[Effect of warmth-promotion needling on cerebral SOD, MDA and AChE in vascular dementia rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of warmth-promotion needling on cerebral malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity so as to explore its underlying mechanism in improving vascular dementia (VD). METHODS: Forty Wistar rats were randomized into control, model, medication, needle-twirling and warmth-promotion groups with 8 cases in each. VD model was established by occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries and reperfusion in combination with intraperitoneal injection of sodium nitroprusside (2.5 mg/kg). Warmth-promotion needling was applied to "Dazhui" (GV 14), "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Shuigou" (GV 26). Rats of medication group were intragastric perfusion of Nimodipine suspension (0.0108 g/kg). The treatment was given once daily continuously for 15 days. SOD and AChE activity and MDA content of the brain (right side) tissue were detected with purine oxidase method, hydroxylamine chromatometry and thio-malonylurea method separately. RESULTS: In comparison with control group. SOD activity of model group decreased significantly (P < 0.01), AChE activity and MDA content increased considerably (P < 0.01); while compared with model group, SOD activity of warmth-promotion, needle-twirling and medication groups raised evidently (P < 0.01), AChE activity and MDA content of the later 3 groups lowered significantly (P < 0.05, 0.01). The effects of warmth-promotion group were significantly superior to that of medication group in lowering MDA content and to those of needle-twirling group in raising SOD activity and lowering AChE activity and MDA content (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Warmth-promotion needling can function well in resisting lipid peroxidation injury and lowering AChE activity in VD rats, which may contribute to its effect in improving learning-memory ability.

[Experimental study on the prevention and treatment effects of warm-reinforcing needling for hyperlipoidemia in the rabbit].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of warm-reinforcing needling (WRN) on serum lipid metabolism in hyperlipoidemia (HL) rabbits. METHODS: A total of 32 rabbits were randomly and evenly divided into control group, WRN group, model group and uniform reinforcing-reducing needling (URRN) group. HL model was established by feeding the rabbits with hypercholesterol and high-fat forage continuously for 7 weeks. For rabbits of WRN and URRN groups, "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6), "Xuehai" (SP 10) were punctured and stimulated manually with WRN and URRN techniques respectively, once daily, continuously for 7 weeks. At the end of experiments, blood samples were collected from the heart, and centrifuged for detecting serum total cholesterol (TC) triglyceride (TG) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) with enzyme method, and platelet aggregation rate (PAR) with an intelligent blood agglutometer. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) = TC- (HDL + TG/2.2). RESULTS: Compared with normal control group, serum TC, TG and LDL contents in model group, WRN and URRN groups increased significantly (P < 0.01), and HDL content of model group decreased considerably (P < 0.01); while in comparison with model group, serum TC, LDL and TG contents of WRN and URRN groups decreased considerably (P < 0.01), and serum HDL levels of WRN and URRN groups increased significantly (P < 0.01). Serum TC content of WRN group was markedly lower than that of URRN group (P < 0.05), and HDL of WRN group was remarkably higher than that of URRN group (P < 0.01). In comparison with normal control group, 1 min, 5 min and maximum PARs in model, WRN and URRN groups increased significantly (P < 0.01), while in comparison with model group, 1 min, 5 min and maximum PARs of WRN and URRN groups decreased considerably (P < 0.01). In addition, 1 min and maximum PARs in WRN group were markedly lower than those in URRN group (P < 0.05). Light microscopic observation showed that the apoptotic foam cells in the lipid plaque of aorta wall in model group appeared and were obviously more than those of WRN and URRN groups. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can effectively lower serum TC, LDL and TG levels, raise serum HDL content, and suppress platelet aggregation, and the therapeutic effect of WRN is significantly superior to that of URRN, which may contribute to the action of acupuncture in regulating blood lipid and inhibiting the formation of atheromatous plaque.

[Effects of "warmth-producing needling for removing obstruction" on hippocampal morphological changes and learning-memory abilities in vascular dementia rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of "Warmth-producing Needling for Removing Obstruction" (WPNRO) on the pathomorphological changes of brain and learning-memory abilities in vascular dementia (VD) rats. METHODS: A total of 50 Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control, model, medication, needle-twirling, and WPNRO groups, with 10 cases in each group. VD model was established by repeated cerebral ischemia-reperfusion via repeated occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries under anesthesia (3% embutal 40 mg/kg, i.p.). "Dazhui" (GV 14), "Baihui"(GV 20) and "Shuigou"(GV 26) were punctured with filiform needles and stimulated with twirling technique and WPNRO technique respectively and continuously for 1 min. Animals of medication group were fed with Nimodipine (0.0108 g/kg). The treatment was conducted once daily continuously for 15 days. The rats' learning and memory results were detected respectively with step-down avoidance test in the first 6 days' training and 24 h later. At the end of experiments and after decapitation, the right brain was taken, cut into sections (5 microm) and stained with H & E method for observing structural changes of hippocampus. RESULTS: 1) Behavior reactions: compared with control group, the latency for finding the safe platform and the times of error in model group increased significantly, and compared with model group, both latencies and times of error in WPNRO, needle-twirling and medication groups decreased considerably (P < 0.05, 0.01). In comparison with needle-twirling group, both latencies and times of error in WPNRO group were significantly fewer (P < 0.05, 0.01), and no significant differences were found between WPNRO and medication groups in these two indexes (P > 0.05). It indicated that acupuncture particularly WPNRO could improve both learning and memory abilities in VD rats. 2) Structural changes of neurons in CA1 region of hippocampus: in normal group, the neurons arranged in order and closely, and were normal in the structure; in model group, the neurons arranged obviously in disorder, had karyopyknosis and hyperplasia in glial cells and decreased in the number. In WPNRO group, no evident cellular karyopyknosis or hyperplasia of glial cells was found, and the structure and number of cells were close to those of normal group. In acupuncture and medication groups, fewer neurons, cellular karyopyknosis and hyperplasia of more glial cells were found. CONCLUSION: "Warming-producing Needling for Removing Obstruction" can significantly relieve cerebral ischemia induced disturbance of learning and memory and lessen structural injury of hippocampal neurons in rats.