Newly Prepared 129Xe Nanoprobe-Based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Evaluate the Efficacy of Acupuncture on Intractable Peripheral Facial Paralysis.

This study focused on the application value of the newly prepared 129Xe nanoprobe-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in exploring the mechanism of the acupuncture treatment for intractable facial paralysis, expected to provide a theoretical reference for the mechanism of acupuncture for the treatment of facial paralysis. In this study, 30 patients with intractable peripheral facial paralysis (experimental group) and 30 healthy volunteers (control group) were selected. All patients were scanned by the newly prepared 129Xe nanoprobe-based fMRI technology, and then brain functional status data and rating data were collected. fMRI scanning results showed that multiple brain regions were activated in the experimental group before treatment, among which the central posterior brain, insula, and thalamus were positively activated, while the precuneus, superior frontal gyrus, and other parts showed signal reduction. After treatment, several brain regions also showed signal enhancement. Comparisons within the healthy control group also showed activation in multiple brain regions, including the lenticular nucleus, inferior frontal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus, while in the experimental group, no signal changes were detected in these brain regions. At the same time, comparison of fMRI images of patients with intractable peripheral facial paralysis before and after treatment showed that the cerebellar amygdala, superior frontal gyrus, cerebellar mountaintop, and other brain areas were activated, and all showed positive activation. After treatment, the average House-Brackmann (H-B) and Sunnybrook scores of the experimental group were 3.82 and 51, respectively, and the change was significant compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the newly prepared 129Xe nanoprobe-based fMRI scan can reflect the functional changes of cerebral cortex after acupuncture. The acupuncture treatment may achieve its therapeutic effect by promoting the functional reorganization of the cerebral cortex in the treatment of intractable facial paralysis.

Analgesic action of Rubimaillin in vitro and in vivo.

Pain, a common symptom in clinics, is a serious impediment to quality of life. The analgesic drugs presently in use have poor efficacy, and are associated with undesirable side effects. Rubimaillin (Rub) is a naphthoquinone compound extracted from Chinese herbal medicine, and it has various biological activities. In this study, the analgesic effect of Rub, and its mechanism of action were investigated using glacial acetic acid-induced mice writhing model and a mice model of neurogenic and inflammatory bipolar pain. Analgesic effects were measured in different experimental groups. In vitro, RAW 264.7 cells were used to investigate the release of nitric oxide (NO), iNOS and COX-2 protein in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results revealed that Rub reduced the number of acetic acid-induced writhing in mice, inhibited formalin-induced biphasic pain response, and suppressed the production of NO in RAW 264.7 cells. The mechanisms involved in the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of rub may be related to the inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), endogenous inflammatory mediators, and reduction in the content of pain-induced mediators.