Effect of moxibustion at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) on bone morphology, metabolism and ERα of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the ovariectomized rats / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of moxibustion at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) on bone morphology, metabolism and ERα of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the ovariectomized rats and explore the underlying mechanism of moxibustion at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on the regulation of bone metabolism.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 SD rats were randomized into a normal group (20 rats) and an ovariectomy group (40 rats). In the normal group, no any treatment was provided. In the ovariectomy group, the classical ovariectomy was adopted to set up the osteoporosis model. In the 13th week after ovariectomy, 10 rats were collected from each of the normal group and the ovariectomy group for model identification. After model identification, the ovariectomy group was subdivided into a model group, an estradiol group and a moxibustion group, 10 rats in each one. In the normal group and the model group, the gavage was provided with 2 mL 0.9% sodium chloride solution, once a day. In the estradiol group, the gavage was provided with 17β-estradiol 100 μg/(kg•d), once a day. In the moxibustion group, moxibustion was applied at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6), 15 min at each acupoint, once a day. The 6 treatments were as one course, with 1 day of interval, 12 courses were required. After 12-week intervention, the dual-energy X-ray was adopted to determine the bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content of the whole body in living condition. After sacrificed, HE staining was adopted to observe femur structure, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was to determine the absorbance of estradiol (E) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in serum and the real-time quantitative PCR method was to determine the mRNA expressions of ERα of MSCs in tibia and femur.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the model group, BMD was increased obviously in the pelvis and spine in the moxibustion group and the estradiol group (0.05). Compared with the model group, the bone trabeculas were stronger and well connected in the moxibustion group, indicated by HE staining. Compared with the model group, the concentrations of E in serum were increased obviously in the estradiol group and the moxibusiton group (both <0.01), and ALP concentrations reduced obviously in the estradiol group and the moxibustion group (both <0.001), the mRNA expressions of ERα in MSCs increased in the estradiol group and the moxibustion group (both <0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) effectively increases BMD and bone strength in the ovariectomized rats and the mechanism may be related to the improvement of serum E concentration, the decrease of serum ALP concentration and the up-regulation of mRNA expression of ERα in MSCs.

Contributions of medical practitioners of Xin'an area on acupuncture theory / 中国针灸

Contributions of Xin'an medical school and physicians to acupuncture theory were introduced in the article. Academic theories or characteristics of several physicians of Xin'an school such as YANG Xuan-cao, WU Kun, WANG Ji, WU Yi-ding, ZHENG Mei-jian and XU Chun-fu, et al were sorted out. Contributions of inheriting and illustrations on acupuncture theory were analyzed so as to expound its significance and value on modern acupucture clinic.

Study on the relative specificity of the heart and lung meridians in brain with fMRI / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the central modulation mechanism on the relative specificity of the Heart and Lung Meridians and to provide the experimental evidence for deeply study on correlation between meridian-viscera and brain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ten healthy students in Anhui College of TCM were chosen and a modified block design was adopted. After 32 time points of resting and 32 of rotation needling, then 48 of resting and 32 stimulating, and 16 resting time points, functional imagings were collected at last. All the process would last for 10 min 44 sec. Acupuncture work was finished by one acupuncturist with extensive experience by acupuncture at the left Shenmen (HT 7) or Taiyuan (LU 8) with the disposable sterile stainless steel needle, and uniform reinforcing-reducing method was used with frequency of 1 Hz and depth of 1.0 cm. After the experiment, the sensation of acupuncture and the other feeling or psychic process were inquired and recorded detailedly. These data were analyzed by AFNI software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Acupuncture at Taiyuan (LU 8) could excite the contralateral frontal lobe, apical lobe, cerebral ganglion, VI, VIII areas and inferior semilunar lobule of cerebellum, and restrain bilateral callosal gyrus and homolateral gyrus rectus. Acupuncture at Shenmen (HT 7) could excite the contralateral IV-VIII areas of cerebellum, and homolateral VI, VII areas of cerebellum, and restrain parts of homolateral apical lobe.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture at Shenmen (HT 7) of the Heart Meridian and Taiyuan (LU 8) of the Lung Meridian can excite or restrain different brain areas, indicating that there are relatively specific corresponding brain areas for the Heart Meridian and Lung Meridian.</p>