[Effect of acupuncture on pattern-visual evoked potential in rats with monocular visual deprivation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore electrophysiology mechanism of acupuncture for treatment and prevention of visual deprivation effect. METHODS: Eighteen healthy 15-day Evans rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group and an acupuncture group, 6 rats in each one. Deprivation amblyopia model was established by monocular eyelid suture in the model group and acupuncture group. Acupuncture was applied at "Jingming" (BL 1), "Chengqi" (ST 1), "Qiuhou" (EX-HN 7) and "Cuanzhu" (BL 2) in the acupuncture group. The bilateral acupoints were selected alternately, one side for a day, and totally 14 days were required. The effect of acupuncture on visual evoked potential in different spatial frequencies was observed. METHODS: Under three different kinds of spatial frequencies of 2 X 2, 4 X 4 and 8 X 8, compared with normal group, there was obvious visual deprivation effect in the model group where P1 peak latency was delayed (P<0.01) while N1 -P1 amplitude value was decreased (P<0.01). Compared with model group, P1 peak latency was obviously ahead of time (P<0.01) while N1-P1 amplitude value was increased (P<0.01) in the acupuncture group, there was no statistical significance compared with normal group (P>0.05). Under spatial frequency of 4 X 4, N1-P1 amplitude value was maximum in the normal group and acupuncture group. With this spatial frequency the rat's eye had best resolving ability, indicating it could be the best spatial frequency for rat visual system. CONCLUSION: The visual system has obvious electrophysiology plasticity in sensitive period. Acupuncture treatment could adjust visual deprivation-induced suppression and slow of visual response in order to antagonism deprivation effect.

[Effect of acupuncture of Ho (ST 36)-plus Mu (CV 12)-acupoints on hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone mRNA and SP mRNA expression in stress-induced gastric ulcer rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture of "Zusanli" [ST 36, Ho (Sea)-acupoint] and "Zhongwan" (CV 12, front Mu-acupoint) on the expression of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA and SP mRNA in stress-induced gastric ulcer (GU) rats. METHODS: Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, simple bundling group, GU model group, CV 12 group, ST 36 group and CV 12 + ST 36 (Ho- and front Mu-acupoint combination) group, with 10 cases in each group. GU model was established by binding the rat's four limbs to an animal board and to immerse it to cool water for 24 h. Manual acupuncture stimulation was applied to CV 12, bilateral ST 36 or CV 12 + ST 36 for 20 min, once daily for 2 days. The GU index was evaluated by using Guth's method (1979). GnRH mRNA and SP mRNA expression of the hypothalamus tissue was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the GU index values in the simple bundling group and the model group were significantly higher (P < 0.01); while in comparison with the model group, the GU index values were significantly decreased in the CV 12, ST 36 and CV 12 + ST 36 groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Following stress stimulation, hypothalamic GnRH mRNA expression levels in the simple bundling group and the model group were remarkably increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), whereas those of hypothalamic SP mRNA expression had no apparent changes in these two groups (P > 0.05). After manual acupuncture intervention, hypothalamic GnRH mRNA expression levels in the CV 12, ST 36 and CV 12 + ST 36 groups were evidently down-regulated and SP mRNA expression levels in the ST 36 and CV 12+ ST 36 groups were remarkably upregulated in comparison with the model group (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the CV 12 and ST 36 groups in the GU index, among the CV 12, ST 36 and CV 12 + ST 36 groups in GnRH mRNA expression, and between the CV 12 and model groups in the expression levels of SP mRNA (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture of CV 12 and ST 36 can relieve stress-induced gastric ulcer in the rat, which is closely with its effect in down-regulating hypothalamic GnRH mRNA expression.

[Effect of electroacupuncture at "Sanyin" acupoints on cellular immune function in rats with chronic abacterial prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Sanyin" acupoints (bilateral "Jiayin" and "Zhongyin") on the cellular immune function of rats with chronic abacterial prostatitis (CAP), so as to explore its mechanism underlying relieving CAP. METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, model, medication (Cernilton) and EA (n = 10 rats/group). The CAP model was made by injection of allogeneic prostatein purification liquid + Freund's complete adjuvant (1:1) and diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT) vaccine (0.5 mL). EA was applied to bilateral "Jiayin" acupoints (located at the bilateral groins at the horizontal level of the upper border of the pubic symphysis) and "Zhongyin" [the midpoint between the "Huiyin" (CV 1) and the scrotum root, punctured with filiform needle] for 20 min, once daily for two therapeutic courses (15 days/course, one day break between the two courses). Rats of the medication group were given with oral administration of Cernilton (13 mg/kg) once daily for 15 days. Following killing the rats under deep anesthesia, the prostate wet weight, and prostate index (prostate weight/body weight) were determined. Pathological changes of the prostate tissue were examined by light microscope after sectioning and haematoxylin (HE) staining. Plasma levels of CD4+ Th- and CD8+ T-lymphocytes were assayed with flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the morphological structure of prostate tissues of rats in the model group was severely damaged (proliferation of the prostate epithelium and inflammatory cell infilitration), which was relatively milder in the EA group. The plasma CD4+ level and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly lower in the model group than in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, plasma CD4+ levels were significantly increased in both medication and EA groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the CD4+ level of the EA group was considerably higher than that of the medication group (P < 0.05). The ratio of CD4+/CD8+ in the EA group was remarkably higher than that in the model group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found among the four groups in the prostate weight, prostate index and plasma CD8+ levels (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA stimulation of "Sanyin" points is beneficial to relieve chronic abacterial prostatitis, which may contribute to its effect in strengthening the cellular immune function via upregulation of plasma CD4+ and CD4+/ CD8+ levels.

[Decreasing effect of electro-acupuncture at Sanyin points on inflammatory cytokines in autoimmune prostatitis rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of inflammatory cytokines in autoimmune prostatitis (AIP) rats treated by electro-acupuncture (EA) at Sanyin points. METHODS: We selected 40 Wistar male rats in this study, 10 as normal controls, and the other 30 made AIP models by intradermal injection of protein purification liquid from the prostate of allogeneic male rats with dual immune adjuvant. Then we randomly divided the AIP models into a model, a Cernilton control and an EA group of equal number, the latter two groups treated by Cernilton enema and EA, respectively. After 15 days of treatment, all the animals were sacrificed for detection of the levels of TNF-alpha, iNOS, MDA and T-AOC in the prostate tissue. RESULTS: Compared with the normal controls, the model rats showed significantly elevated TNF-alpha expression ([15.31 +/- 1.36] vs [32.20 +/- 1.65] pg/ml, P < 0.01), iNOS activity ([0.81 +/- 0.33] vs [1.25 +/- 0.23] U/ml, P < 0.01) and MDA content ([0.66 +/- 0.14] vs [0.91 +/- 0.21] nmol/ml, P < 0.05), but markedly reduced T-AOC activity ([1.56 +/- 0.16] vs [1.11 +/- 0.15] U/ml, P < 0.01). In comparison with the model group, the EA group exhibited significantly reduced levels of TNF-alpha ([17.32 +/- 2.69 ] pg/ml, P < 0.01), iNOS ([0.98 +/- 0.5 ] U/ml, P < 0.05) and MDA ([0.70 +/- 0.20] nmol/ml, P < 0.05), but remarkably increased level of T-AOC ([1.44 +/- 0.26] U/ml, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Electro-acupuncture at Sanyin points can protect the prostate tissue from morphological damage and reduce inflammatory reaction by decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine activity, vascular permeability and inflammatory cell infiltration and increasing the activity of the antioxidant defense system.

An enhanced preparation and purification of the major antioxidants baicalein and wogonin from Scutellariae radix.

A simple, rapid and improved method was developed to isolate high-purity baicalein and wogonin from Scutellariae radix. The method involves endogenous baicalinase-catalysed hydrolysis (EBCH), partition, automated low-pressure preparative chromatography (LPPC) and recrystallisation without multiple and tedious column chromatography. This process was optimised for large scale production of baicalein and wogonin with high yields, low costs and process automation. The transformation ratio of baicalin and wogonoside reached 98.21% and 96.60% after EBCH, leading to an increase of 5.41-fold in baicalein and 3.89-fold in wogonin, compared to a raw sample without hydrolysis. The purity of final products was more than 98% after one-step LPPC and recrystallisation. The experimental results show that EBCH-LPPC is an effective method for preparing high purity antioxidants.