Effects of electroacupuncture on rats with cognitive impairment: An iTRAQ-based proteomics analysis / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#The study explores the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at the governing vessel (GV) on proteomic changes in the hippocampus of rats with cognitive impairment.@*METHODS@#Healthy male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham, model and EA. Cognitive impairment was induced by left middle cerebral artery occlusion in the model and EA groups. Rats in the EA group were treated with EA at Shenting (GV24) and Baihui (GV20) for 7 d. Neurological deficit was scored using the Longa scale, the learning and memory ability was detected using the Morris water maze (MWM) test, and the proteomic profiling in the hippocampus was analyzed using protein-labeling technology based on the isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). The Western blot (WB) analysis was used to detect the proteins and validate the results of iTRAQ.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the model group, the neurological deficit score was significantly reduced, and the escape latency in the MWM test was significantly shortened, while the number of platform crossings increased in the EA group. A total of 2872 proteins were identified by iTRAQ. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified between different groups: 92 proteins were upregulated and 103 were downregulated in the model group compared with the sham group, while 142 proteins were upregulated and 126 were downregulated in the EA group compared with the model group. Most of the DEPs were involved in oxidative phosphorylation, glycolipid metabolism and synaptic transmission. Furthermore, we also verified 4 DEPs using WB technology. Although the WB results were not exactly the same as the iTRAQ results, the expression trends of the DEPs were consistent. The upregulation of heat-shock protein β1 (Hspb1) was the highest in the EA group compared to the model group.@*CONCLUSION@#EA can effect proteomic changes in the hippocampus of rats with cognitive impairment. Hspb1 may be involved in the molecular mechanism by which acupuncture improves cognitive impairment.

Analysis on the specificity of the relevant points along the governor vessel in chronic gastritis based on tenderness reaction and tenderness threshold / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the specificity of the relevant points along the governor vessel in chronic gastritis through the synchronous observation of the tenderness reaction and tenderness threshold on the back along the governor vessel in the volunteers with chronic gastritis and make the comparison with healthy volunteers.@*METHODS@#A chronic gastritis group and a healthy volunteer group were prepared, 30 cases in each one. Using synchronous comparison, the tenderness reaction at the point inferior to each of the spinous processes from T to L along the governor vessel was observed. The mechanical pressure pain threshold was determined.@*RESULTS@#Regarding the tenderness reaction at the point inferior to each spinous process on the back along the governor vessel, the occurrence rate was different significantly between the chronic gastritis group and the healthy volunteer group (0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The point inferior to the spoinous process of T on the governor vessel, Shendao (GV 11, T) and Lingtai (GV 10, T) are the points with the high specificity in chronic gastritis, which provides the reference to clinical treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion. The occurrence rate of high tenderness reaction and the low tenderness threshold may be the important manifestation of the point specificity on the back along the governor vessel in chronic gastritis.