Moxibustion modulates working memory in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between changes in brain activity associated with working memory and assessment scales of memory scores in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) before and after moxibustion therapy. METHODS: aMCI patients were randomized into the moxibustion treatment (MT) group and the placebo moxibustion (PM) group. Each group received either moxibustion therapy or a placebo moxibustion for eight weeks. Neuropsychological performance and functional brain responses to a working memory task were assessed at baseline and at the end of treatment. Memory function was evaluated individually by the Rivermead behavioral memory test (RBMT), and working memory was assessed by the N-back task. RESULTS: Compared with the PM group, RBMT score changes were significant ( < 0.05). In the MT group, the accuracy of the N-back texts increased compared with those before the intervention. After moxibustion intervention, the right insula, postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, thalamus, lingual gyrus, calcarine sulcus, posterior cingulate gyrus, middle frontal gyrus and anterior frontal gyrus were significantly activated (= 0.01, Cluster-level Family-Wise Error = 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the insula, lingual gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus were associated with changes in N-back score. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the postcentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, thalamus, lingual gyrus, and posterior cingulate gyrus were correlated with RBMT score changes. CONCLUSION: Moxibustion treatment improved memory in aMCI patients and was associated with the activation of the brain region of the insula, lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, postcentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and thalamus, which may be an important mechanism by which moxibustion improves the memory function.

Danqi Tablet () Regulates Energy Metabolism in Ischemic Heart Rat Model through AMPK/SIRT1-PGC-1α Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cardioprotective effect of Danqi Tablet (DQT, ) on ischemic heart model rats and the regulative effect on energy metabolism through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α). METHODS: Rat ischemic heart model was induced by ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery. Totally 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group, model group, DQT group (1.5 mg/kg daily) and trimetazidine (TMZ) group (6.3 mg/kg daily) according to a random number table, 10 rats in each group. Twenty-eight days after continuous administration, cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography and the structures of myocardial cells were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The level of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in myocardial cells was measured by ATP assay kit. Expressions level of key transcriptional regulators, including PGC-1α, Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and downstream targets of PGC-1α, such as mitofusin 1 (MFN1), mitofusin 2 (MFN2) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) were measured by Western blot. Expression level of PGC-1α was examined by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The rat ischemic heart model was successfully induced and the heart function in model group was compromised. Compared with the model group, DQT exerted cardioprotective effects, up-regulated the ATP production in myocardial cells and inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the margin area of infarction of the myocardial tissues (P<0.01). The expressions of PGC-1α, SIRT1 and AMPK were increased in the DQT group (all P<0.05). Furthermore, the downstream targets, including MFN1, MFN2 and SOD2 were up-regulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the TMZ group, the expression levels of PGC-1α, MFN1 and SOD2 were increased by DQT treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: DQT regulated energy metabolism in rats with ischemic heart model through AMPK/SIRT1 -PGC-1α pathway. PGC-1α might serve as a promising target in the treatment of ischemic heart disease.

Effect of Acupoint Magnetic Therapy on Mild Cognitive Impairment / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To observe the effects of mind-regulating brain-developing acupoint magnetic therapy in patients with mild cogni-tive impairment (MCI). Methods From May to October, 2015, 60 patients with MCI were randomly divided into control group (n=30) and observation group (n=30). The control group received magnetic therapy on Yangming meridians, and the observation group received magnet-ic therapy on mind-regulating brain-developing acupoints, for two months. They were assessed with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Mo-CA), digit-span and digit symbol of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). Results After treatment, the scores of MoCA, digit-span and digit symbol of WAIS significantly increased in the observation group (t>4.858, P2.188, P5.527, P2.324, P2.262, P0.05). Conclusion Magnetic therapy on acupoints related with cognition could improve the cognitive function in patients with MCI.

Study on effect of oligochitosan in promoting intestinal absorption of protoberberine alkaloids in extracts from Corydalis saxicola total alkaloids / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of oligochitosan in promoting intestinal absorption of protoberberine alkaloids in extracts from Corydalis saxicola total alkaloids.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The in vitro single-pass intestinal perfusion model in rats was established to study the changes in absorption kinetic parameters of dehydrocavidine, berberine hydrochloride and palmatine chloride in C. saxicola total alkaloids after the addition of different concentrations oligochitosan and evaluate the effect of oligochitosan in promoting intestinal absorption of the drugs.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The concentration of oligochitosan had different effects on the absorption rate constant (Ka) and apparent permeability coefficient (Peff) of the three active component in rat intestines. Ka and Peff in 0.5% oligochitosan group significantly increased, indicating a stronger effect in promoting the absorption.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Oligochitosan has a certain effect in promoting the intestinal absorptions of protoberberine alkaloids in C. saxicola total alkaloids.</p>

Studies on flavonoid constituents of Caragana intermediia / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To study the chemical constituents of Caragana intermedia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The compounds were separated by chromatography methods, their structures were identified by spectral analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ten compounds were isolated and identified as 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-3,3'-dimethoxyflavone (1), 3,5,7,8,4'-pentahydroxy-3'-methoxyflavone(2), puercetin(3), limocitrin(4), 5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-3-methoxyflavone(5), 7,3',5'-trihydroxyflavanone(6), 5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyflavone(7), butein(8), liquiritigenin(9) and 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyflavone(10).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compound 6 is a new compound and the others were obtained from this plant for the first time.</p>