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Objective: To compare the changes of metabolites between Low-level light therapy (LLLT) and combined oral contraceptive (COC) after treatment of primary dysmenorrhea (PD), and to compare and analyze the biological and biochemical effects of the two treatments by analyzing the differences in metabolite profiles. Methods: A multicenter, double-blind, prospective, parallel, randomized controlled study was conducted on 69 women aged 16-35 years old with PD who were randomly divided into COC treatment group or LLLT treatment group. Low-level light therapy with light-emitting diodes (LED) was applied on two acupoints named "Guanyuan" (CV4) and "Qihai" (CV6). After 12 weeks of treatment intervention, blood samples were collected before and after treatment for metabolomic analysis. We used UPLC-MS/MS analysis to compare the differences in metabolite changes between LLLT and COC before and after treatment. Results: 76 differential metabolites were detected in the LLLT group, and 92 differential metabolites were detected in the COC group, which were up-regulated or down-regulated (p < 0.001). Prostaglandin D2 (PG D2) was down-regulated and biliverdin was up-regulated after LLLT treatment, 4a-Hydroxytetrahydrobiopterin, Prostaglandin D2, 5-Hydroxy-l-tryptophan, Cholic acid were down-regulated and cortisol was up-regulated after COC treatment, and the differences were statistically significant. Cortisol and testosterone glucuronide in LLLT group were significantly lower than those in COC group. The metabolic pathways affected were glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism in the LLLT group, and glycerophospholipid metabolism, folate biosynthesis, arachidonic-acid-metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism in the COC group. The differential metabolic pathway were linoleic acid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and alpha-Linolenic acid metabolism after the comparison of LLLT with COC. Conclusion: LLLT and COC might relieve dysmenorrhea by down-regulating PGD2, and LLLT might also relieve dysmenorrhea by up-regulating biliverdin. The level of cortisol and testosterone glucuronide after LLLT treatment was lower than that after COC treatment, which might lead to the difference in the clinical efficacy of the two treatments for dysmenorrhea.
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Objective: To explore the mechanism of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion in Crohn disease (CD) treatment by observing the effect of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on protein expressions of colonic M2 macrophage marker CD206, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) 2. Methods: Twenty-six specific pathogen free male rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group and a herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group. The CD model was prepared by enema with the mixture of 5％ (W/V) 2,4,6- trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) and 50％ ethanol at 2:1 (volume ratio). After the model was successfully prepared, rats in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group received herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion at Qihai (CV 6) and bilateral Tianshu (ST 25). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of rat colon; immunohistochemical technique was used to detect the expression of colonic CD206 protein; Western blot, immunofluorescence, and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) technologies were used to detect the protein and mRNA expressions of colonic AMPK and TSC2. Results: Compared with the normal group, rats in the model group showed damaged colonic mucosa, missing of the epithelial layer, thickened submucosa, vascular proliferation, massive infiltration of monocytes and lymphocytes, and cracked ulcers that reached the muscle layer. Rats in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group showed reduced intestinal inflammation and healing intestinal epithelium ulcers. Compared with the normal group, rat colonic CD206 protein expression, and the protein and mRNA expressions of colonic AMPK and TSC2 were decreased in the model group (all P<0.01); compared with the model group, rat colonic CD206 protein expression was increased (P<0.01), as well as the protein and mRNA expressions of AMPK and TSC2 in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion can reduce intestinal inflammation in CD rats, increase colonic CD206 protein expression, and up-regulate the protein and mRNA expressions of colonic AMPK and TSC2.
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Objective:To observe the effect of moxibustion on the protein and mRNA expressions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFR1) in hypothalamus of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced experimental colitis rats,and to explore the central mechanisms of moxibustion in improving visceral pain and the pain-related emotions in experimental colitis rats.Methods:Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a normal group (NG),a model group (MG),a herb-partitioned moxibustion group (HPMG) and a sham herb-partitioned moxibustion group (SHPMG).Except the NG,rats in the remaining three groups all received TNBS enema to establish experimental colitis models.The HPMG received herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) at bilateral Tianshu (ST 25) and Qihai (CV 6) for intervention;for the SHPMG,the herbal cakes and moxa cones were only placed on the acupoints but not ignited;rats in the MG and NG were only fixed in the same way as those in the HPMG but did not receive any treatment.At the end of the intervention,the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) score,the open field test (OFT) score and the elevated plus maze (EPM) score were observed to measure the changes in visceral pain and pain-related emotions of the rats.The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine the expressions of CRF and CRFR1 proteins in hypothalamus;the fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the expressions of CRF and CRFR1 mRNAs in hypothalamus.Results:Compared with the NG,the AWR score increased significantly and the OFT and EPM scores dropped significantly in the MG (all P＜0.05),and the expressions of hypothalamic CRF and CRFR1 proteins and mRNAs increased significantly (all P＜0.01).Compared with the MG and SHPMG,the AWR score dropped significantly and the OFT and EPM scores increased significantly in the HPMG (all P＜0.01),and the expressions of hypothalamic CRF and CRFR1 proteins and mRNAs decreased significantly (all P＜0.05).There were no significant differences between the MG and the SHPMG (all P＞0.05).Conclusion:HPM can down-regulate the abnormally increased expressions of CRF and CRFR1 proteins and mRNAs in hypothalamus of the TNBS-induced experimental colitis rats,which is plausibly one of its action mechanisms in mitigating visceral pain and the pain-related emotions in the experimental colitis rats.
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Objective To investigate the effect of heat-sensitive point moxibustion on high-normal blood pressure in persons with yin or yang deficiency.Methods Eighty-six persons with high-normal blood pressure were randomized to a treatment group (42 cases, 20 with yin deficiency and 22 with yang deficiency) and a control group (44 cases, 19 with yin deficiency and 25 with yang deficiency). The control group received health education and diet guidance and the treatment group, heat-sensitive point moxibustion in addition. Both groups were followed up twice a week with blood pressure measured. The clinical therapeutic effects, hypertension diagnosis rates and neutral constitution transformation percentages were compared between the two groups of persons with different constitutions after one month of treatment.Results The total efficacy rate was 90.0％ in persons with yin deficiency and 100％ in persons with yang deficiency of the treatment group and correspondingly 78.9％ and 92.0％ of the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Post-treatment hypertension diagnosis rate 15.0％ in persons with yin deficiency and 9.1％ in persons with yang deficiency of the treatment group and correspondingly 36.8％ and 16.0％ of the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Post-treatment neutral constitution transformation percentage was 23.3％ in persons with yin or yang deficiency of the treatment group and 13.6％ in those of the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusions Heat-sensitive point moxibustion can reduce high-normal blood pressure and hypertension incidence and effectively rectify biased constitution in persons with yin or yang deficiency.
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Herb-partitioned moxibustion can effectively mitigate visceral pain, a major symptom in inflammatory bowel disease, but the analgesic mechanism is still unclear. Moreover, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, substance P, and neurokinin-1 are involved in formation of central hyperalgesia. Thus, we postulated that the analgesic effect of herb-partitioned moxibustion may be associated with these factors. Accordingly, in this study, we established an inflammatory bowel disease visceral pain model in rat by enema with a mixed solution of 5% trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid and 50% ethanol. Bilateral Tianshu (ST25) and Qihai (CV6) points were selected for herb-partitioned moxibustion. Our results showed that herb-partitioned moxibustion improved visceral pain and down-regulated extracellular signal-regulated kinase, substance P, and neurokinin-1 protein and mRNA expression in dorsal root ganglia. These results indicate that down-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, substance P, and neurokinin-1 protein and mRNA may be a central mechanism for the analgesic effect of herb-partitioned moxibustion.
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Objective To observe the curative effect of abdominal acupuncture on postoperative pain of patients with mixed hemorrhoid after Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy.Methods A total of 100 mixed hemorrhoid patients with postoperative pain after Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy under spinal anaesthesia from September of 2014 to December of 2015 were included into the study.The patients were evenly randomized into trial group and control group.The trial group was treated with abdominal acupuncture at acupoints of Shuifen,Guanyuan,Qihai,Sanxing needles under Qihai,lower Fengshi,Tianshu for 15-30 min.The control group was treated with intramuscular injection of Tramadol Injection 0.1 g.Before treatment and 0.5,1,2,3 hours after treatment,the pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and body activity scores were recorded.Results (1) After treatment,pain VAS scores of the two groups at different time points were obviously decreased(P ＜ 0.05 compared with those before treatment),and the decrease of pain VAS scores of the treatment group 0.5 hours after treatment was superior to that of the control group (P ＜ 0.05),but there was no significant difference between the two groups at other time points (P ＞ 0.05).(2) After treatment,body activity scores of the two groups at different time points were obviously decreased(P ＜ 0.05 compared with those before treatment),but the difference was insignificant between the two groups(P＞ 0.05).(3) The average dose of Tramadol Injection used in the trial group was 0.013 ± 0.034 1 g,while was 0.103 ± 0.017 7 g in the control group,the difference being significant (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The analgesic effect of abdominal acupuncture is similar to that of Tramadol Injection.For its safety,and being cheap,practical and painless,abdominal acupuncture can be expected to be another option of effective analgesic method for the postoperative pain of patients with mixed hemorrhoid after Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy.
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Objective:To investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of moxibustion-based treatment of chronic gastritis (CG), and to provide an objective basis for treating CG using moxibustion. Methods:A total of 61 CG patients were divided into an herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group and a mild-warm moxibustion group. In both treatment groups, bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Zhongwan (CV 12) and Qihai (CV 6) were selected for moxibustion. Before and after treatment, all the enrolled patients’ gastrointestinal disease-related traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were measured, and the changes in the serum levels of the brain-gut peptides ghrelin, somatostatin (SS) and motilin (MTL) were observed. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the clinical efficacy rate (P>0.05). After treatment, the gastrointestinal disease-related TCM syndrome scores and VAS scores were reduced to varying extents in both groups, the intra-group differences were statistically significant (allP<0.01). In both groups, the serum levels of ghrelin and MTL increased and the serum levels of SS decreased after treatment (allP<0.01). And there were no serious adverse events occurred. Conclusion:Both herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion and mild-warm moxibustion are effective for CG; these two therapies exhibited similar therapeutic efficacy of epigastric discomfort or pain. And both the two therapies act to anti-inflammation, promote the recovery of gastric mucosa and improve the gastric motility, which is possibly their crucial action mechanism in treating CD.
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Objective:To observe the effect of herbal-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) on pain-related behavior and emotion in a rat model of chronic inflammatory visceral pain, and to investigate the mechanism. Methods:Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups:a normal group, a model group and an HPM group. Except for the normal group, rats in the other two groups were clystered with mixed liquor of Trinitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid (TNBS) and 50%ethanol to induce the chronic inflammatory visceral pain model. After the models were established successfully, rats in the HPM group were treated with HPM at bilateral Tianshu (ST 25) and Qihai (CV 6). Rats in the normal group and the model group were only fixed as those in the HPM group without treatment. Abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) score, mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were adopted to detect the visceral and somatic pain;meanwhile, open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze test (EPMT) were employed to evaluate pain emotions such as depression and anxiety. Results:Compared with the normal group, AWR scores of the model group were significantly increased under different stimulus expansion pressure level (P Conclusion:HPM has analgesic effect on chronic inflammatory visceral pain. It can reduce the visceral and somatic pain in rats and markedly improve the emotions such as anxiety and depression induced by chronic visceral pain.
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Objective:To observe the effect of postoperative urinary retention treated with tuina therapy.Methods:Tuina therapy was applied on 37 cases of postoperative urinary retention;Qihai(CV 6),Guanyuan(CV 4),Zhongji(CV 3)and bilateral Sanyinjiao(SP 6)were selected.Results:Thirty-six cases were cured and 1 case was not surveyed after 1 to 3 treatments.Conclusion:Point tuina is an effective method in treating postoperative urinary retention.
