[Effects of umbilical moxibustion on phobic behavior and monoamine neurotransmitters in stress-model rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of umbilical moxibustion therapy on phobic behavior and the contents of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in different brain regions of the stress-model rats and explore the potential mechanism of umbilical moxibustion on phobic behavior. METHODS: Among 50 Wistar male rats, 45 rates were selected and randomly divided into a control group, a model group and an umbilical moxibustion group, 15 rats in each one; and the rest 5 rats were used for preparing the model of electric shock. The bystander electroshock method was adopted to prepare phobic stress model in the model group and the umbilical moxibustion group. After modeling, the intervention with umbilical moxibustion started in the umbilical moxibustion group, in which, the ginger-isolated moxibustion was applied at "Shenque" (CV 8), once daily, 2 cones for 20 min each time, for consecutively 21 days. After modeling and intervention completed, the rats in each group were subjected to the open field test to evaluate the state of fear. After intervention, the Morris water maze test and fear conditioning test were performed to evaluate the changes in learning and memory ability and the state of fear. Using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the contents of NE, DA and 5-HT in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus were determined. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the horizontal and vertical activity scores were lower (P<0.01), the number of stool particles was increased (P<0.01), the escape latency was prolonged (P<0.01), the times of target quadrant were reduced (P<0.01), and the freezing time was prolonged (P<0.05) in the rats of the model group. The horizontal and vertical activity scores were increased (P<0.05), the number of stool particles was reduced (P<0.05), the escape latency was shortened (P<0.05, P<0.01), the times of target quadrant were increased (P<0.05), and the freezing time was shortened (P<0.05) in the rats of the umbilical moxibustion group when compared with the model group. The trend search strategy was adopted in the control group and the umbilical moxibustion group, while the random search strategy was used in rats of the model group. Compared with the control group, the contents of NE, DA and 5-HT in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus were reduced (P<0.01) in the model group. In the umbilical moxibustion group, the contents of NE, DA and 5-HT in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01) when compared with the model group. CONCLUSION: Umbilical moxibustion can effectively relieve the state of fear and learning and memory impairment of phobic stress model rats, which may be related to the up-regulation of contents of brain neurotransmitters, i.e. NE, DA, and 5-HT.

[The Relationship Study between Expressions of P2X5 Receptor and Deficiency-cold Syndrome/Deficiency-heat Syndrome at Various Ambient Temperatures].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of the peripheral blood P2X5 receptor at various ambient temperatures, and to explore its relationship with deficiency-cold syndrome and deficiency-heat syndrome. METHODS: Subjects were selected by questionnaire and expert diagnosis, and assigned to the normal control group, the deficiency-cold syndrome group, and the deficiency-heat syndrome group, 20 in each group. 5 mL venous blood was collected at room temperature (25 °C) and cold temperature (-4-5 °C) respectively. Then the expression of P2X5 receptor was relatively quantified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and compared at room temperature and cold temperature respectively. RESULTS: The expression of P2X5 receptor in deficiency-cold syndrome and deficiency-heat syndrome groups was lower than that in the normal control group at room temperature (P < 0.05). It decreased more at cold temperature in the deficiency-cold syndrome group than in the normal control group (P < 0.01) as well as in the deficiency-heat syndrome group (P < 0.05). The expression of P2X5 receptor showed no difference in all groups at two different temperatures (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of P2X5 receptor was different in different syndrome groups at various ambient temperatures. Ambient temperatures had insignificant effect on the expression of P2X5 receptor of the population with the same syndrome.

[Effect of various ambient temperatures on activities of mitochondrial complex II in patients of deficiency-cold syndrome and deficiency-heat syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore activity laws of mitochondrial complex II in patients of deficiency-cold syndrome (DCS) and deficiency-heat syndrome (DHS) under various ambient temperatures. METHODS: Subjects were recruited by questionnaire and expert diagnosis from grade 1 - 3 undergraduates at Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in November 2012, and assigned to a normal control group, the DCS group, and the DHS group, 20 in each group. Their venous blood samples were collected at two different temperature conditions. Activities of mitochondrial complex II were measured by spectrophotometry. RESULTS: (1) Comparison of mitochondrial complex It under various ambient temperatures: Compared with room temperature in the same group, activity values were all increased in the normal control group at cold temperature with significant difference (P <0.05), but there was no significant difference in the DCS group and the DHS group (P >0. 05). Compared with the normal control group, activity values of complex H were reduced in the DCS group at cold and room temperatures with significant difference (P <0.05). Compared with the DCS group, activity values of complex It were increased in the DHS group with significant difference (P <0. 05). (2) Changes of adjustment rates: Compared with room temperature, the adjustment rate all rose at cold temperature in the normal control group and the DHS group with significant difference (P <0.05), but with no significant difference found in the DCS group (P >0. 05). Compared with the normal control group at the same temperature, the adjustment rate in the DHS group and the DCS group was all reduced at cold and room temperatures with significant difference (P <0. 05). There were no significant difference in the adjustment rate between the DHS group and the DCS group (P > 0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: Environment temperature can affect the activity of mitochondrial complex II with different influence degrees on different syndrome types of people, but its change trend are basically identical.

[Study on the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphism of monoamine oxidase A gene and anger regulation].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) and anger regulation. METHODS: Enrolled were healthy students from some college, including 225 of the high trait anger and 221 of the low trait anger. Subjects were recruited referring to the state-trait anger expression inventory 2 (STAXI-2) and their blood sampled. The DNA was extracted using phenol-chloroform method, 4 tag SNPs of MAOA (rs5906957, rs2235186, rs1181275, and rs5905613) were genotyped by PCR-based ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR). The scores for trait anger expression inventory and the scores for trait anger expression control at the 4 tag SNPs of MAOA in the different sexes groups of the high and the low trait anger were statistical analyzed. RESULTS: There was statistical difference in anger control score of locus rs2235186 of MAOA gene group (P = 0.037). There was no significant difference in anger expression or anger control score of different genotypes of the other three tag SNPs (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: MAOA gene tag SNP rs2235186 was correlated with anger control traits of healthy female college students of the low trait anger in China.