Repair impact of vibration exercise with different frequencies on articular cartilage of rats with early knee osteoarthritis and its JNK/NF-κB, SOX9 mechanisms / 中国应用生理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the repair effect and JNK/NF-κB,SOX9 mechanisms of vibration exercise with different frequencies on articular cartilage in rats with early knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Forty-eight adult male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups(n=8):model control group(MC),high frequency vibration group 1 (GP1,60 Hz),high frequency vibration 2 group (GP2,40 Hz),medium frequency vibration group (ZP,20 Hz),minor frequency group(DP,10 Hz)and normal control group(NC). Except for NC group,the rats in each group were made into early knee osteoarthritis model after six weeks of knee joint cavity injection of papain solution and 2% mixture l-cysteine on the 1st,4 th and 7th day. Each exercise group was subjected vibration to 40 minutes a day with amplitude of 2～5 mm and 5 days a week. Four weeks later, the articular cartilage of the lateral femoral condyle of the both back leg knee joints were detected by HE staining,serine O staining and Mankin scores for morphological observation. The expression levels of JNK,NF-κB p65 and Sox9 mRNA in articular cartilage of the medial femoral condyle were detected by RT-qPCR,and the protein expressions of JNK,NF-κB p65 and Sox9 were detected by Western blot. Results: Compared with the NC group,the Mankin score in other groups was significantly higher (P＜0.01). Compared with the MC group,the Mankin score of each vibration group was significantly lower(P＜0.05),the mRNA and protein expressions of JNK and NF-κB p65 in each vibration training group were significantly lower (P＜0.01),the expressions of Sox9 mRNA and protein in vibration training group were increased significantly (P＜0.01). Compared with the higher frequency group,the Mankin score,the mRNA and protein expressions of JNK and NF-κB p65 of lower frequency group were significantly lower (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). But the expressions of Sox9 mRNA and protein were significantly higher (P＜ 0.05 or P＜0.01). Conclusion: Vibration exercise of different frequencies may present varying degrees of cartilage repair impact in rats with early knee osteoarthritis,and the cartilage repair by low-frequency vibration training is better than that by high-frequency vibration. This can be one of the mechanisms on controlling collagen synthesis by down-regulating JNK/NF-κB expression and increasing SOX9 activity of OA articular cartilage.

Effect of electronic moxibustion on memory function in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of electronic moxibustion on memory function in the patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).@*METHODS@#A total of 59 aMCI patients were randomized into an electronic moxibustion group (30 cases) and a placebo moxibustion group (29 cases). In the electronic moxibustion group, the electronic moxibustion was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14), Mingmen (GV 4) and Taixi (KI 3), 45 ℃ in temperature, 20 min each time. The treatment was given once a day, 5 times a week. The treatment for 4 weeks was as one course and 2 courses were required totally. In the placebo moxibustion group, the moxa-free patch was used, 38 ℃ in temperature. The acupoint selection and the treatment frequency were same as the electronic moxibustion group. Before and after treatment, Rivermead behavior memory test (RBMT) was adopted to evaluate the global memory function of the patients in the two groups and the N-back task test was adopted to evaluate working memory function separately. Additionally, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and its immediate memory, Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and its delay recall were adopted to evaluate the global cognitive function and memory function@*RESULTS@#In the electronic moxibustion group, after treatment, RBMT score, N-back accuracy rates, MMSE and MoCA scores and the scores of immediate memory and delay recall were improved significantly as compared with those before treatment (<0.01). In the placebo moxibustion group, the accuracy rates of 1-back and 2-back task and the scores of immediate memory and delay recall were improved obviously as compared with those before treatment (<0.05, <0.01). After treatment, the improvements of RBMT score, the accuracy rates of N-back task and MMSE and MoCA scores in the electronic moxibustion group were higher than those in the placebo moxibustion group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Electronic moxibustion improves memory function in the patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Professor 's experience in the treatment of vascular dementia with acupuncture and moxibustion / 中国针灸

In the aspects of the acupoint prescription, acupuncture techniques and typical cases, the characteristics and experience of professor in the clinical treatment of vascular dementia with acupuncture and moxibustion were introduced. Vascular dementia is treated on the base of etiology, focusing on the brain as the root cause, with the reinforcing and the promoting as the dominant principle of acupuncture. The treatment is emphasized on tonifying the kidney to fill up marrow, strengthening the spleen to nourish the brain and promoting the collateral circulation to improve the intelligence. Concerning to the general situation of the disease, regulating mind stressed in treatment. In clinical practice, Baihui (GV 20) is the chief acupoint to benefit the brain. -source points and the eight influential points are predominated to tonify the functions of organs and fill up vessels. Moxibustion is adopted to resolve the stagnation and promote circulation in meridian as well as regulate and blood circulation. Specially, the moxibustion technique for resolving the stagnation and promoting circulation in meridian achieves the satisfactory therapeutic effects in clinical treatment.