[Analysis of WANG Ji's moxibustion therapy opinion].

WANG Ji's opinion on moxibustion therapy in Questions and answers of acupuncture and moxibustion (Zhenjiu Wendui) was explored and analyzed. With his two contraindications of moxibustion as breakthrough points, the arrangement and discussion was performed. The results showed that based on summary of moxibustion treatment theory before Ming dynasty, WANG Ji could provide characteristic idea, which is of great reference value and guide significance to the inheritance and development of moxibustion.

[Deep acupuncture at Baliao points (eight sacral foramina) by Professor WANG Ling-Ling and its clinical application].

With deep acupuncture at Baliao points (eight sacral foramina) as the core, Professor WANG Ling-ling has treated diseases of urinary, digestive and reproductive systems with superior therapeutic effect. The key for efficacy of Baliao points is deep acupuncture. Only deeply insert into acupoints with long needles and directly stimulate at sacral nerves, could Baliao points play a superior role in treatment effect. Searching acupoints is the basis of deep acupuncture, and superficial anatomy should be combined to summarize the methods of searching Baliao points. The premise of deep acupuncture is needling manipulation. The angles of needles must be adjusted according to morphological features of posterior sacral foramina, or it is hard to practice deep acupuncture into Baliao points. The description of location and manipulation on Baliao points in ancient and modern literature was vague, which restricts clinical application of Baliao points. A lot of research on location, manipulation and clinical application of Baliao points has performed by Professor WANG Ling-ling, and its manipulation and clinical cases are introduced to make a positive effect on its application and popularization.

[Effects of mild moxibustion on imbalance of Th1/Th2 in rabbits with atherosclerosis and its regulating rules].

OBJECTIVE: To observe effects of mild moxibustion and lovastatin on immunologic function in rabbits with chronic hyperlipidaemia and atherosclerosis (AS) to initially explain regulating rules of mild moxibustion on immunologic function. METHODS: Among thirty-two Japanese male big-ear rabbits, 8 rabbits were randomly selec ted as a blank group, the rest 24 rabbits were fed with method of endothelial injury and high-fat diet to establish AS model. The blank group was raised with normal diet and free water. After ten weeks of model establishment, the rest 24 rabbits were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion group and a medicine group, eight rabbits in each one. Moxibustion was applied at "Shenque" (CV 8) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) for 10 min per acupoint per day in the moxibustion group, while intragastric administration of 3.6 mg/kg lovastatin capsule was applied in the medicine group. After treatment, serum was acquired. Spectrophotometry method was adapted to measure cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and evaluated atherosclerosis index (AI), while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method was used to measure interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4). RESULTS: (1) The serum TC and HDL-C in the model group were significantly higher than those in the blank group, moxibustion group and medicine group (all P < 0.01). The mean value of AI was 1.683 +/- 0.486 in the moxibustion group, which was obviously lower than 20.301 +/- 4.022 in the model group (P < 0.01). (2) The ratio of Th1/Th2 was 0.569 +/- 0.143 in the moxibustion group and 0.445 +/- 0.079 in the medicine group, which were significantly lower than 0.917 +/- 0.255 in the model group (both P < 0.01), but there was no statistically significant difference between the moxibustion group and the medicine group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The moxibustion for AS could reduce atherosclerosis index, influence drift and bias of helper T cell and regulate balance between humoral immunity and cellular immunity. As a result, status of relative balance of immunity is acquired, which could slow down the development of atherosclerosis and process of thrombus burst.

[Effects of mild moxibustion intervention on serum and liver amyloid-A protein, serum IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-10 contents in atherosclerosis rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of mild-moxibustion on serum amyloid-A (SAA) protein, cytokine contents and liver amyloid-A protein expression in atherosclerosis rabbits, so as to explore its anti-inflammation mechanism. METHODS: A total of 40 Japanese male rabbits were equally randomized into normal control, model, mild moxibustion and medication (lovastatin) groups. The atherosclerosis model was established by feeding the animals with high-fat diet for 14 weeks and intravenous injection of bovine serum albumin (250 mg/kg, once every week, 3 times altogether). Mild moxibustion was applied to "Shenque" (CV 8), "Housanli" (ST 36) for 10 min, once daily for 14 weeks beginning from the first day of modeling. The SAA, serum IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-10 contents were determined by double antibody sandwich method, and liver amyloid-A protein expression was detected by Western blot. The pathological changes of the cervical common artery were detected by H. E. staining. RESULTS: In comparison with the normal control group, SAA, serum IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha contents and liver amyloid-A protein expression level were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared to the model group, SAA, serum IL-6 and TNF-alpha contents, and liver amyloid-A protein expression level were considerably down-regulated and serum IL-10 content was obviously up-regulated in the moxibustion and medication groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the moxibustion and medication groups in the five indexes (P > 0.05). In addition, the pathological changes of the cervical common arterial endomembrane in the moxibustion and medication group were relatively milder, suggesting a protective effect of moxibustion on liver tissue in atherosclerosis rabbits. CONCLUSION: Mild moxibustion can relieve liver injury in atherosclerosis rabbits, which is associated with its effects in suppressing serum inflammatory cytokines and liver amyloid-A protein expression and up-regulating anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 level.

[Effects of warm moxibustion on CD40-CD40L axis in rabbits with atherosclerosis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore effects and action mechanism of warm moxibustion on regulation of blood lipids and anti-atherosclerosis. METHODS: Forty-one male Japanese big-ear white rabbits were randomly divided into a blank group (10 rabbits), a model group (10 rabbits), a moxibustion group (10 rabbits) and a medication group (11 rabbits). Normal diet was applied in the blank group while high-cholesterol diet combined with injection of bovine serum albumin were applied in the rest groups to establish rabbit model of atherosclerosis. After establishment, the model group was not intervened and warm moxibustion was applied in the moxibustion group at "Zusan-li" (ST 36) and "Shenque" (CV 8), 10 min per acupoint per day for continuous 4 weeks. The medication group was treated with intragastric administration of lovastatin capsule (3.6 mg/kg) for continuous 4 weeks. The level of blood lipids, such as total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and content of CD40 ligand (CD40L), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and expression of nuclear factor NF-kappaB were tested after 4 weeks. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, the moxibustion group and medication group could effectively reduce the contents of TC and low density lipoprotein (all P < 0.05), lower the level of sCD40L [(8.310 +/- 1.221) ng/mL in the model group, (7.097 +/- 0.846) ng/mL in the moxibustion group and (7.354 +/- 0.631) ng/mL in the medication group], reduce expression of CD40L [(0.235 +/- 0.179) mm2 in the model group, (0.072 +/- 0.079) mm2 in the moxibustion group and (0.039 +/- 0.015) mm2 in the medication group] and NF-kappaB [(0.145 +/- 0.052)mm2 in the model group, (0.052 +/- 0.012) mm2 in the moxibustion group and (0.036 +/- 0.013) mm2 in the medication group], indicating the significant difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). There was no statistical difference between the moxibustion group and medication group (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The warm moxibustion has great effect on regulation of blood lipids and anti-atherosclerosis, in which lowering expression of CD40-CD40L could be one of possible mechanisms to take effect of anti-atherosclerosis.

Rationale for and preliminary results of proton beam therapy for mediastinal lymphoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potential of three-dimensional proton beam therapy (3D-PBT) for reducing doses to normal structures in patients with mediastinal lymphomas compared with conventional photon radiation therapy (RT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We treated 10 consecutive patients with mediastinal masses from lymphomas with 3D-PBT between July 2007 and February 2009 to 30.6-50.4 cobalt-Gray equivalents (CGE). Of those patients, 7 had primary refractory or recurrent disease, and 8 had Hodgkin lymphoma. Dosimetric endpoints were compared with those from conventional RT plans. RESULTS: PBT delivered lower mean doses to the lung (6.2 vs. 9.5 Gy), esophagus (9.5 vs. 22.3 Gy), and heart (8.8 vs. 17.7 Gy) but not the breasts (5.9 vs. 6.1 Gy) than did conventional RT. Percentages of lung, esophagus, heart, and coronary artery (particularly the left anterior descending artery) volumes receiving radiation were consistently lower in the 3D-PBT plans over a wide range of radiation doses. Of the 7 patients who had residual disease on positron emission tomography before PBT, 6 (86%) showed a complete metabolic response. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with mediastinal lymphomas, 3D-PBT produced significantly lower doses to the lung, esophagus, heart, and coronary arteries than did the current conventional RT. These lower doses would be expected to reduce the risk of late toxicities in these major organs.

Effects of low argon dilution ratio on the nanocrystallization and properties of a-Si:H thin films.

The structure and properties of thin films obtained by radio frequency (RF) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) through decomposition of silane mixed with argon have been studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet and visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope (TEM), respectively. The dilution ratio increases from 6 to 24, and other deposition parameters are fixed. It is observed that argon as dilution gas in the deposition process benefits the development of nano grains and the growth of thin films. The crystalline volume fraction, grain size and hydrogen content of the films increase with the increase argon dilution ratio. The dark conductivity of the thin films is measured, and the results show that the increase of crystalline volume fraction improves the electrical property of the films. The optical gap of the films is calculated from details of the spectra measured by UV-vis. The decrease of optical gap of the films with the increase of argon dilution ratio has been observed.