[Effect of electroacupuncture on behavior and cell apoptosis of brain tissue in traumatic brain injury rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on behavior, pathomorphology and brain cell apoptosis in traumatic brain injury (TBI) rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying treatment of TBI. METHODS: Male SD rats were randomly divided into control (n=10), sham (n=30), model (n=30) and EA (n=30) groups, the latter three groups were further divided into 3, 7, 14 d subgroups （n=10）. TBI model was established by using a free fall brain injury striking device after exposing the local cranial bone (to induce the left parietal cerebral contusion). Twenty-four hours after modeling, EA (2 Hz, 1 mA) was applied at "Quchi"(LI11), "Neiguan"(PC6), "Zusanli"(ST36) and "Yongquan" (KI1) combined with acupuncture at "Shuigou"(GV26) and "Baihui"(GV20) for 15 min, once a day for 14 consecutive days. After 3, 7, and 14 days treatment, the behavioral function (balance, walking, nerve, and limb retraction) of the rats was evaluated. The histopathological changes of the injured brain tissue were observed by HE staining. TUNEL method was used to detect the apoptosis of cells in the brain injury area. RESULTS: After modeling, the scores of balance and walking in the model group were higher than those in the sham group (P<0.01, P<0.05), the neurological function score and the right limb retraction force were lower than those in the sham group(P<0.01). After 3 days treatment, the neurological function score and the right limb retraction force in the EA group were higher than those in the model group (P<0.05). After 7 and 14 days treatment, the scores of balance and walking function in the EA group were lower than those in the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the scores of nerve function and right limb retraction force were higher (P<0.05, P<0.01). HE staining showed that modeling induced pathological changes such as the inflammatory cell infiltration, interstitial edema, necrosis, nuclear pyknosis and nuclear lysis were relatively milder in the EA group on the 7th and 14th day. Compared with the sham group, the cell apoptosis of brain injury area was higher in the model group (P<0.01); while it was lower on day 7 and 14 in the EA group in comparison with the model group (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA can improve the behavioral function, reduce the apoptosis of brain cells in the injured area, and promote the rehabilitation of craniocerebral injury.

[Effect of Jiannao Anshen acupuncture on insomnia: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy of Jiannao Anshen acupuncture (acupuncture for brain-invigorating and mind-calming) on insomnia, and the dynamic changes of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after acupuncture, to provide neuroimaging basis of acupuncture for insomnia. METHODS: A total of 58 participants were included. Of them, 29 patients with insomnia were included into an observation group, and 29 healthy participants were included into a control group. The patients in the observation group were treated with Jiannao Anshen acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), bilateral Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Fengfu (GV 16), Fengchi (GB 20), Qiangjian (GV 18), occipital sideline, Anmian (Extra), Yiming (EX-HN 14) and Dazhui (GV 14); treatment was given once a day, 10 days as a course of treatment, and a total of 2 courses of treatment was given. The resting-state fMRI data was collected in the observation group before and after treatment. The participants in the control group received no treatment, and the resting-state fMRI data was collected only once. The resting-state fMRI data in the observation group before treatment and in the control group, also the observation group before and after treatment were compared. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), insomnia severity index (ISI), daytime insomnia symptom scale (DISS), hyperarousal scale (HAS), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), digit symbol test, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and the A, B speed of trail making test (NCT) were observed in the observation group before and after treatment. The clinical efficacy of the observation group was evaluated. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 89.7% (26/29) in the observation group. In the observation group, the scores of PSQI, ISI and DISS, the A, B speed of NCT were all decreased after treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05). Before treatment, compared with the control group, functional connectivity in ventral dorsal prefrontal cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, inferior parietal lobe, dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, left ventral anterior cingulate gyrus and right ventral anterior cingulate gyrus was reduced in the observation group; compared before treatment, the functional connectivity in lingual gyrus, cerebellar area 6, frontal lobe, insular lobe and anterior cingulate gyrus, premotor gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus was increased after treatment in the observation group. After treatment, the functional connection intensity of left ventral caudate nucleus and insular lobe was negatively correlated with HAMD score in the observation group (r =-0.55, P<0.05), and the functional connection intensity of left ventral caudate nucleus and anterior cingulate gyrus was negatively correlated with HAMA score in the observation group (r =-0.47, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The Jiannao Anshen acupuncture could effectively improve the sleep quality in patients with insomnia, and acupuncture could enhance the connection of left dorsal, right ventral and left ventral caudate nucleus with brain area.

[Effect of electroacupuncture at different stages on the expression of Fas and FasL in brain tissue of rats with traumatic brain injury].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of apoptosis-related proteins Fas and FasL in the brain tissue of rats with traumatic brain injury and the effect of electroacupuncture on the expression of Fas and FasL, so as to explore the effective time window of electroacupuncture in the treatment of traumatic brain injury. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank group, sham-operation group, model group, and electroacupuncture treatment groups 1, 2, and 3. Traumatic brain injury was induced by the modified Feeney free-fall impact device, and for the rats in the electroacupuncture treatment groups 1, 2, and 3, electroacupuncture started at 4 hours and on days 3 and 7, respectively, after modeling and lasted to day 14. The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate learning and memory ability, and immunofluorescence assay and Western blot were used to observe the changes in the expression of Fas and FasL in traumatic brain tissue. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group and the sham-operation group, the model group had a lower percentage of time spent in the target quadrant from the 3rd day folowing modeling; after electroacupuncture intervention, the electroacupuncture treatment groups showed a gradual increase in the time spent in the target quadrant, and on day 7,10 and 14, electroacupuncture treatment group 1 had a significantly higher percentage than the model group (P<0.05). On day 14, electroacupuncture treatment group 2 had a significantly higher percentage than the model group (P<0.05). After electroacupuncture intervention, all groups except the blank group and the sham-operation group had increases in the expression of Fas and FasL in brain tissue, which reached the highest level on day 7 after modeling and then tended to decrease; compared with electroacupuncture treatment groups 2 and 3 and the model group, electroacupuncture treatment group 1 had significant reductions in the expression of Fas and FasL (P<0.05, P<0.01); compared with electroacupuncture treatment group 3 and the model group, electroacupuncture treatment group 2 had significant decreases in the expression of Fas and FasL (P<0.05) on day 14 after modeling; compared with the model group, electroacupuncture treatment group 3 had significant reductions in the expression of Fas and FasL in brain tissue on day 14 after modeling (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Early electroacupuncture intervention can regulate the apoptosis receptor pathway by down-regulating Fas and FasL to exert a therapeutic effect on traumatic brain injury and help with the recovery of cognition and memory ability after traumatic brain injury.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on neuronal apoptosis in rats with traumatic brain injury based on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on neuronal apoptosis in rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to explore the action mechanism of EA on improving the brain nerve function of TBI. METHODS: A total of 88 6-week-old SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, an EA group and a LY294002+EA group, 22 rats in each group. The TBI model on the left side was established by the improved Feeney's free fall method. After modeling for 24 h, the rats in the EA group and LY294002+EA group were treated with acupuncture at "Baihui" (GV 20) for 10 min and pricking acupuncture at "Shuigou" (GV 26) for 20 s; EA was applied at "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) on the right side (discontinuous wave, 2 Hz of frequency, 1 mA of intensity) for 10 min, once a day for 3 days. After 3 days of intervention, the TUNEL method was used to detect the level of neuron apoptosis in left cerebral cortex; the Western blot method was used to detect the expression of Akt, p-Akt, Bcl-2, Bax, Cyt-C and Caspase-9 in the left cerebral cortex. RESULTS: After 3-day treatment, compared with the sham group, the number of neuronal apoptosis in the left cortex was increased in the model group (P<0.01), and the expression of Bax, Cyt-C and Caspase-9 protein was increased (P<0.01), and the expression of p-Akt/Akt, Bcl-2 was decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the number of neuronal apoptosis in the left cortex was decreased in the EA group (P<0.01), and the expression of Bax, Cyt-C and Caspase-9 was decreased (P<0.01), and the expression of p-Akt/Akt and Bcl-2 was increased (P<0.01). Compared with the LY294002+EA group, the number of neuronal apoptosis in the left cortex was decreased in the EA group (P<0.01), and the expression of Bax, Caspase-9 and Cyt-C was decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the expression of p-Akt/Akt and Bcl-2 was increased (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EA could significantly reduce the neuronal apoptosis in rats with TBI, and its mechanism may be related to the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

[Effects of Health Qigong Baduanjin on diabetes related indexes in middle-aged obese women].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Health Qigong Baduanjin on the related indexes of obese middle aged women with diabetes and to provide new ideas for the intervention treatment of diabetes. METHODS: A total of 40 middle-aged female obese diabetic patients were randomly divided into the control group and the exercise group(n=20), the age was(57.2±5.4) years old. Fitness training group performed eight new Baduanjin exercises for 24 weeks of intervention, the control group did not exercise, body weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio (WHR), fasting blood glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc), triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and serum retinol binding protein 4(RBP4) index were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: After exercise, the waist, WHR, FPG, TG, HbAlc, HDL and RBP4 levels of the the patients in the experimental group were decreased significantly compared with those of before exercise and those of the patients in the experimental control group before and after exercise (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Health Qigong Baduanjin can reduce the blood sugar of obese female patients with diabetes, and has some improvement effect on the body part of obesity and blood lipid indicators.

Researches on Transcriptome Sequencing in the Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Due to its incomparable advantages, the application of transcriptome sequencing in the study of traditional Chinese medicine attracts more and more attention of researchers, which greatly promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine. In this paper, the applications of transcriptome sequencing in traditional Chinese medicine were summarized by reviewing recent related papers.