[Clinical treatment of 29 cases of acne of "yin-deficiency-inner heat type" by suspended moxibustion].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of moxibustion therapy for 29 cases of yin-deficiency type acne. METHODS: In this clinical trial, 56 cases of acne patients with yin-deficiency-inner heat type were enrolled. These patients were randomly divided into moxibustion group (treated by suspended moxibustion, n = 29) and control group (treated by acupuncture, n = 27). In addition, patients of the two groups were also treated by local purulent discharge and skin disinfection, once a week, 4 times a month, 8 times altogether. Both suspended moxibustion and acupuncture interventions were performed once every other day, 3 times a week and 3 months altogether. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by skin lesion score and patients' constitution score. RESULTS: Of the patients in the moxibustion and control groups, 2 and 1 was cured (the acne subsided above 90% and symptoms disappeared), 14 and 6 experienced marked improvement (the acne subsided by 60%-90% and symptoms were obviously relieved), 10 and 15 were effective (the acne subsided by 30%-59% and symptoms were relieved), 3 and 5 invalid (the acne subsided by below 30% and symptoms were worsen), respectively. The effective rate of the moxibustion group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Following the treatment, the skin lesion score and yin-deficiency constitution score were significantly decreased in comparison with pre-treatment in the same one group (P < 0.05), and those of the moxibustion group were remarkably lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Suspended moxibustion is effective in improving both skin lesion and yin-deficiency constitution in acne patients with yin-deficiency-inner heat type.

Liquiritigenin attenuates the learning and memory deficits in an amyloid protein precursor transgenic mouse model and the underlying mechanisms.

The present paper is to examine whether liquiritigenin is able to attenuate the Alzheimer's-like learning and memory deficits in a transgenic (Tg) mouse model that over-expresses amyloid protein precursor (APP), and explores the underlying mechanisms. Consistent with our previous observations, we found that treatment with liquiritigenin improved the behavioral performance of Tg mice and it attenuated the protein expression of oligomeric form of amyloid ß-peptide (Aß). Furthermore, treatment with liquiritigenin inhibited astrocytosis in the hippocampus, and it may through its inhibitory activities on Notch-2, an important molecular regulating neural proliferation and differentiation. These findings provide evidence for beneficial activity of liquiritigenin in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and support the continued investigation of Notch signaling pathway as a target for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Promotion of rat brain-derived progenitor cell neurogenesis by liquiritigenin treatment: underlying mechanisms.

The purpose of the present study was to determine if liquiritigenin, which is a newly discovered estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) agonist, can induce differentiation of brain-derived progenitor cells from rats and to investigate the mechanisms involved. Treatment of brain-derived progenitor cell cultures with liquiritigenin increased the number of cells that differentiated into neurons; but the treatment did not alter the growth of astrocytes. Furthermore, treatment with liquiritigenin decreased Notch-2 mRNA and protein expression, which could promote the growth of new neurons. Using RNA interference (RNAi), we determined that inhibition of Notch-2 by liquiritigenin was probably ERbeta-dependent. These findings highlight the possible role of liquiritigenin in the repair and regeneration of injured brain tissue of patients with neurodegenerative diseases and support further investigation of the Notch-2 signaling pathway using ERbeta agonists.

Effects of liquiritigenin treatment on the learning and memory deficits induced by amyloid beta-peptide (25-35) in rats.

Considerable evidence has emerged supporting the neuroprotective and cognition-preserving effects of estrogen, but these benefits are complicated by the evidence that estrogen increases the risk of certain cancers. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) that specifically target the brain while avoiding peripheral organs offer a way to allow the application of estrogen treatment to neurodegenerative diseases with fewer undesirable effects. In an attempt to find such estrogen substitutes, liquiritigenin was discovered as a relatively selective estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) agonist. In the present study, we extend our previous findings to investigate the effects of liquiritigenin on the learning and memory deficits and related neuropathology in Abeta(25-35) hippocampal-injected rats. Our results show that liquiritigenin treatment improves the behavioral performance of the model rats and attenuates neuronal loss in the brain. More importantly, liquiritigenin treatment decreases mRNA levels and protein expression of Notch-2, an effect that could promote the generation of new neurons. These findings provide evidence for the beneficial activity of liquiritigenin in a brain-injured rat model and support the continued investigation of SERMs such as liquiritigenin as an alternative to estrogen-based hormone therapy in reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

[Clinical observation on the regularity of acupuncture-induced body-reduction in excess-heat-type obesity patients ].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regularity of acupuncture of the Stomach Meridian for excess-heat-type obesity. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with gastrointestine excess-heat syndrome were randomly divided into treatment group (n = 25) and control group (n = 26) according to the random number table method. Patients of treatment group were treated mainly with acupuncture of acupoints of the Stomach Meridian as bilateral Liangmen (ST 21), Huaroumen (ST 24), Tianshu (ST 25), Wailing (ST 26), etc. and those of control group were treated with acupuncture of Back-Shu and Front-Mu points as bilateral Weishu (BL 21), Dachangshu (BL 25), Xiaochangshu (BL 27), Hegu (LI 4), etc. which were also stimulated electrically with parameters of 40-100 Hz, 3- 10 mA and stimulation duration of 30 mm. The treatment was given once every other day continuously for 3 months. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), waistline and clinical symptoms were recorded before and after each course of the treatment. RESULTS: After the treatment, of the 25 and 26 cases in treatment and control groups, 5 and 0 were cured, 9 and 7 had marked improvement, 7 and 10 improved, 4 and 9 failed, with the effective rates being 84.00% and 65.38% separately. Compared with control group and pre-treatment of the same group, the waistline, body weight and BMI of treatment group decreased significantly (P < 0.05, 0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture of acupoints of the Stomach Meridian has a good therapeutic effect in reducing body weight in gastrointestine excess-heat-type obesity patients.

[Effect of recombinant microplasmin on acute cerebral infarction in rats].

The effect of recombinant microplasmin (micro-plasmin) on acute cerebral infarction was evaluated in rats, and compared with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). After the model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was established by autologous blood clots, different doses of micro-plasmin (2.5, 5, and 10 mg x kg(-1)) were administered into the thrombus intra-arterial. Twelve hours after administration of micro-plasmin, the neurological deficit score of rats was recorded and the infarct volumes were determined. Bleeding time (BT), fibrin degradation product (FDP) concentration in serum and thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT) and fibrinogen (FIB) concentration in plasma were tested after administration. Intra-arterial administration of micro-plasmin could reduce significantly neurological deficit score and infarct volumes in MCAO rats. FDP concentration increased significantly as compared with model group. There were no significant differences in TT, PT and BT. FIB concentration reduced markedly as compared with model group, but had no significant difference as compared with sham group. The results suggest that micro-plasmin is effective in treatment of rat acute cerebral infarction, and has no significant influence on fibrinolytic system and blood clotting system, indicating that micro-plasmin may be useful for treatment of acute cerebral infarction, and not lead to hemorrhage. Micro-plasmin seems to be distinguished from clinical used rt-PA by its no hemorrhage effect.