Electric Acupuncture Treatment Promotes Angiogenesis in Rats with Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Through EphB4/EphrinB2 Mediated Src/PI3K Signal Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral infarction is one of the most common causes of disability and death worldwide. It is reported that electric acupuncture was able to improve the prognosis of cerebral infarction by promoting angiogenesis. However, the corresponding signal pathways of angiogenesis promotes by electric acupuncture treatment needs to be further explored. METHODS: MCAO rat was employed as the animal model, and clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate treatment was set as the positive control. Behaviors of rats, H&E staining, and TTC-staining was used to evaluate the recovery of infarcted brain tissue and nervous function. After that, immunocytochemical and immunofluorescence staining was used to quantify the angiogenesis and compensatory circulation, which including the analysis of microvessel density, field/ microvessel area ratio, and microvessel diameter. Western blot and RT-PCR for the detection of the related signal molecule, PI3K, Src, and EphB4/ephrinB2. RESULTS: The neurologic impairment scores were decreased, and the brain tissue damage that showed with H&E and TTC-staining was relieved by the treatment of electric acupuncture in MCAO rat. The quantification of microvessel density and field/ microvessel area ratio was improved obviously, and the microvessel diameter was decreased which represent the angiogenesis of capillary in day 3 and 7 by the electric acupuncture treatment. We also found that the level of Src and PI3K was increased markedly followed by the up-regulation of EphB4 and EphrinB2 mRNA during the electric acupuncture treatment, and the pre-treatment of Src and/or PI3K inhibitor was able to disturb the angiogenesis of capillary. CONCLUSIONS: We proved that electric acupuncture was able to accelerate the recovery of infarcted brain tissue and nervous function in MCAO rat by the promotion of angiogenesis, which was regulated by EphB4/EphrinB2 mediated Src/PI3K signal pathway. Our study provides a potential therapy and theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of cerebral infarction by the use of electric acupuncture.

Improving the yield of Anoectochilus roxburghii by Bacillus licheniformis cultured in Agaricus bisporus industrial wastewater

BACKGROUND: There is a large amount of industrial wastewater produced by the mushroom industry during the canning processing each year, which could provide abundant carbon, nitrogen and inorganic salts for microbial growth. The aim of this study was to optimize the culture conditions for Bacillus licheniformis cultured in the Agaricus bisporus industrial wastewater to produce the agricultural microbial fertilizer. RESULTS: In this work, the maximal biomass of B. licheniformis could be obtained under the following culture conditions: 33.7°C, pH 7.0, 221 rpm shaking speed, 0.5% wastewater, 2 (v:v, %) inoculum dose, loading liquid of 60 mL/250 mL and a culture time of 24 h, and the average experimental value obtained was 1.35 ± 0.04 × 109 Obj/mL, which was within the 95% confidence interval of the predicted model (1.29­1.38 × 109 Obj/mL), and met the national microbial fertilizers' standard in China. Furthermore, the field experiment results showed that the fermentation broth of B. licheniformis could significantly improve the yield of Anoectochilus roxburghii. CONCLUSIONS: Agaricus bisporus industrial wastewater can be used to produce agricultural microbial fertilizer.

Clinical effects of acupuncture combined with nimodipine for treatment of vascular dementia in 30 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effects of acupuncture combined with nimodipine for vascular dementia. METHODS: Acupuncture was applied at Baihui (GV 20), Shenshu (BL 23), Geshu (BL 17), and the points selected according to the midnight-noon, ebb-flow eight methods of the intelligent turtle, combined with the drug nimodipine. The treatment was continued for 8 consecutive weeks. RESULTS: Of the 30 cases treated, 6 cases were cured, 21 cases improved, and 3 cases failed, with a total effective rate of 90%. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Shenshu (BL 23), Geshu (BL 17), and the points selected according to the midnight-noon, ebb-flow eight methods of the intelligent turtle combined with the drug nimodipine can yield definite therapeutic effects for vascular dementia.

[Professor HUANG Xuan-Wei's clinical experience in acupuncture and moxibustion].

Professor HUANG's clinical acupuncture and moxibustion characters are introduced from selection of acupoints, needles used, needling methods, etc. Based on the differentiation of symptoms and signs, he is good at using pair-points and syndrome differentiation, point-through-point acupuncture and combined many methods, and pays attention to adjusting mental activity, promoting flow of qi, treating both body and mental treatment. He also uses other therapies besides acupuncture and adopts good advance from others, so as to greatly increase clinical therapeutic effects.