Electroacupuncture Relieves HuR/KLF9-Mediated Inflammation to Enhance Neurological Repair after Spinal Cord Injury.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is widely applied in clinical therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the associated molecular mechanism has yet to be elucidated. The current study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of EA in neurologic repair after SCI. First, we investigated the role of EA in the neurologic repair of the SCI rat model. The expression levels of human antigen R (HuR) and Krüppel-like factor 9 (KLF9) in spinal cord tissues were quantified after treatment. Second, we conducted bioinformatics analysis, RNA pull-down assays, RNA immunoprecipitation, and luciferase reporter gene assay to verify the binding of HuR and KLF9 mRNA for mRNA stability. Last, HuR inhibitor CMLD-2 was used to verify the enhanced effect of EA on neurologic repair after SCI via the HuR/KLF9 axis. Our data provided convincing evidence that EA facilitated the recovery of neuronal function in SCI rats by reducing apoptosis and inflammation of neurons. We found that EA significantly diminished the SCI-mediated upregulation of HuR, and HuR could bind to the 3' untranslated region of KLF9 mRNA to protect its decay. In addition, a series of in vivo experiments confirmed that CMLD-2 administration increased EA-mediated pain thresholds and motor function in SCI rats. Collectively, the present study showed that EA improved pain thresholds and motor function in SCI rats via impairment of HuR-mediated KLF9 mRNA stabilization, thus providing a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms regarding EA-mediated neurologic repair after SCI.

Compressed Sensing Image Reconstruction of Ultrasound Image for Treatment of Early Traumatic Myositis Ossificans of Elbow Joint by Electroacupuncture.

This article conducts a retrospective analysis of 500 patients with posttraumatic elbow dysfunction admitted to our department from March 2019 to September 2020. The average time from injury to operation is 11 months (2-20 months). We adopt a personalized treatment method to completely remove the hyperplastic adhesion tissue and heterotopic ossification around the joint, remove part of the joint capsule and ligament, and release it to achieve maximum function. After the operation, an external fixator was used to stabilize the loosened elbow joint, and the patient was guided to perform rehabilitation exercises with the aid of a hinged external fixator, and celecoxib was used to prevent heterotopic ossification. Mayo functional scoring system was used to evaluate the curative effect before and after surgery. The rapid realization of ultrasound imaging under the framework of compressed sensing is studied. Under the premise of ensuring the quality of ultrasound imaging reconstruction, the theory of ultrasound imaging is improved, and a plane wave acoustic scattering ultrasound echo model is established. On this basis, the theory of compressed sensing is introduced, the mathematical model of compressed sensing reconstruction is established, and the fast iterative shrinkage thresholding algorithm (FISTA) of compressed sensing reconstruction is improved to reduce the computational complexity and the number of iterations. This article uses FISTA directly to reconstruct medical ultrasound images, and the reconstruction results are not ideal. Therefore, a simulation model of FISTA training and testing was established using the standard image library. By adding different intensities of noise to all images in the image library, the influence of noise intensity on the quality of FISTA reconstructed images is analyzed, and it is found that the FISTA model has requirements for the quality of the images to be reconstructed and the training set images. In this paper, Rob's blind deconvolution restoration algorithm is used to preprocess the original ultrasound image. The clarity of the texture details of the restored ultrasound image is significantly improved, and the image quality is improved, which meets the above requirements. This paper finally formed a reconstruction model suitable for ultrasound images. The reconstruction strategy verified by the ultrasound images provided by the Institute of Ultrasound Imaging of a medical university has achieved a significant improvement in the quality of ultrasound images.

The effect of warm needle moxibustion on lumbar disc herniation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of warm needle moxibustion on patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). METHODS: A total of 100 patients with lumbar disc herniation treated in our hospital were recruited as the study cohort and randomly assigned into a control group and an observation group. The patients in the control group underwent routine acupuncture treatment, while those in the observation group underwent warm needle moxibustion treatment. The observed indexes, including the clinical efficacy, the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores, the Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, and the serum inflammatory factor levels were compared between the control group and the observation group. RESULTS: The total cure rate in the observation group was significantly higher than it was in the control group (76.0% vs 92%, P=0.029). Compared with the patients in the control group after the treatment, the patients' VAS and ODI scores in the observation group were significantly lower, but their JOA scores were significantly higher, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Moreover, the serum IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels in the observation group were remarkably lower than the corresponding levels in the control group (all P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Warm needle moxibustion has a significant effect on patients with lumbar disc herniation, because it helps to relieve the pain and other symptoms and reduces the serum inflammatory factor levels.

Piceatannol suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis by regulation of the microRNA­21/phosphatase and tensin homolog/protein kinase B signaling pathway in osteosarcoma cells.

Piceatannol (Pice), a natural analog of resveratrol, has been identified as an anticancer agent in various cancers by modulating the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of Pice in osteosarcoma (OS) cells remain unclear. Thus, we hypothesized that Pice exerts anticancer effects on OS cells via the regulation of miRNA expression. Herein, we performed a MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis to determine cell viability and apoptosis in OS cells treated with Pice, respectively. Our results showed that Pice inhibits proliferation in a dose­dependent manner induces the apoptosis of OS cells. More importantly, miRNA microarray analysis identified that Pice alters miRNA expression profiles in human OS cells after treatment with Pice, and miR­21 was the most significantly downregulated. In addition, the therapeutic effects of Pice on OS cells were weakened by restoration of miR­21. In addition, we further verified that phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a tumor suppressor gene, is the functional target of miR­21 and Pice blocks the PTEN/AKT signaling pathway through inhibiting miR­21 expression in OS cells. Our findings suggested that Pice may exert anticancer effects on OS cells via mediating the miR­21/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway and could be considered to be a potential anticancer agent for treating OS.

[Effect of elongated-needle by Hui-puncture method on piriformis syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of elongated needle by Hui-puncture method in the treatment of piriformis syndrome. METHODS: A total of 100 piriformis syndrome patients were randomly divided into routine acupuncture group (n＝50) and elongated needle by Hui-puncture method (Hui-puncture) group (n＝50). For patients of the routine acupuncture group, Huantiao (GB30), Juliao (GB29), Zhibian (BL54), Weizhong (BL40), Yanglingquan (GB34), Juegu (GB39) and Ashi-point on the affected side of the body were punctured with filiform needles for 30 min. And for those of the Hui-puncture group, elongated needles were respectively inserted into GB30 and Ashi-point. The treatment was conducted once every other day for 10 times. The visual analog scale (VAS) pain score and the severity scores of symptoms (hip pain, lower limb pain, walking ability, straight leg elevation test, piriformis muscle tension test, piriformis muscle tenderness, 0-15 points) were measured before and after the treatment. The therapeutic effect was assessed by Criteria for Diagnosis and Assessment of Therapeutic Effect of Syndromes or Illnesses of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1994). RESULTS: After the treatment, the scores of symptoms and VAS scores of both routine acupuncture and Hui-puncture groups were significantly decreased in comparison with their own pre-treatment (P<0.05), and the scores of the two indexes of the Hui-puncture group were evidently lower than those of the routine acupuncture group (P<0.05). Of the two 50 cases in the routine acupuncture and Hui-puncture groups, 39 and 47 were effective, with the effective rate being 78.00% and 94.00%, respectively. The comprehensive therapeutic effect of the Hui-puncture group was significantly superior to that of the routine acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Elongated-needle by Hui-puncture method has significant effect in treating piriformis syndrome patients and is worthy of promotion.

microRNA-182-5p alleviates spinal cord injury by inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis through modulating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

Inflammatory response and apoptosis play an important role in progression of spinal cord injury (SCI). Recently, aberrant microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as a key regulator in SCI. However, it remains unknown whether and how miRNAs mediated the inflammatory response after SCI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential role of miRNAs in SCI and elucidate underlying molecular mechanisms. First, we analyzed the microRNA expression profile in spinal cords from rats following SCI, using miRNA microarray. Interestingly, miR-182-5p was one of miRNAs most significantly downregulated in SCI. It has been reported as an inflammation suppressor in different organ injury models. Here, we used a cell model to verify the regulatory function and mechanism of miR-182-5p on inflammatory response in SCI. Overexpression of miR-182-5p attenuated H2O2-induced inflammation as reflected by reduction in proinflammatory cytokines in C8-D1A cells. Meanwhile, enhanced miR-182-5p expression significantly suppressed H2O2-induced apoptosis. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), an important regulator of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, was identified as a novel target of miR-182-5p in C8-D1A cells. Furthermore, overexpression of TLR4 reversed inhibitory effects of miR-182-5p overexpression on inflammation and apoptosis. More importantly, we found that miR-182-5p blocked phosphorylation of nuclear p65 and promoted phosphorylation of IκB-α in H2O2-treated C8-D1A cells. Our results confirm that miR-182-5p alleviates inflammation and apoptosis via inactivation of TLR4/NF-κB pathway in an H2O2-induced cell model. Our findings suggest that miR-182-5p may be a potential therapeutic target of SCI in the future.

[Clinical research of mild and moderate lumbar disc herniation of blood stagnation syndrome treated with qi-conducting needling technique at the governor vessel acupoints combined with electroacupuncture].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the difference in the clinical therapeutic effects on mild and moderate lumbar disc herniation (LDH) of blood stagnation syndrome between qi-conducting needling technique at the governor vessel acupoints combined with electroacupuncture (EA) and conventional EA. METHODS: Two hundred and one patients of LDH at the mild and moderate stage, differentiated as blood stagnation syndrome were randomized into an observation group (101 cases) and a control group (100 cases). In the observation group, the qi-conducting needling technique at the governor vessel acupoints and EA were used. The acupoints were Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Shiqizhui (EX-B 8), Huantiao (GB 30) and Yanglingquan (GB 34). After qi arrival, the qi-conducting needling technique was used at Yaoyangguan (GV 3) and Shiqizhui (EX-B 8); the EA was at Huantiao (GB 30) and Yanglingquan (GB 34). The treatment was given once every two days, 3 times a week. The treatment for 12 times was as one session. The observation lasted for 1 session. In the control group, the acupoints were the same as the observation group and stimulated with EA. The EA parameters, treatment frequency and duration were all the same as the observation group. The lumbar back pain score of Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA) score before treatment, after treatment and in 3-month follow-up visit in the two groups, the infrared thermogram temperature in lumbar region and the relaxation area under curve (RAUC) before and after treatment as well as the short-term and the long-term therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The total short-term effective rate was 89.11% (90/101) and the total long-term effective rate was 91.11% (82/90) in the observation group, and those were 86.00% (86/100) and 89.53% (77/86) in the control group respectively, without significant differences between the groups (both P>0.05). The short-term clinical curative rate was 52.48% (53/101) and the long-term clinical curative rate was 55.56% (50/90) in the observation group, better than 36.00% (36/100) and 34.88% (30/86) in the control group (both P<0.05). Compared with those before treatment, JOA scores were all improved after treatment and in follow-up visit in the two groups (all P<0.01), without statistical significance at each time point between the two groups (all P>0.05). The infrared thermogram temperature was improved after treatment in the two groups (both P<0.01). The increasing amplitude in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). The lumbar RAUC after treatment was increased apparently as compared with that before treatment in the observation group (P<0.01) and larger than that in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The qi-conducting needling technique at the governor vessel acupoints combined with EA achieve the better clinical therapeutic effects than regular EA in the treatment of mild and moderate LDH of blood stagnation sydrome.

Tetramethylpyrazine alleviates neural apoptosis in injured spinal cord via the downregulation of miR-214-3p.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the regulation effect of tetramethylpyrazine on microRNA-214-3p (miR-214-3p) in the spinal cord injury (SCI) rats model and to elucidate the neuroprotective effect and its mechanism of tetramethylpyrazine after SCI. METHODS: Ten Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish the SCI rats model, and the expression levels of miR-214-3p and Bcl2l2 were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting at 7 days post-SCI. BBB scoring test was performed to evaluate the motor functional recovery at 21 days post-SCI. Twenty-five SCI rats were randomly assigned to five groups: SCI negative control (NC) group, tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) group, miR-214-3p agomir group, TMP/agomir group and the sham group. The rats were given a two-week injection treatment with or without TMP. The expression levels of miR-214-3p, Bcl2l2, Bax and caspase 3 were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blotting at 7 days after injection. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) -mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to detect cell apoptosis in vivo. Luciferase activity was measured to verify the miR-214-3p target site in the 3'-UTR of Bcl2l2 mRNA. TMP treatment was also performed to injure primary cultured neuron cells and cell apoptosis in vitro was determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: MiR-214-3p was up-regulated while anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2l2 was downregulated post-SCI. TMP inhibited the apoptosis in vivo via decreasing the levels of miR-214-3p and increasing the expression level of Bcl2l2. A potential target site of miR-214-3p in the 3'UTR of Bcl2l2 mRNA was identified and validated by luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, TMP could effectively inhibit neuron cells apoptosis in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: TMP alleviated neural apoptosis in injured spinal cord via down-regulation of miR-214-3p.

Recovery of spinal cord injury following electroacupuncture in rats through enhancement of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been demonstrated to promote the functional recovery of neurons following spinal cord injury (SCI); however, the mechanisms underlying its effects have yet to be elucidated. The Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway has been implicated in the regulation of the balance between growth, proliferation and differentiation of neural precursor cells. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of EA therapy on Wnt/ß­catenin­regulated gene expression and neuronal recovery in rats with SCI. The Allen method was used to establish SCI in rats, and alterations in Wnt1 and Nestin mRNA and protein expression levels in response to SCI were determined on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 post­injury using reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. To evaluate the effects of EA treatment on SCI, the following four treatment groups were employed: SCI, SCI + EA, SCI + lithium chloride (LiCl) and SCI + LiCl + EA. The protein expression levels of Wnt1, Nestin and nuclear ß­catenin were evaluated on day 3 post­treatment, and neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN) protein expression levels were evaluated on day 21 post­treatment using western blot analysis. The Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scoring method was used to evaluate spinal cord recovery on day 28 post­treatment across the four treatment groups. EA therapy at the Dazhui and Mingmen acupuncture points significantly increased the expression levels of Wnt1, Nestin, ß­catenin and NeuN, thus suggesting that EA therapy may promote spinal cord recovery following injury. The underlying mechanism was demonstrated to involve enhanced Wnt/ß­catenin signaling, which may promote the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. However, further studies are required to elucidate the detailed effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of EA therapy on SCI.

Electro-acupuncture promotes the proliferation of neural stem cells and the survival of neurons by downregulating miR-449a in rat with spinal cord injury.

The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanism of electro-acupuncture (EA) on the recovery of injured spinal cord. Rats were randomly divided into normal control, sham-operated, SCI, SCI+EA group and T10 segment spinal cord injury (SCI) rat model was established by the modified Allen's method. After 7 days, the mRNA and protein expression of Nestin, neuron specific nuclear protein (NeuN) and calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) were detected by real time RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry respectively. The protein expression of cleaved caspase 3, Bax, Bcl-2, TNF-α and IL-1ß were also detected by Western blot. MicroRNA 449a (miR-449a) expression was also compared. Further, 12 SCI rats were randomly divided into EA and miR subgroups (EA + miR-449a agomir injection). The expression of Nestin, NeuN, CGRP, cleaved caspase 3, Bax, Bcl-2, TNF-α, IL-1ß and miR-449a was compared. The direct interaction of miR-449a and CGRP mRNA was assessed by dual luciferase reporter assay. At day 7, compared with sham-operated group, miR-449a expression in SCI group was significantly increased (P < 0.05), and NeuN and CGRP mRNA and protein expression was markedly decreased (P < 0.05), but protein levels of Nestin, cleaved caspase 3, TNF-α, IL-1ß and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 in SCI group were significantly increased (P < 0.05). The EA treatment significantly reduced miR-449a level and cleaved caspase 3, TNF-α, IL-1ß level and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 (P < 0.01), but substantially increased Nestin, NeuN and CGRP expression (P < 0.05 or 0.01). High level of miR-449a in miR subgroup was accompanied by decreased expression of Nestin, NeuN and CGRP and increased expression of cleaved caspase 3, TNF-α, IL-1ß and elevation of the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 (P < 0.05), suggesting miR-449a inhibits the effects of EA on NSCs and neurons. Luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-449a bound to the 3' UTR of CGRP, and thereby regulated CGRP expression. In conclusion, EA promotes proliferation of neural stem cells and the survival of neurons by downregulation of miR-449a expression.

Electro-acupuncture-modulated miR-214 prevents neuronal apoptosis by targeting Bax and inhibits sodium channel Nav1.3 expression in rats after spinal cord injury.

Electro-acupuncture (EA) has been proven to contribute towards neurologic and functional recoveries in spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown especially regarding the effects of preventing neuronal apoptosis and alleviating neuropathic pain involved in the development of EA. In this study, we evaluated the effect of EA treatment in an animal model of SCI using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score method, lesion volume by cresyl violet staining and neuronal apoptosis by TUNEL staining. Our results showed that EA therapy improved functional recovery, and reduced tissue loss and neuronal apoptosis after SCI. Meanwhile, we found that proapoptotic proteins (cleaved-caspase-3, 9 and cleaved-PARP) were downregulated and antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 was upregulated following EA. To further explore the antiapoptotic effect of EA treatment, we verified that a large set of microRNAs (miRNAs) expression were altered following EA treatment and the miR-214 was one of the miRNAs being most significantly upregulated. Importantly, we validated both apoptosis related protein Bax and pain related protein Nav1.3 as two functional targets of miR-214 in vitro and vivo. Furthermore, our data showed that EA attenuates SCI-induced Nav1.3 and Bax upregulation in injured spinal cord via upregulating miR-214. These results suggest that miR-214 played an important role after SCI in the process of EA therapy, and the miR-214 could become an attractive novel therapeutic target for the treatment of SCI.

Cucurbitacin E inhibits osteosarcoma cells proliferation and invasion through attenuation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway.

Cucurbitacin E (CuE), a potent member of triterpenoid family isolated from plants, has been confirmed as an antitumour agent by inhibiting proliferation, migration and metastasis in diverse cancer. However, the effects and mechanisms of CuE on osteosarcoma (OS) have not been well understood. The present study aimed to test whether CuE could inhibit growth and invasion of OS cells and reveal its underlying molecular mechanism. After various concentrations of CuE treatment, the anti-proliferative effect of CuE was assessed using the cell counting Kit-8 assay. Flow cytometry analysis was employed to measure apoptosis of OS cells. Cell cycle distribution was analysed by propidium iodide staining. Transwell assay was performed to evaluate the effect of CuE on invasion potential of OS cells. The protein levels were measured by western blot. In addition, the potency of CuE on OS cells growth inhibition was assessed in vivo Our results showed that CuE inhibited cell growth and invasion, induced a cell cycle arrest and triggered apoptosis and modulated the expression of cell growth, cell cycle and cell apoptosis regulators. Moreover, CuE inhibited the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which suppressed the invasion and metastasis of OS. In addition, we also found that CuE inhibited OS cell growth in vivo Taken together, our study demonstrated that CuE could inhibit OS tumour growth and invasion through inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway. Our findings suggest that CuE can be considered to be a promising anti-cancer agent for OS.

[Clinical research of shoulder-arm pain of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy treated with acupunc- ture based on the axillary nerve distribution].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the difference in the efficacy on cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) between acupuncture at the acupoints on the axillary nerve distribution and the regular selection of acupoints. Methods Eighty patients of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 40 ca.ses in each one. In the observation group, Jianjing (GB 21), Jianzhen (SI 9), Jianliao (TE 14) , Jianyu (LI 15) , Quyuan (SI 13), Tianzong (SI 11) and the trigger points in the scalpular region were selected along the axillary nerve distribution. The Hegu needling was adopted at the trigger points and stimulated with electric apparatus, continuous wave, 1Hz. In the control group, Dazhui (GV 14), Tianzhu (BL 10), Houxi (SI 3), cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2) were selected and stimulated with the regular acupuncture. Electric stimulation was added at cervical Jiaii (EX-B 2), with continuous wave, 1Hz. The needles were retained for 30 min in the two groups, once every two days and 10 treatments made one session. The efficacy was assessed in one session of treatment. The 20-point scale of CSR developed by Japanese scholar, Tanaka Yasuhisa, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) were adopted to score the clinical symptoms and pain degree before and after treatment in the patients and assess the efficacy of the two groups. RESULTS: The symptom scores and VAS scores after treatment were improved apparently as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0. 05, P<0. 01), and the results in the observation group were better than those in the control group (both P<0. 05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 85. 0% (34/40), better than 71. 8% (28/39) in the control group (P<0. 05). CONCLUSION: The acupuncture at the acupoints on the axillary nerve distribution achieves the definite efficacy on CSR, better I than the regular acupuncture at cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2).

[Efficacy differences between different position in patients treated with electroacupuncture for lumbar herniated disc].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy differences between modified lateral position and prone position in patients treated with electroacupuncture (EA) for lumbar herniated disc (LHD). METHODS: Seventy-six patients with LHD were randomly divided into a lateral position group and a prone position group, 38 cases in each one. The acupoint selection and treatment method were identical in the two groups except the position. Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Dachangshu (BL 25), Xiaochangshu (BL 27), Zhibian (BL 54) and Huantiao (GB 30) were selected. EA was given three times a week, ten times were taken as one course and totally 20 times were given. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and Japanese orthopaedic association (JOA) scale were taken as efficacy criteria, which were evaluated before and after treatment as well as one month after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, VAS and JOA were significantly improved in the two groups (lateral position group:JOA 10.60±2.60 vs 18.92±3.87, VAS 8.13±0.99 vs 2.34±0.81; prone position group:JOA 10.94±2.06 vs 17.02±3.96, VAS 8.02±1.05 vs 2.86±0.96, all P<0.01); the VAS and JOA in the lateral position group were higher than those in the prone position group (both P<0.05). One month after treatment, VAS and JOA were significantly improved in the two groups (all P<0.01), which was more significant in the lateral position group (both P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The treatment position could influence the efficacy of EA for LHD, and lateral position pre-sents certain advantages to prone position group.

Effect of electroacupuncture on muscle state and infrared thermogram changes in patients with acute lumbar muscle sprain.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on force-displacement value (FDV) of muscle state and the temperature index of infrared thermogram in patients with acute lumbar muscle sprain. METHODS: Patients with acute lumbar muscle sprain were randomly divided into a medication group and an EA group. The medication group (n = 60) were treated with diclofenac sodium dual release enteric-coated capsules, 75 mg per day for 7 days. The EA group (n = 60) received EA at bilateral Houxi (SI 3), Jiaji (EX-B2), and Ashi points, at 20-30 mm depth and 10-25 Hz frequency for 20 min daily for 7 days. Muscle states were determined by measuring FDVs of the bilateral lumbar muscle with a Myotonometer fast muscle state detector. The temperature index of the lumbar skin was measured before and after treatment with a Fluke Ti30 non-refrigerated focal plane infrared thermal imaging detector. RESULTS: There were no significant pre-treatment differences between the medication group and the EA group in mean FDV (P = 0.052) or temperature index of the lumbar skin (P = 0.25). The cure rate was 63.3% in the EA group and 53.3% in the medication group. The total efficacy in the EA group (93.3 %) was not significantly different from that in the medication group (86.6 %, P = 0.204). After treatment, the mean FDV of the lumbar muscle significantly increased in both groups (P < 0.05 for both groups); the FDV increase in the EA group was significantly higher than in the medication group (P = 0.015). The temperature index was also significantly increased in both groups (P < 0.05 for both groups); the infrared thermogram in the EA group indicated significantly greater recovery compared to the medication group (P = 0.026). CONCLUSION: Both EA and diclofenac sodium markedly improved acute lumbar sprain, but EA better improved the rehabilitation and regeneration of FDVs and temperature index of infrared thermogram of the muscle.

Meta-analysis of tumor necrosis factor alpha -308 polymorphism and knee osteoarthritis risk.

BACKGROUND: Several case-control studies have been conducted to clarify the association between the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) -G308A polymorphism and risk of osteoarthritis (OA); however, the results are inconsistent. This meta-analysis was performed to clarify this issue using all the available evidence. METHODS: Eligible articles were retrieved by searching PubMed, Web of science and Google scholar. The strength of the association between the TNF-α -G308A polymorphism and risk of OA was assessed by odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for each study. RESULTS: Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis, which included 983 OA cases and 1355 controls. The pooled analysis based on all included studies showed a significantly increased OA risk in the recessive genetic model analysis (OR = 11.08, 95% CI = 4.75-25.86, p < 0.001) and in the A allele vs. G allele analysis (OR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.08-4.90). However, there was no statistical difference in the dominant genetic model analysis (OR = 2.45, 95% CI = 0.95-6.27, p = 0.06). Furthermore, we found that OA patients had a higher frequency of the AA genotype (OR = 10.49, 95% CI = 4.47-24.61) and GA genotype (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.03-3.08) compared with the control population. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that the TNF-α -G308A polymorphism were associated with an increased risk of OA.

Effects of electroacupuncture on muscle state and electrophysiological changes in rabbits with lumbar nerve root compression.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on force-displacement value (FDV) of muscle state and electrophysiology of the muscle in rabbits with lumbar nerve root compression. METHODS: Thirty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into a control, a model, an electro-acupuncture acupoints (EAA), a medication, and an electro-acupuncture un-acupoints (EAU) group. All rabbits except those in the control group were subject to modeling (surgical lumbar nerve root compression). The control group was sham-operated without nerve root compression. The EAA group received electro-acupuncture at bilateral Shenshu (BL23) and Dachangshu (BL25) that were located 1.5 cun lateral to the posterior midline on the lower border of the spinous process of the 2nd and 4th lumbar vertebra, respectively. The EA was 15 mm deep and the frequency was 2 Hz. Each session lasted for 20 min per day for a total of 14 times. The medication group was treated with Loxoprofen sodium by gastrogavage at 4 mg/kg per day for 14 days. The EAU group received electro-acupuncture identical to the EAA group with regard to the treatment frequency and duration except a different acupoint at the tip of rabbit tail. Muscle states were determined by measuring FDVs of the bilateral biceps femoris using the Myotonometer® fast muscle state detector. Meanwhile, the prolonged and non-prolonged insertion potentials were measured by electromyography before and after modeling and after treatment. Latency, amplitude (Amp) of evoked potential, motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) were also determined after treatment. RESULTS: (1) After modeling, FDVs of right side activation (RSA, P=0.003) and right side relaxation (RSR) in the model group (P=0.000) were significantly decreased in comparison to the control group. The number of rabbits with non-prolonged insertion potentials in the model group was also significantly decreased (P=0.015) in comparison to the control group. (2) After treatment, FDVs of RSR were significantly increased in the EAA (P=0.000) and medication groups (P=0.018) in comparison to the model group. The increase in FDVs of RSR in the EAA group was significantly higher than that in EAU (P=0.000) and medication groups (P=0.002). MNCV in the model group was reduced compared with the control group (P=0.000). The reduction in MNCV after modeling was reversed in the EAA group (P=0.000) and medication group (P=0.008) after treatment and the increases were significant in both treatment groups in comparison to the model group. The EAA group had a greater MNCV recovery than the medication group (P=0.022). CONCLUSION: Electro-acupuncture could improve the rehabilitation and regeneration of FDVs and the electrophysiology index of the muscle with nerve control impairment.

[Correlation study on effects of electroacupuncture on the muscle condition and MNCV in rabbits with lumbar nerve root compression].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on the muscle condition and electrophysiology of the muscle in rabbits with lumbar nerve root compression and to explore potential mechanisms. METHODS: Twenty-four New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a medication group and an electroacupuncture group. The rabbit model with lumbar nerve root compression was established in the model group, the medication group and the electroacupuncture group. The model and the treatment were not produced in the normal group. The medication group was treated with oral administration of Loxoprofen tablets at a dose of 30 mg each day for 14 days. The electroacupuncture group was treated with electroacupuncture at "Jiaji" (EX-B 2) of L5 and L6 for 14 days. The hibateral muscle condition before and after making model and after treatment was detected and the electromyogram and the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) were observed. RESULTS: The spontaneous potential and the insertion potential were increased in the model group, the medication group and the electroacupuncture group after making model. The value of the activation and the relaxed condition of the strength-creep (ARCSC) in the right muscle was significantly decreased. The motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and the wave amplitude of evoked potential (WAEP) were significantly decreased in the model group, the medication group and the electroacupuncture group after treatment, but the value of MNCV and WAEP in the electroacupuncture group, and ARCSC in the right muscle in the electroacupuncture group and the medicine group were closed to those level in the normal group, among them, the relaxed condition in the electroacupuncture group was more close to the level in the normal group. CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture can improve the strength-creep condition of the muscle that damage nerve place controls and the electrophysiology of the muscle can recover the MNCV and the wave amplitude of evoked potential in the compression nerve root.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of acupuncture at pain points for treatment of myofascial pain syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To compare therapeutic effects of acupuncture at pain points and massage combined with medicine on myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). METHODS: One hundred and fifty cases were randomly divided into an observation group (n=90) and a control group (n=60). The observation group was treated with needle-sticking method combined with single-finger meditation pushing therapy at pain points, and the control group with local application of Votalin Emulgel combined with Tuina. All the patients were treated for 1 course and followed up after 3 months and their therapeutic effects were compared. RESULTS: There were significant differences in cumulative scores of symptoms before and after treatment in the two groups (both P < 0.01), and there were no significant differences in the pain and pressure pain between the two groups (P > 0.05), and there were significant differences in the muscle spasm and joint range of motion between the two groups (P < 0.05); after treatment, the markedly effective rate and the total effective rate in the observation group were 57.8% and 94.4% respectively, and were 31.7% and 73.3% respectively in the control group, with a significant difference between the two groups (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Needle-sticking method combined with single-finger meditation pushing therapy at pain points can effectively alleviate pain and pressure pain in the patients with MPS and it has better therapeutic effect in the markedly effective rate and the total effective rate as well as improvement of muscle spasm and joint range of motion than local application of Votalin Emulgel combined with Tuina.