the expression of PPARγ in lung tissue. Result: Compared with the normal group, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in serum, lung homogenate and BALF of the model group rats increased significantly (PPγ mRNA in lung tissue of rats in model group were significantly decreased (Pγ protein was significantly inhibited(Pα in serum, lung homogenate and BALF of each treatment group decreased to varying degrees(Pα in the middle-dose Erchentang group were particularly significant. The PPARγ mRNA and protein expressions in lung tissue of rats in each treatment group were increased to varying degrees (PConclusion: Modified Erchentang may improve pulmonary inflammation and pulmonary function in COPD rats by increasing the expression of PPARγ and the content of IL-10 and decreasing the contents of IL-6 and TNF-α.

Signal Pathways Relating to Prevention and Treatment of Airway Remodeling in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease with a high morbidity, disability and mortality. At the same time, COPD is always accompanied by pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic pulmonary heart disease, right heart failure and other common serious complications. All of these cause serious financial burden for the family of patients. Airway remodeling plays an important role in the pathogenesis of COPD. It is the progressive development of airflow restriction that induces the main symptoms of COPD, such as cough, asthma and depression. Therefore, it is of great research value to explore the intervention of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in the development of COPD by alleviating airway remodeling. Studies have shown that multiple signaling pathways can induce progressive airway remodeling, and the therapeutic effect of TCM has been frequently confirmed by experimental studies. TCM often has a therapeutic effect on COPD through multi-target and multi-channel mediation. This paper mainly includes five signaling pathways that traditional Chinese medicine can intervene COPD airway remodeling, namely matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)/tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMPs), transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1/Smads, RhoA/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/b-fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB. This paper briefly reviews the research progress of these five signaling pathways, and discusses other signaling pathways that may be involved, in order to provide reference and ideas for future experimental research.

Observation on therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with medicine on Parkinson disease / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe therapeutic effect of acupuncture on Parkinson disease (PD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty cases of PD were randomly divided into 2 groups, an acupuncture plus medication group and a medication group, 30 cases in each group. The acupuncture plus medication group were treated with acupuncture at Shenting (GV 24), Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), etc. and oral administration of Madopa, and the medication group only with Madopa. Their therapeutic effect and scores of Parkinson disease function rating scale (modified UPDRS) were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total improvement rate of 80.0% in the acupuncture plus medication group was significantly higher than 60.0% in the medication group (P < 0.05); the decrease of cumulative score of UPDRS in the acupuncture plus medication group was better than that in the medication group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture has a certain therapeutic effect on PD.</p>