Research progress on the effects and mechanisms of electroacupuncture on radiation-induced brain injury / 生理学报

Radiation-induced brain injury is a serious complication after cranio-cerebral radiotherapy, which affects the patient's quality of life and survival. A large number of studies have shown that various mechanisms such as neuronal apoptosis, blood-brain barrier damage, and synaptic dysfunction may be related to radiation-induced brain injury. Acupuncture has an important role in clinical rehabilitation of various brain injuries. As a new type of acupuncture, electroacupuncture has the characteristics of strong control ability, uniform and long-lasting stimulation, and is widely used in clinic. This article reviews the effects and mechanisms of electroacupuncture on radiation-induced brain injury, in order to provide a theoretical basis and experimental support for reasonable clinical application.

Determination of components in Radix paeoniae rubra based on QAMS.

The current study aimed to establish simple and quick quality evaluation method of Chishao based on QAMS. Oxypaeoniflorin is used as a marker in the Chishao root. Based on it, the content of other components could be obtained by establishing the mathematical relationship. UPLC method was used to collect data, and the detection wavelengths were 230nm (benzoic acid, paeoniflorin), 263nm (hydroxy paeoniflorin) 274nm (gallic acid, paeoniflorin, catechin), respectively. The stationary phase was an Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 and the mobile phase was acetonitrile -0.1% formic acid-water. The gradient elution method was adopted at the certain flow rate (0.3 mL/min). The column temperature set 40oC, and the injection volume was 1µL. Multiple reaction monitoring mode was selected for data collection. The linear ranges of benzoic acid, paeoniflorin, hydroxy-paeoniflorin, gallic acid, catechin and paeoniflorinhad good linearity (r ≥0.9995). The UPLC method was established to determine the content of paeoniflorin, benzoic acid, catechin, gallic acid, paeoniflorin, andhydroxy-paeoniflorin in Radix Paeoniae Rubra. In the current study, the method for the chemical components in Radix Paeoniae Rubra to provide the evaluation basis of medicinal effects.

Effect of electroacupuncture on proliferation of hippocampal neural stem cells in young mice with Alzheimer's disease / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells in the hippocampus of young mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of AD.@*METHODS@#Forty 1.5-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic male mice were randomly divided into an EA group and a model group, 20 mice in each group, and other 20 C57BL/6J male mice of the same age were used as the normal control group. EA (intermittment wave 10 Hz, 2 mA) was applied to "Baihui" (GV 20), "Fengfu" (GV 16) and "Shenshu" (BL 23) for 20 min, once a day, 6 days a week for 16 weeks. H.E. staining was used to assess histopathological changes of neurons of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Immunohistochemical stain was used to detect the expression of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive in the hippocampus, and immunofluorescence double-labeled technique was used to detect the number of proliferated positive neurons of hippocampal neural stem cells. The expression levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Nestin mRNA and protein were detected by using real-time PCR and Western blot, separately.@*RESULTS@#The immunoactivity of BrdU, and the expression levels of BDNF and Nestin mRNA and protein in the hippocampus in the model group were significantly lower than in the normal control group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and considerably higher in the EA group than in the model group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The number of BrdU/NeuN dual labeled neurons was slightly increased in the model group than in the normal control group (P>0.05), and evidently increased in the EA group relevant to the model group (P<0.05), suggesting a proliferation of hippocampal neural stem cells. After modeling, the neurons of hippocampal dentate gyrus were arranged loosely and irregularly and their structure was fuzzy, with an appearance of different degrees of nuclear pyknosis, whereas in the EA group, the neuronal contour was clear and the nuclear structure was relatively distinct.@*CONCLUSION@#EA can activate the proliferation of neural stem cells in the hippocampus in AD mice, which may contribute to its function in improving the neuronal structure by upregulating the expression of BDNF.

Protective function of electroacupuncture on young mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and proteomic study / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To screen protein target in prevention and treatment with electroacupuncture (EA) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and explore the potential mechanism of EA in prevention of AD.@*METHODS@#A total of 40 APP/PS1 transgenic young male mice, 1.5-month old, were randomized into an EA group and a model group, 20 mice in each one, and 20 C57BL/6J mice were chosen as the normal control group. After adaptive housing for 1 week, the mice in the EA group were stimulated with EA at "Baihui" (GV 20), "Fengfu" (GV 16) and "Shenshu" (BL 23), with intermittent wave, 10 Hz in frequency and 2 mA in electric intensity. EA was given once daily, 20 min each time. There was 1 day at interval after EA for 6 days each week. Totally, the intervention lasted for 16 weeks. On day 3 after the end of EA intervention, Morris water maze test was adopted to detect learning and memory abilities of mice in each group. After water maze test, the label-free method was used to measure the difference expressions in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Using Western blot method, the expressions of guanylate binding protein beta 5 (GNB 5) and histone-H 3 in cerebral cortex and hippocampus were verified. Using immunohistochemical method, the expressions of amyloid beta protein (Aβ) in cerebral cortex and hippocampus were detected.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the normal control group, the escape latency (on day 2, 3 and 4) was prolonged, the frequency of crossing platform and the duration of platform stay were decreased in the mice of the model group (@*CONCLUSION@#The intervention with EA effectively prevents from the decline of learning and memory ability and the formation of Aβ senile plaques in cerebral cortex and hippocampus in young mouse models of AD after growing up. Besides, EA plays a regulatory function for protein expression differences induced by AD model.

Effects of electroacupuncture with different courses on the synaptic structure and synaptic function-related proteins in mice with radiation-induced brain injury / 生理学报

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different courses of electroacupuncture on synaptic structure and synaptic function-related proteins expression in the hippocampal CA1 region of radiation-induced brain injury mice. Sixty C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into control group, radiation-induced brain injury model group, 1-week electroacupuncture group (EA1), 2-week electroacupuncture group (EA2), 3-week electroacupuncture group (EA3), and electroacupuncture-control (EA-Ctrl) group. The mice in model group were exposed to X-ray irradiation (8 Gy, 10 min) to establish radiation-induced brain injury model. The mice in EA groups were acupunctured at electroacupuncture points (Baihui, Fengfu and bilateral Shenshu) for 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks respectively after radiation. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe synaptic structure in hippocampal CA1 region. The expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), synapsin-1 and postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95) in the hippocampal CA1 region of each group were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The results showed that the nuclear gap in model and EA-Ctrl groups was significantly decreased compared to control group, however nucleus to cytoplasm ratio was significantly increased. The synaptic cleft, postsynaptic density (PSD) thickness, the mitochondrial surface density, volume density and specific surface area were significantly reduced. Compared with model group, the nucleus to cytoplasm ratio of EA2 group was significantly decreased, the PSD thickness and mitochondrial volume density were significantly increased; the nuclear gap of EA3 group was significantly increased, nucleus to cytoplasm ratio was significantly decreased, synaptic cleft and PSD thickness were significantly increased, and the mitochondrial surface density and specific surface area were all increased significantly. In addition, compared with the control group, the gene and protein expressions of BDNF, synapsin-1 and PSD95 in the hippocampal CA1 region of the model group and EA-Ctrl group were significantly decreased. However, compared with the model group, the gene expression of synapsin-1 in EA groups was significantly up-regulated, the gene expression of BDNF in EA1 and EA2 groups was significantly up-regulated, and the gene expression of PSD95 in EA2 group was significantly up-regulated. Moreover, the protein expressions of BDNF, synapsin-1 and PSD95 of EA groups were significantly up-regulated compared with the model group. These results indicate that the synaptic structure and the expression of synaptic function-related proteins in hippocampal CA1 region were injured by radiation exposure, whereas electroacupuncture intervention can significantly improve the synaptic structure and function damage caused by radiation.

Effects and mechanisms of electro-acupuncture on proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in C57 mice exposed to different doses of X-ray radiation / 生理学报

The present study was aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of electro-acupuncture (EA) on proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in the hippocampus of C57 mice exposed to different doses of X-ray radiation. Thirty-day-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control, irradiation, and EA groups. The control group was not treated with irradiation. The irradiation groups were exposed to different doses of X-ray (4, 8 or 16 Gy) for 10 min. The EA groups were electro-acupunctured at Baihui, Fengfu and bilateral Shenyu for 3 courses of treatment after X-ray radiation. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate proliferation and differentiation of the hippocampal neural stem cell. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expressions of Notch1 and Mash1 in the hippocampus, respectively. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the numbers of BrdU positive cells (4, 8 Gy subgroup) and BrdU/NeuN double-labeling positive cells (3 dose subgroups) were decreased significantly in the irradiation group, but the above changes could be reversed by EA. Compared with the control group, the number of BrdU/GFAP double-labeling positive cells in each dose subgroup of irradiation group was decreased significantly, while EA could reverse the change of 4 and 8 Gy dose subgroups. In addition, compared with the control group, the expression levels of Notch1 mRNA and protein in hippocampus were up-regulated, and the expression levels of Mash1 mRNA and protein were significantly decreased in each dose subgroup of irradiation group. Compared with irradiation group, the expression levels of Notch1 mRNA and protein in hippocampus of EA group were decreased significantly in each dose subgroup, and the expression levels of Mash1 mRNA and protein were increased significantly in 4 and 8 Gy subgroups. These results suggest that irradiation affects the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in hippocampus of mice, whereas EA may significantly increase the proliferation and differentiation of hippocampal neural stem cells via the regulation of Notch signaling pathway.

Neuro-protective effect of Naomaitong to inflammatory cascade response after focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion in aged rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effect of Naomaitong on inflammatory cascade response after focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion in aged rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>We duplicated focal cerebral ischemia model with MCAO, with ischemia 3 h and I/R 1, 3, 6, 12 d points. The effect of Naomaitong on the nervous dysfunction score, the water content of cerebral constitution and the expression of TNF-alpha, VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and its mRNA were observed, and the group with nimodipine was as control.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The nervous dysfunction score (I/R1, 3, 6 d), the water content of cerebral constitution (all the time points), the expression of TNF-alpha, VCAM-1 (I 3 h, I/R 1, 3, 6 d), ICAM-1 (I 3 h,I/R 1, 3, 6 d) and its Mrna (all the time points) in model group were higher than those of the sham-operated group; The nervous dysfunction score, the water content of cerebral constitution (I/R 3, 6, 12 d), the expression of TNF-alpha, VCAM-1 (I 3 h, I/R 1, 3 d), ICAM-1 and its mRNA (I 3 h, I/R 1, 3 d) in model group were decreased compared with that of model group. The nervous dysfunction score (I/R 6, 12 d), the expression of TNF-alpha, ICAM-1 (I/R 1d) and its mRNA (I/R 1, 3 d) in Naomaitong group were higher than that of Nimodipine group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Naomaitong could protect brain cell from damage after focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury by inhibiting the expression of TNF-alpha, adhesion molecule.</p>