Therapeutic Observation of Acupoint Thread Embedding plus Thunder-fire Moxibustion for Hyperlipidemia Due to Spleen-kidney Yang Deficiency / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint thread embedding plus thunder-fire moxibustion in treating hyperlipidemia due to spleen-kidney yang deficiency. Method Sixty patients with hyperlipidemia due to spleen-kidney yang deficiency were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 30 cases each. The treatment group was intervened by acupoint thread embedding plus thunder-fire moxibustion, while the control group was intervened by oral administration of Atorvastatin calcium tablets. After 8-week treatment, changes in the serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score were observed in the two groups, and the clinical efficacies were compared. Result The blood lipids indexes (TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C) and TCM syndrome score were significantly changed after the treatment in both groups (P<0.05). After the treatment, the blood lipids indexes and TCM syndrome score of the treatment group were insignificantly different from those of the control group (P>0.05). The total effective rate was 90.0％ in improving the blood lipids in the treatment group, versus 93.3％ in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). The total effective rate was 83.3％ in improving the TCM syndrome score in the treatment group versus 63.3％ in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Acupoint thread embedding plus thunder-fire moxibustion is an effective method in treating hyperlipidemia due to spleen-kidney yang deficiency.

Changes of Substance P in the substantia gelatinosa of the dorsal horn field after liquid nitrogen freezing of severed nerve for prevention of terminal neuroma / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the changes of Substance P in the substantia gelatinosa of the dorsal horn field after transient liquid nitrogen freezing of severed rat sciatic nerve for prevention of terminal neuroma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The bilateral sciatic nerves of 20 SD rats were severed, and the left sciatic nerves was subjected to transient liquid nitrogen freezing with the right sciatic nerve as control. After 20 and 28 weeks, the nerve ends were resected and prepared for microscopic examination, and Substance P in the substantia gelatinosa of the dorsal horn field was determined by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Typical neuromas occurred in the severed ends of the right sciatic nerves but not in the left sciatic nerves. The distribution and optical density of Substance P in the substantia gelatinosa of the dorsal horn field was significantly smaller in the left than in the right nerves (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Liquid nitrogen freezing of the severed sciatic nerve results in decreased release of Substance P in the substantia gelatinosa of the dorsal horn field, suggesting that noxious stimulation may increase Substance P release in the substantia gelatinosa of the dorsal horn field.</p>

Acidic fibroblast growth factor for preventing motor endplate degeneration and muscular atrophy after motor nerve injury: a morphological and electrophysiological study / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore measures to prevent motor endplate degeneration and muscular atrophy after motor nerve injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 3 equal groups. In two of the groups, the right common peroneal nerves of the rats were transected and immediately sutured with implantation of collagen gel carrier of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) or the empty carrier into the denervated tibialis anterior muscles. In the control group, the transected nerves were sutured without implantation. Six weeks after the operation, morphological and electrophysiological examinations were performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the control rats and those with empty collagen gel carrier implantation, obvious motor endplate degeneration and muscular atrophy occurred, which were not obvious in rats receiving aFGF carrier implantation. The decrement of repetitive nerve stimulation was significantly greater in the former two groups than in the latter.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Implantation of collagen gel carrier of aFGF may prevent motor endplate degeneration and facilitate functional recovery of the neuromuscular junction after motor nerve injury.</p>