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Objective:To observe the effect of herbal-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) on pain-related behavior and emotion in a rat model of chronic inflammatory visceral pain, and to investigate the mechanism. Methods:Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups:a normal group, a model group and an HPM group. Except for the normal group, rats in the other two groups were clystered with mixed liquor of Trinitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid (TNBS) and 50%ethanol to induce the chronic inflammatory visceral pain model. After the models were established successfully, rats in the HPM group were treated with HPM at bilateral Tianshu (ST 25) and Qihai (CV 6). Rats in the normal group and the model group were only fixed as those in the HPM group without treatment. Abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) score, mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were adopted to detect the visceral and somatic pain;meanwhile, open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze test (EPMT) were employed to evaluate pain emotions such as depression and anxiety. Results:Compared with the normal group, AWR scores of the model group were significantly increased under different stimulus expansion pressure level (P Conclusion:HPM has analgesic effect on chronic inflammatory visceral pain. It can reduce the visceral and somatic pain in rats and markedly improve the emotions such as anxiety and depression induced by chronic visceral pain.
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Objective To observe the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture at the thirteen ghost points in treating postpartum depression and its effect on the quality of life. Methods Sixty patients with postpartum depression were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 30 in each group. The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture at the thirteen ghost points, while the control group was by oral administration of Fluoxetine. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) and the Short-Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) were compared before and after intervention. Results The HMAD score was significantly changed in both groups after intervention (P＜0.05). There was a significant difference in comparing the HAMD score between the two groups after intervention (P＜0.05). There were significant differences in comparing the post-treatment bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), mental health (MH), and health transition (HT) between the two groups (P＜0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture at the thirteen ghost points can effectively improve the postpartum depression and the quality of life.
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Macrophages( Mφ)play an important role in the regulation of immune reaction. Different kinds of cellular microenvironment influence the phenotypes and function of Mφ and induce different immunological effect. Researches showed that there was a strong correlation between the dysfunction of Mφ and development of ulcerative colitis( UC ). Targeted regulation on immunological activity of Mφ may improve the clinical manifestations and pathological changes in UC. Regulation of the activity and migration of Mφ through changing microenvironment might be one of the potential mechanisms of moxibustion in treating UC. Progress in research on immunological effect of Mφ in UC was summarized in this review article.
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Objective: To explore the mechanism of herb-partitioned moxibustion for ulcerative colitis (UC) through observing the colonic mucosal histopathological changes and the expression of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kB) and peroxisome proliferators-activated receptorγ (PPARγ) mRNA of UC rats. ＜br> Methods: Male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group and a model group. UC model was established by general immunological plus local irritation method. After model identification, rats in the model group were randomly divided into a model group, a herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) group and a Western medicine (Salicylazosulfapyridine, SASP) group. Rats in the HPM group received treatment at bilateral Tianshu (ST 25) and Dachangshu (BL 25), two cones for each point, once a day for 7 d. SASP group rats were gavaged with SASP. The pathological scores were evaluated according to hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of colonic tissues. We used light microscopy to observe degree of colonic mucosal damage and the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) to detect the expression of NF-κBp65 and PPARγ in colorectal mucosa. ＜br> Results: Compared with the normal group, histopathological scores were significantly higher in the model group (P＜0.05); compared with the model group, the scores were decreased significantly in the HPM group and the SASP group. Compared with the normal group, NF-κBp65 mRNA expression was increased with statistical significance in the model group (P＜0.05); compared with the model group, NF-κBp65 mRNA expressions were decreased significantly in the HPM group and the SASP group. Compared with the normal group, PPARγ mRNA expression was increased significantly in the model group (P＜0.05); compared with the model group, PPARγ mRNA expressions were decreased significantly in the HPM group and the SASP group. ＜br> Conclusion: HPM could improve the mucosa damage of UC rats, which is possibly through down-regulating NF-κBp65 to achieve anti-inflammatory effect. Whether decreasing the PPARγ mRNA is possibly involved in preventing precancerosis will need further study.
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The historical background of recent-times“developing the Western and restraining the Chinese, and abolishing the old and conserving the new”determines the fact that the prominent feature of acupuncture development is actual effect. Shanghai famous doctors gathered, wrote kooks, established theories, run schools, paid attention to information exchange, participated in treatment for refractory and serious diseases including epidemic diseases, worked together to the academic inheritance of acupuncture and moxibustion and played an important role in preserving traditional Chinese medicine and spreading acupuncture and moxibustion.
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The purpose was to investigate the research achievements over the past two decades on moxa smoke produced in the process of moxibustion, in terms of its clinical studies, chemical compositions, safety assessment as well as the mild smoke or smoke-free moxibustion, for revealing the recent dynamic and developing orientation, and promoting its further application, succession and innovation.