Effects of electroacupuncture at "Siguan" points on the expression of colonic 5-hydroxytryptamine and fecal short-chain fatty acids in rats with post-stroke depression / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of electroacupuncture at "Siguan" points on behavior, colonic 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in rats with post-stroke depression (PSD), and explore the effect mechanism of electroacupuncture at Siguan points on PSD.@*METHODS@#Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a stroke group, a PSD group, a drug group and an electroacupuncture group, with 10 rats in each one. The stroke model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) method in the stroke group; except for the sham-operation group, the rats in the other groups were intervened with MCAO combined with solitary and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) to establish PSD model. In the electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture was delivered at "Hegu" (LI 4) and "Taichong" (LR 3), with disperse-dense wave, 2 Hz/10 Hz in frequency, for 30 min in each intervention, once daily, for consecutive 21 days. Simultaneously, distilled water (0.01 L•kg-1•d-1) was administrated intragastrically. Fluoxetine solution (2.33 mg•kg-1•d-1) was given by gavage , once a day and for 21 days in the drug group. The same procedure of fixation and gavage with distilled water were adopted in the sham-operation group, the stroke group and the PSD group. Separately, before stroke modeling, after PSD modeling and after 21-day intervention, the consumption of sugar water and the scores of horizontal movement and vertical movement in open-field test were observed. After 21-day intervention, the content of colonic 5-HT was detected by immunohistochemical method, and that of fecal SCFAs was determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry.@*RESULTS@#After PSD modeling, compared with the stroke group, the sugar water consumption, the horizontal movement scores and vertical movement scores of the open-field test were all reduced in the PSD group, the drug group and the electroacupuncture group (P<0.05). After 21-day intervention, the sugar water consumption and the scores of horizontal movement and vertical movement of the open-field test were increased in the drug group and the electroacupuncture group (P<0.05) when compared with the PSD group; and the horizontal movement score in the electroacupuncture group was lower than that of the drug group (P<0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, the contents of total fecal SCFAs and acetic acid were lower in the stroke group (P<0.05), and the contents of colonic 5-HT and total fecal SCFAs, acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid were reduced in the PSD group (P<0.05). In comparison with the PSD group, the contents of colonic 5-HT and total fecal SCFAs, acetic acid and propionic acid were increased in the drug group and the electroacupuncture group (P<0.05); and the content of colonic 5-HT in the electroacupuncture group was lower than that of the drug group (P<0.05). The level of colonic 5-HT was positively correlated with the contents of total fecal SCFAs and propionic acid (r=0.424, P=0.005; r=0.427, P=0.004).@*CONCLUSION@#Electroacupuncture at "Siguan" points can relieve the depression-like behavior of PSD rats, and its underlying mechanism may be related to the regulation of fecal SCFAs, which affects the release of colonic 5-HT.

Electroacupuncture at Siguan points for migraine of liver yang hyperactivity: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical effect of electroacupuncture at Siguan points and flunarizine hydrochloride capsule on migraine of liver yang hyperactivity.@*METHODS@#A total of 110 patients with migraine of liver yang hyperactivity were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture group (55 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a western medication group (55 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture was applied at Siguan points (Hegu [LI 4] and Taichong [LR 3]), with disperse-dense wave of 2 Hz/100 Hz in frequency and current intensity of 0.1-1 mA, 30 min each time, once a day, 5 times per week for 4 weeks. Flunarizine hydrochloride capsule was given orally in the western medication group, 10 mg a day for 4 weeks. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score and the migraine attack days were observed before and after treatment, during follow-up of 1, 3 and 6 months, and the migraine symptom score was observed before and after treatment in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, during follow-up of 1, 3 and 6 months, the VAS scores and the migraine attack days in the two groups were decreased compared with before treatment (Ｐ<0.05), and above indexes in the electroacupuncture group were lower than the western medication group (Ｐ<0.05). After treatment, the migraine symptom scores in the two groups were decreased (Ｐ<0.05), the change in the electroacupuncture group was greater than the western medication group (Ｐ<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Electroacupuncture at Siguan points could effectively reduce headache intensity and migraine attack days, relieve migraine symptoms in patients with migraine of liver yang hyperactivity, and the efficacy is superior to oral flunarizine hydrochloride capsules.

Clinical application and mechanism analysis on the Siguan points for the mental diseases / 国际中医中药杂志

This article aims to retrieve the articles which are related to the application and mechanism of Siguan points in treating the mental disease, such as depression, insomnia, apsychia, madness, dementia and stroke. We hope to find out a new model of its utility and wider range of applicability for maximum medical effect.

Effect of Acupuncture at Points Taiyang and Fengchi on Heat Shock Protein 70 and Apoptosis during Cerebral Ischemia and Reperfusion in Rabbits / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture at points Taiyang and Fengchi on the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and neural cell apoptosis during local cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in rabbits and explore its protective action on nerve cells and the mechanism.Methods Rabbits were randomized into sham operation, model and acupuncture groups. Each group was randomly allocated to three time points: one, three and seven days. A rabbit model of local cerebral ischemia and reperfusion was made by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)using an intraluminal thread. Reperfusion was performed at two hours after cerebral ischemia. In the acupuncture groups, points Taiyang and Fengchi were electro-acupunctured at six hours after cerebral ischemia. Treatment was given once daily. The rabbits were sacrificed to take materials at one, three and seven days after reperfusion. Pathological changes in brain tissue were observed by HE staining. Cerebral HSP70 expression was determined by immunohistochemical method. Neural cell apoptosis was examined by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL).Results Pathological staining showed that cerebral infarction area decreased significantly, the number of nerve cells increased and inflammatory infiltration reduced at every time point in the acupuncture group of rabbits compared with the model group. The results of histochemical examination showed that HSP70 expression decreased in the sham operation group and increased in the model group. It increased significantly at every corresponding time point in the acupuncture group compared with the model group (P<0.01). The number of apoptotic cells increased gradually with reperfusion prolongation and reached the peak at three hours in the model group. The number of apoptotic cells decreased significantly at every time point in the acupuncture group and there was a statistically significant difference by comparison with the model group (P<0.01).Conclusions Electroacupuncture at points Taiyang and Fengchi can increase cerebral HSP70 expression and decrease neural cell apoptosis to produce a nerve-protecting effect in rabbits with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.