Xuebijing Injection () increases early survival rate by alleviating pulmonary vasopermeability in rats subjected to severe burns.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Xuebijing Injection (, XBJ) on survival rate and pulmonary vasopermeability in a rat model of severe scald injury. METHODS: Rats were divided into two experiments: experiment 1 was monitored for 12 h post-injury for survival analysis after severe burns; in experiment 2, rats were killed for determination of pulmonary vascular permeability and pro-inflflammatory mediators. In both experiments, rats were subject to third-degree 50% total body surface area (TBSA) burns or sham injury followed by XBJ or normal saline (NS) treatment. In addition, rat pulmonary microvascular endothelium cells (PMECs) were pretreated with either XBJ or phosphate buffer saline (PBS), and then subjected to sham serum or scald serum stimulation for 2 or 6 h, followed by transwell examination for the permeability of PMECs. Meanwhile, pro-inflflammatory mediators in PMECs culture supernatant were also investigated. RESULTS: The average survival time in the scald+XBJ group was 582.1±21.2 min, which was signifificantly longer than that in the scald + NS group (345.8±25.4 min, P<0.01). Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), E-selectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), vascular permeability and water content of lung tissues were signifificantly increased in animals after severe burns (P<0.01). However, administration of XBJ signifificantly decreased these levels in plasma and lung tissue. In in vitro cell experiments, XBJ markedly attenuated permeability in PMECs monolayer and reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and soluble E-selectin after stimulation with scald serum (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: XBJ increases early survival rate by alleviating pulmonary vasopermeability and inhibiting pro-inflflammatory mediators in rats subjected to lethal scald injury. XBJ may be a potent drug in treatment of severe burns.

[Effects of electroacupuncture on hepatic blood flow and lipid peroxidation in septic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protection effects of electroacupuncture on injury of lipid peroxidation induced by liver ischemia in septic rats. METHODS: Forty-eight male SD rats were subjected to sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and were randomly divided into a Sham operation group (group A), a CLP model group (group B), a CLP model plus electroacupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36) group (group C), a CLP model plus electroacupuncture at the shame acupoint (group D), a vagotomy plus CLP model group (group E) and CLP model plus electroacupuncture group after vagotomy (group F), 8 rats in each group. CLP was performed in group E and group F after the abdominal vagotomy. Bilateral "Zusanli"(ST 36) points and the shame acupoint were electroacupunctured (2 mA, 2/100 Hz) for 1 hour in group C, group F and group D, respectively. The hepatic blood flow (HBF) was detected by a laser-Doppler flowmetry at 6 h after CLP. The plasma activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was also determined and specimens of liver were harvested for evaluation of malondialdehyde (MDA), xanthine oxidase (XOD) and assessment of the rate of water content. RESULTS: The blood flow of the liver was (56.97 +/- 11.95) U in group C which was significantly lower than (80.12 +/- 19.57) U in group A but higher than (42.61 +/- 10.97) U in group B, (44.53 +/- 9.23) U in group D, (30.05 +/- 4.46) U in group E and (30.46 +/- 6.38) U in group F (all P < 0.05) 6 h after CLP. Meanwhile, the levels of MDA, XOD, ALT and the rates of water content in liver in group C were all significantly higher than those in group A, but lower than those in the other four groups (all P < 0.05). The levels of MDA, XOD, ALT and the rates of water content in liver in group E and group F were all significantly higher than those in group D (all P < 0.05), while the blood flow of the liver lower than that in group D (P < 0.05), and with no significant differences in all above measurements between group E and group F (all P > 0. 05). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36) can promote hepatic blood flow, inhibit lipid peroxidation and alleviate hepatic edema and dysfunction in septic rats, which might be related with the completeness of cranial nerve.

[The effects of electro-acupuncturing at Zusanli point on intestinal proinflammatory factors, diamine oxidase and tissue water content in rats with sepsis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of electro-acupuncturing (EA) at Zusanli point on sepsis induced ischemic and oxygen free radical intestinal injury in rats with sepsis. METHODS: Thirty-two male Wistar rats were used to reproduce sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and they were randomly divided into four groups (each n=8): CLP+EA (CLP/EA), CLP+sham EA (CLP/SEA), vagotomy+CLP+SEA (VA/CLP/SEA) and vagotomy+CLP+EA (VA/CLP/EA). Zusanli point was electro-acupunctured with constant voltage (2-100 Hz,2 mA for 30 minutes) immediately after CLP surgery. Abdominal vagotomy was performed in rats in VA/CL/SEA and VA/CLP/SEA groups. Six hours after CLP, the mucosal blood flow of jejunum (JMBF) was measured. Animals were sacrificed after 6 hours and specimens of jejunum were harvested for evaluation of malondialdehyde (MDA), xanthine oxidase (XOD), diamine oxidase (DAO) and assessment of the water content (WCR). RESULTS: JMBF and the activity of DAO of CLP/EA group were markedly higher, and the levels of XOD, MDA and WCR in jejunal tissue were obviously lower than those of CLP/SEA group (all P<0.05). The levels of JMBF and DAO of the VA/CLP/SEA group and VA/CLP/EA group were significantly lower, and XOD, MDA and WCR obviously higher than those of the CLP/EA group ( all P<0.05 ). There were no statistically differences in all above measurements between the VA/CLP/EA group and the VA/CLP/SEA group (all P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that EA at Zusanli point obviously increased JMBF and DAO, and alleviated tissue edema and insult of intestinal mucosa. Vagotomy could weaken or eliminate the effects of EA. It is suggested that cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway is one of the main mechanisms of intestinal protective effect of EA at Zusanli point.