Case studies of Chinese acupuncture's comprehensive effectiveness on knee pain / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Conventional Western medicine (CWM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have different approaches and lead to different practices in experimental design, research methodology, regulation, and standards. TCM emphasizes on the optimal or holistic health. In contrast, CWM is an allopathic medicine primarily based on anatomy, biology, biochemistry, molecular biology and modern technology, and rejects the concept of invisible substances and quantum entanglement. Consequently, CWM emphasizes on abnormal lab tests or obvious diseases. In the early 1970s, TCM and acupuncture quickly emerged as an alternative to CWM as Westerners explored new TCM concepts while questioning the side effects of CWM. Many countries accept traditional acupuncture as a legal alternative medical practice. Some CWM physicians nowadays are more enthusiastic and are receptive to learning and practicing acupuncture. The common goal of CWM and TCM is to enhance human health, but problems arise over differences in approach. As a response to some Western journal papers that failed to validate the real acupuncture effect because of their incorrect methodologies and their ignorance of the holistic acupuncture approaches, the authors hereby present a group of case studies to demonstrate the real and unique effects of genuine acupuncture. The objective was to explore the clinical effects of acupuncture for knee pain. Thirty-six patients with knee pain were divided into five groups based on age. Holistic TCM diagnosis was performed at the beginning of each case and then made a personalized acupuncture treatment prescription according to the root of illness found by the diagnosis. The symptoms and signs were recorded before and after every treatment, and the treatment effects were assessed based upon the self-reported feeling and the observed changes of the patient following the numeric rating scale (NRS). The results were summarized after the completion of the minimal 5 acupuncture treatments or the standard 10 acupuncture treatments. Among the 36 patients who participated in the cases studies, 17 patients reported a complete healing for knee pain (47.2%). About 60 kinds of illness other than knee pain were improved (98.9%) and the complete healing rate was about 44.2%. This leads to the conclusion that TCM acupuncture is remarkably effective in treating knee pain. TCM and CWM share a common goal in promoting the health of human being. The efficacy of TCM acupuncture in treating knee pain shouldn't be denied or distorted.

Special culture mediums of breeding clones of Dendrobium officinale / 中国中药杂志

The explants were obtained from stem segments of hybrid combination of Dendrobium officinale germplasms (Zhejiang Yandang Mountain x Yunnan Guangnan). The screened culture mediums for buds induction and multiplication, which were 1/2MS + IBA 1.0 mg x L(-1) +6-BA 1.0 mg x L(-1) and 1/2MS + IBA 1.5 mg x L(-1) +6-BA 0.5 mg x L(-1) respectively, were applied to 159 germplasms of D. officinale from Zhejiang, Yunnan, Guangxi, Hunan, etc. The medium for axillary buds induction had universality with 94.3% induction rate. During buds multiplication, there were significant differences in proliferation effect among germplasms, and three proliferation forms i.e. single bud, multiple buds and protocorm were differentiated from different germplasms. The results showed that different germplasms of D. officinale had specific requirements for culture medium. Therefore, developing special culture medium for breeding clones of D. officinale is urgent and has important application values.

In vitro antagonistic growth effects of Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus salivarius and their fermentative broth on periodontal pathogens

As lactobacilli possess an antagonistic growth property, these bacteria may be beneficial as bioprotective agents for infection control. However, whether the antagonistic growth effects are attributed to the lactobacilli themselves or their fermentative broth remains unclear. The antagonistic growth effects of Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactobacillus fermentum as well as their fermentative broth were thus tested using both disc agar diffusion test and broth dilution method, and their effects on periodontal pathogens, including Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis, and Porphyromonas gingivalisin vitro at different concentrations and for different time periods were also compared. Both Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactobacillus fermentum and their concentrated fermentative broth were shown to inhibit significantly the growth of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, althoughdifferent inhibitory effects were observed for different pathogens. The higher the counts of lactobacilli and the higher the folds of concentrated fermentative broth, the stronger the inhibitory effects are observed. The inhibitory effect is demonstrated to be dose-dependent. Moreover, for the lactobacilli themselves, Lactobacillus fermentum showed stronger inhibitory effects than Lactobacillus salivarius. However, the fermentative broth of Lactobacillus fermentum showed weaker inhibitory effects than that of Lactobacillus salivarius. These data suggested that lactobacilli and their fermentative broth exhibit antagonistic growth activity, and consumption of probiotics or their broth containing lactobacilli may benefit oral health.

Antitumour effect of total saponins of Rubus parvifolius on malignant melanoma / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the antitumor effect of total saponins of R. parvifolius on malignant melanoma.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The human malignant melanoma A375 cells were regularlly subcultured in vitro, and were divided into five groups contained positive control group (CTX), high concentration (0.01 mg x mL(-1)) and middle concentration (0.001 mg x mL(-1)) and low concentration (0.000 1 mg x mL(-1)) total saponins of R. parvifolius groups and negative control group. By using MTT colorimetric method, the cell viability was measured. B16 melanoma cells were transplanted to mice, which were divided into positive control group, high dose (100 mg x kg(-1)) and middle dose (50 mg x kg(-1)) and low dose (25 mg x kg(-1)) total saponins of R. parvifolius groups and negative control group. The inhibition effect of the tumor in vivo, mean survival time and rate of life-elongation of the mice were observed. TUNEL method was used to detect the apoptosis of B16 malignant melanoma.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Antitumor assay in vitro showed that the absorbency increased in the concentration of 0.01, 0.001 mg x mL(-1) with statistical significance (P < 0.05 vs negative control). Antitumor assay in vivo showed that the tumor inhibitory rate of high dose (100 mg x kg(-1)) and middle dose (50 mg x kg(-1)) of total saponins of R. parvifolius were 37.02% and 30.61%, respectively. Loaded tumor mouse survival duration could be prolonged. The apoptosis indexes of B16 tumor cells in three treatment groups were 32.5%, 20.5% and 5.5%, respective and there was statistical significance (P < 0.05 vs negative control).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The total saponins of R. parvifolius has remarkable inhibition of proliferation of malignant melanoma cells in vivo and in vitro and exerts antitumor activities through promoting tumor cell apoptosis.</p>

Study on Identification of Rhizoma Arisaematis and Content Determination of Flavonoids / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To establish the identification method of Rhizoma Arisaematis and content determination of flavon-oids.METHODS:TLC was used to identify Rhizoma Arisaematis with schaftoside and ischaftoside as reference substances.The content of flavonoids was determined by HPLC.RESULTS:TLC of test sample and that of control substance had same color dots.The linear range of schaftoside and isoschaftoside were 7.925～126.8 ?g?mL-1(r=0.999 9) and 3.996～63.94 ?g?mL-1(r=0.999 7) respectively.Average recoveries were 99.4% for schaftoside (RSD=2.10%,n=9) and 99.52% for isoschaftoside(RSD=2.42%,n=9).CONCLUSION:The method is simple,accurate and reproducible for the quality evaluation of Rhizoma Arisaematis.

Sex differences in brain stem auditory evoked potentials and P300 examination in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the sex differences on brain stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and P300 in the elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-eight elderly patients with MCI, 26 cases of AD and 20 health controls (HC) were examined with BAEP, P300 . Sex difference of the variables was compared inter-and intra-groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant sex differences of BAEP were found in the latency period wave III, V of left side in the MCI group (P <0.01), in the latency period wave IV, V of left side in HC group (P<0.01), and no such differences were found in AD group. The females had longer latency period in P300 measurement than males in MCI group (P <0.01), but there were no significant differences within AD or HC groups. The males showed significant differences in wave I, II in left side between the MCI and AD groups. The males also showed significant difference in wave I, III approximate, equals V in left side, wave IV in right side between AD and HC groups, and so did the females in wave I approximate, equals V in both sides. The males had significant difference in the left wave III, IV and right wave I, IV, V between MCI and HC groups, and so did the females in right side wave I, II, V. In P300, longer latency waves were found in AD group than in MCI group. Both sexes showed significant differences in the latency of Fz, Cz, Pz between AD and HC groups, but no significant differences were found in the latency of Fz, Cz, Pz in the females between the MCI and HC groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sex differences were found in the examination of both BAEP and P300 in MCI group, but not in AD group. The people of same sex have different expression of BAEP and P300 among MCI, AD and HC groups, suggesting the sex difference should be considered in the differential diagnosis.</p>

Dynamical examination of auditory event-related potentials P300 and sympathetic skin response in people with insomia of Sweet Dream Capsule therapy / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the change of auditory event-related potentials (P300) and sympathetic skin response (SSR) in people with insomia of Sweet Dream Capsule therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>30 patients meeting criteria for primary insomnia and 30 healthy volunteers with age matching controls were selected for the study. P300 and SSR were measured before treatment of Sweet Dream Capsule and at week 4 , 8 of the therapeutic course. That the change of P300 and SSR before and after treatment and their relations with PSQI were studied.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with those of normal controls, both P300 latency and SSR latency were prolonged while amplitude was decreased in patients with insomnia (P < 0.01). P300 amplitude was increased significantly at central (Cz) electrode sites only at week 8 when compared with amplitude before treatment (P < 0.05). With improvement of symptom and PSQI scores, latency and amplitude of SSR were improved at week 4 and week 8 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) .</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>P300 has a some improvement in people with insomia of Sweet Dream Capsule therapy while SSR im proves significantly, and PSQI scores are ameliorated too.</p>

The role of dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus in the cardiovascular responses induced by habenular nucleus stimulation and inhibitory effect of deep peroneal nerve / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To explore whether dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH) is involved in the cardiovascular responses induced by habenular nucleus (Hb) stimulation and inhibitory effect of deep peroneal nerve (DPN) stimulation on above responses or not and to analysis transmitter mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Experiments were performed on white male rabbits anesthetised with chloralose and urethan. Experimental data were collected by means of stimulating Hb and DPN, recording arterial blood pressure and ectal electrocardiogram (EECG) and microinjecting transmitter blocker.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Prominent pressor and ischemic EECG segment changes were elicited by Hb stimulation (P < 0.01) Microinjecting kynurenic acid into ipsilateral DMH had partial blocking effect on pressor and ischemic EECG-ST segment changes induced by Hb stimulation (P < 0.01). Stimulation of bilateral DPN prominently inhibited the pressor and ischemic EECG-ST changes induced by Hb stimulation (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Microinjecting naloxone into ipsilateral DMH decreased the inhibitory effect of DPN stimulation on above cardiovascular responses elicited by Hb stimulation (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Glutamic acid receptor in DMH is involved in pressor and ischemic changes induced by Hb stimulation. DMH and opiate peptide receptors in DMH are involved in the inhibitory effect of DPN stimulation on pressor and ischemic changes induced by Hb stimulation.</p>