Electro-acupuncture inhibits HDAC2 via modulating gut microbiota to ameliorate SNI-induced pain and depression-like behavior in rats.

BACKGROUND: Depression and chronic pain frequent co-occur, exacerbating each other's symptoms and hindering treatment. Emerging studies have highlighted abnormal gut microbiota in both conditions. Previous studies have demonstrated the clinical effectiveness of electro-acupuncture (EA) in managing these conditions, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. METHODS: Spared nerve injury (SNI) was employed to induce chronic pain and depression-like behavior. Rats were randomly assigned to sham SNI (SS), SNI, and EA groups. SNI surgery was performed on all rats, except those in SS group, which underwent sham SNI surgery. Then EA group received 5 weeks of EA treatment. Pain and depression-like behavior were assessed through paw withdrawal threshold, sucrose-preference test, and forced swim test. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed via 16S rDNA sequencing. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and acetylation-related proteins in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were evaluated through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot. RESULTS: EA treatment significantly ameliorated pain and depression-like behavior. The 16S rDNA sequencing showed EA modulated gut microbiota composition, increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria, including Akkermansi, Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae family, particularly Akkermansia. Furthermore, EA increased BDNF, AcH3 and decreased HDAC2 in mPFC. Notably, SCFAs-producing bacteria exhibited a negative correlation with HDAC2 levels. LIMITATIONS: This study exclusively investigated microbiota differences resulting from EA stimulation, without delving into the functional variations brought about by these microbial distinctions. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic effects of EA on the comorbidity of chronic pain and depression may involve the modulation of the gut microbiota, resulting in histone acetylation changes and upregulation of BDNF.

Sophflarine A, a novel matrine-derived alkaloid from Sophora flavescens with therapeutic potential for non-small cell lung cancer through ROS-mediated pyroptosis and autophagy.

BACKGROUND: Novel compounds and more efficient treatment options are urgently needed for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The decoction of Sophora flavescens has been used to treat NSCLC in the clinic, and matrine-type alkaloids are generally considered to be the key pharmacodynamic material basis. But the previous study showed that common matrine-type alkaloids exhibit significant cytotoxicity only when at concentrations close to the millimolar (mM) level. The key antitumor alkaloids in S. flavescens seem to have not yet been revealed. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to screen water-soluble matrine alkaloid with novel skeleton and enhanced activity from S. flavescens, and to reveal the pharmacological mechanism of its therapeutic effect on NSCLC. METHODS: Alkaloid was obtained from S. flavescens by chromatographic separation methods. The structure of alkaloid was determined by spectroscopic methods, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The mechanism of anti-NSCLC in vitro with cellular models was evaluated by MTT assay, western blotting, cell migration and invasion assay, plate colony-formation assay, tube formation assay, immunohistochemistry assay, hematoxylin and eosin staining. The antitumor efficacy in vivo was test in NSCLC xenograft models. RESULTS: A novel water-soluble matrine-derived alkaloid incorporating 6/8/6/6 tetracyclic ring system, named sophflarine A (SFA), was isolated from the roots of S. flavescens. SFA had significantly enhanced cytotoxicity compared with the common matrine-type alkaloids, having an IC50 value of 11.3 µM in A549 and 11.5 µM in H820 cells at 48 h. Mechanistically, SFA promoted NSCLC cell death by inducing pyroptosis via activating the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway, and inhibited cancer cell proliferation by increasing the ROS production to activate autophagy via blocking the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Additionally, SFA also inhibited NSCLC cell migration and invasion by suppressing EMT pathway, and inhibited cancer cell colony formation and human umbilical vein endothelial cell angiogenesis. In concordance with the above results, SFA treatment blocked tumor growth in an A549 cell-bearing orthotopic mouse model. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a potential therapeutic mechanism of a novel matrine-derived alkaloid, which not only described a rational explanation for the clinical utilization of S. flavescens, but also provided a potential candidate compound for NSCLC treatment.

Piperlonguminine attenuates renal fibrosis by inhibiting TRPC6.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Liuwei Dihuang (LWDH) is a classic prescription that has been used to the treatment of "Kidney-Yin" deficiency syndrome for more than 1000 years in China. Recent studies have confirmed that LWDH can prevent the progression of renal fibrosis. Numerous studies have demonstrated the critical role that TRPC6 plays in the development of renal fibrosis. Due to the complex composition of LWDH and its remarkable therapeutic effect on renal fibrosis, it is possible to discover new active ingredients targeting TRPC6 for the treatment of renal fibrosis. AIM OF STUDY: This study aimed to identify selective TRPC6 inhibitors from LWDH and evaluate their therapeutical effects on renal fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Computer-aided drug design was used to screen the biologically active ingredients of LWDH, and their affinities to human TRPC6 protein were detected by microcalorimetry. TRPC6, TRPC3, and TRPC7 over-expressed HEK293 cells were constructed, and the selective activities of the compounds on TRPC6 were determined by measuring [Ca2+]i in these cells. To establish an in vitro model of renal fibrosis, human renal proximal tubular epithelial HK-2 cells were stimulated with TGF-ß1. The therapeutic effects of LWDH compounds on renal fibrosis were then tested by detecting the related proteins. TRPC6 was knocked-down in HK-2 cells to investigate the effects of LWDH active ingredients on TRPC6. Finally, a unilateral ureteral obstruction model of renal fibrosis was established to test the therapeutic effect. RESULTS: From hundreds of LWDH ingredients, 64 active components with oral bioavailability ≥30% and drug-likeness index ≥0.18 were acquired. A total of 10 active components were obtained by molecular docking with TRPC6 protein. Among them, 4 components had an affinity with TRPC6. Piperlonguminine (PLG) had the most potent affinity with TRPC6 and blocking effect on TRPC6-mediated Ca2+ entry. A 100 µM of PLG showed no detectable inhibition on TRPC1, TRPC3, TRPC4, TRPC5, or TRPC7-mediated Ca2+ influx into cells. In vitro results indicated that PLG concentration-dependently inhibited the abnormally high expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I, vimentin, and TRPC6 in TGF-ß1-induced HK-2 cells. Consistently, PLG also could not further inhibit TGF-ß1-induced expressions of these protein biomarkers in TRPC6 knocked-down HK-2 cells. In vivo, PLG dose-dependently reduced urinary protein, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen levels in renal fibrosis mice and markedly alleviated fibrosis and the expressions of α-SMA, collagen I, vimentin, and TRPC6 in kidney tissues. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that PLG had anti-renal fibrosis effects by selectively inhibiting TRPC6. PLG might be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of renal fibrosis.

Acupuncture for comorbid mild-moderate depression and chronic musculoskeletal pain: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Depression and chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP) are the leading causes of years lived with disabling diseases worldwide. Moreover, they often commonly coexist, which makes diagnosis and treatment difficult. A safe and effective treatment is urgently needed. Previous studies have shown that acupuncture is a cost-effective treatment for simple depression or CMSP. However, there is limited evidence that acupuncture is effective for depression comorbid with CMSP. METHODS: This is a randomized, sham acupuncture-controlled trial with three arms: real acupuncture (RA), sham acupuncture (SA), and healthy control (HC). Forty-eight depression combined CMSP participants and 12 healthy people will be recruited from GDTCM hospital and randomized 2:2:1 to the RA, SA, and HC groups. The patients will receive RA or SA intervention for 8 weeks, and HC will not receive any intervention. Upon completion of the intervention, there will be a 4-week follow-up. The primary outcome measures will be the severity of depression and pain, which will be assessed by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) and Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), respectively. The secondary outcome measures will be cognitive function and quality of life, which will be measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), P300, and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). In addition, the correlation between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and symptoms will also be determined. DISCUSSION: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and underlying mechanism of acupuncture in depression comorbid with CMSP. This study could provide evidence for a convenient and cost-effective means of future prevention and treatment of combined depression and CMSP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1800014754 . Preregistered on 2 February 2018. The study is currently recruiting.

[Qualitative analysis of Gynostemma longipes for medicinal usage].

The Qinling-Daba Mountains area is the main producing areas of Gynostemma longipes for medicinal usage, and samples of wild whole plants in Pingli, Shaanxi Province and Qingchuan, Sichuan Province were collected. The ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E) was used to profile the chemical compositions and analyze the similarities and differences of G. longipes samples in these areas. Based on the accurate molecular weight and fragment information obtained from Q-TOF-MS~E, the structures of the main components were identified by combining with the mass spectra, chromatographic behaviors of reference standards and related literatures. The results showed that the components of wild G. longipes from different places among Qinling-Daba Mountains area were similar. Forty-five chemical components were identified in the whole plant of G. longipes from Pingli, Shaanxi Province, including 43 triterpenoid saponins and 2 flavonoids which contain all main peaks in its fingerprint. The main components are dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins, such asgypenoside ⅩLⅨ, gypenoside A and its malonylated product of glycosyl.

Five matrine-type alkaloids from Sophora tonkinensis.

Five matrine-type alkaloids (1‒5) including two new compounds (1 and 3) and a new natural product (2) were isolated from the roots of Sophora tonkinesis. Their structures were identified by extensive spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, HRESIMS and NMR). The absolute configurations of 2 and 3 were determined by X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1‒5 were evaluated their activity against inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 levels on LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages, and compound 1 showed the most significant activity, potent than that of matrine, the representative ingredient from Sophora plants.

Two new isoquinoline alkaloids from the seeds of Nandina domestica.

Two new isoquinoline alkaloids, 6 R,6aS-N-nantenine Nß-oxide (1), 6S,6aS-N-nantenine Nα-oxide (2), along with nine known alkaloids, nantenine (3), oxonantenine (4), protopine (5), nornantenine (6), N-methyl-laurotetanine (7), isocorydine (8), O-methyflavinantine (9), N-methyl-2,3,6-trimethoxymorphinan-dien-7-one Nß-oxide (10) and (+)-10-O-methylhernovine Nß-oxide (11) were isolated from the seeds of Nandina domestica. Their structures were elucidated by extensive analyses of spectroscopic data (IR, UV, HRESIMS, 1 D and 2 D NMR), ECD calculation and comparison with the related literatures. In addition, the cytotoxicity against A549 cells of these alkaloids was determined by the MTT assay.

Acupuncture plus rehabilitation for post-stroke depression: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a common stroke complication that is characterized by hopelessness, anxiety, disordered sleep, and lowered responsiveness. Rehabilitation and acupuncture treatments are often combined to treat PSD; however, there has been no meta-analysis on their synergistic effect. Therefore, we aim to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the effectiveness of acupuncture and rehabilitation in PSD treatment. METHODS: We will search the following electronic databases: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wan Fang databases. We will include studies published between the database initiation and May 2020. Two reviewers will separately conduct study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Disputes will be settled by consulting a third reviewer. Review Manager Software 5.3 will be employed for this meta-analysis. RESULTS: This systematic review will assess whether acupuncture combined with rehabilitation treatment is more effective than rehabilitation alone in the management of PSD. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide evidence regarding the synergistic effect of acupuncture and rehabilitation treatment for PSD.

Quinolizidine alkaloids from Sophora tonkinensis and their anti-inflammatory activities.

Two new quinolizidine-based alkaloids (2 and 12), along with ten known ones (1, 3-11) were isolated from the roots of S. tonkinensis. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data (including NMR, MS, IR, and UV), X-ray single crystal diffraction, electronic circular dichroism analyses (ECD), and comparing with related literatures. Compounds 1, 3-12 at non-toxic concentrations exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activities according to in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory tests. Among them, (-)-anagyrine (4), sophocarpine (8), 14ß-hydroxymatrine (10), and 7ß-sophoramine (12) showed more potent in vitro anti-inflammatory activities, and 5α,14ß-dihydroxymatrine (2), (-)-anagyrine (4), sophocarpine (8), and 5α-hydroxymatrine (9) exhibited better in vivo anti-inflammatory effects.

Antiviral activity of ethanol extract of Lophatherum gracile against respiratory syncytial virus infection.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Lophatherum gracile, an important medicinal plant, is used traditionally in the treatment of cough associated with lung heat and inflammation. In this study, an ethanol extract of L. gracile (DZY) was shown to inhibit respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and RSV-induced inflammation in vitro and in vivo. These findings provide a strong and powerful support for the traditional use of L. gracile in the treatment of RSV-related diseases. AIM OF THE STUDY: To determine the anti-RSV activities of DZY and its ingredients, and explore the relationship between RSV infection and inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DZY was extracted from L. gracile and its major ingredients were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RSV-infected HEp-2 and RAW264.7 cell models were established to assess the inhibitory effect of DZY on RSV replication and nitric oxide (NO) production in vitro. Three-week-old BALB/c mice challenged intranasally with RSV were used to establish RSV-infected animal mode. The mice were respectively administered DZY at high-, middle-, and low-dose in different groups. The anti-RSV activity of DZY was evaluated by detecting viral load, lung lesion, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell population, and interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ expression in the lung tissue. RESULTS: In HEp-2 cell line, DZY effectively inhibited RSV infection in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 values of 20 µg/mL against RSV (Long strain) and IC50 values of 25 µg/mL against RSV (A2 strain). The anti-RSV activity of DZY was mainly determined by isoorientin, swertiajaponin, 3, 5-di-caffeoylquinic acid, and 3, 4-di-caffeoylquinic acid. Moreover, DZY suppressed NO production induced by RSV in vitro. In vivo, oral administration of DZY significantly reduced the viral load and ameliorated lesions in the lung tissue. A probable antiviral mechanism was mediated by slightly improving the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells and inhibiting the mRNA and protein expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. CONCLUSIONS: (1) DZY exhibits anti-RSV activities both in vitro and in vivo. (2) RSV infection can trigger a series of inflammatory reactions; thus, ameliorating inflammation is helpful to control the course of disease caused by RSV. These findings provide the rationale and scientific evidence behind the extensive use of L. gracile in traditional medicine for the treatment of diseases potentially caused by RSV.

Terpenoids from the stems of Celastrus hindsii and their anti-RSV activities.

Two new oleanane-type triterpenoids (1-2), a new ursane-type triterpenoid (3), and a new podocarpane-type diterpenoid (4), together with 20 known compounds (5-24) were isolated from the stems of Celastrus hindsii Benth. Their structures were identified on the basis of the spectral data (HRESIMS, IR, UV, 1D, and 2D NMR) and the absolute configurations were determined by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data. The structures of 1 and 4 were further confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, all compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral activities against respiratory syncytium virus (RSV) using cytopathic effect (CPE) reduction assay. Compounds 7, 10, 11, 19 and 24 exhibited obvious anti-RSV activity with IC50 values from 1.55 to 6.25 µM.

A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Electroacupuncture for Perimenopause Women with Mild-Moderate Depression.

OBJECTIVE: Up to 62% of perimenopausal women have depression symptoms. However, there is no efficacy treatment. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of EA therapy and escitalopram on perimenopause women with mild-moderate depressive symptom. METHOD: A multicenter, randomized, positive-controlled clinical trial was conducted at 6 hospitals in China. 242 perimenopause women with mild-moderate depressive symptom were recruited and randomly assigned to receive 36 sessions of EA treatment or escitalopram treatment. The primary outcome measure was the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17). The secondary outcome measures include menopause-specific quality of life (MENQOL) and serum sexual hormones which include estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. RESULTS: 221 (91.3%) completed the study, including 116 in the EA group and 105 in the escitalopram group. The baseline levels of demographic and outcome measurements were similar in the two groups. In the intervention period, there was no difference between two groups. However, in the follow-up, both HAMD-17 and MENQOL were significantly decreased, and at week 24 the mean differences were -2.23 and -8.97, respectively. There were no significant differences in the change of serum sexual hormones between the two groups. No serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: EA treatment is effective and safe in relieving depression symptom and improving the quality of life in the perimenopausal depression. Further research is needed to understand long-term efficacy and explore the mechanism of this intervention. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02423694.

Warm needle acupuncture in primary osteoporosis management: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Warm needle acupuncture (WNA) is commonly used in primary osteoporosis (OP) management in China. The evidence of its effectiveness needs to be systematically reviewed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the meta-analysis was to evaluate whether using WNA alone or combined with conventional medicine benefits primary OP. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register, Medline, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang and VIP databases were searched from their inception through 30 June 2016. RCTs applying WNA independently or as an adjunct to conventional medicine, compared with conventional medicine alone, were included. Primary outcomes were bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar vertebrae, femoral neck, Ward's triangle and greater trochanter. The secondary outcome was chronic pain measured by VAS score. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan V.5.3 software. RESULTS: Nine RCTs involving 572 participants were included. When WNA was used as an adjunct to conventional medicine, meta-analysis revealed a statistical difference in favour of increasing BMD of the lumbar vertebrae (mean difference (MD)=0.06, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.08, P<0.001). WNA increased BMD of the femoral neck (MD 0.14, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.21, P<0.001) and greater trochanter (MD 0.09, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.15, P<0.001) when used alone, and additionally decreased VAS scores (MD=-1.10, 95% CI -1.14 to -1.06, P<0.001) when used as an adjunct to conventional medicine. However, the safety of WNA was not specifically reported. CONCLUSIONS: WNA may have beneficial effects on BMD and VAS scores of patients with primary OP. However, all included trials were at high risk of bias and of low quality. Further rigorous studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of WNA for primary OP treatment.

Analysis of the Effect of 60Co-γ Irradiation Sterilization Technology on the Chemical Composition of Saffron Using UPLC and UPLC/Q-TOF-MS.

To evaluate the effect of 60Co-γ irradiation sterilization technology on the chemical composition of saffron, we collected 10 batches of saffron samples and treated them with different irradiation doses. UPLC characteristic chromatogram showed that there was no significant effect of irradiation on 13 common peak areas. The results of cluster analysis and principal component analysis showed that there were no differences in the chemical composition in nonirradiated and irradiated samples. UPLC/Q-TOF-MS identified 40 characteristic components of saffron, and the results showed that all of these were detected in the saffron samples both with and without irradiation. Irradiation doses at or below 10 kGy had no significant effect on the chemical components of saffron. This provides a sound basis for the use of 60Co-γ ray irradiation sterilization technology during the preparation of original powder saffron as a medicinal herb, for the effective destruction of mycotoxin contamination.

Mechanism Underlying Acupuncture-Ameliorated Depressive Behaviors by Enhancing Glial Glutamate Transporter in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) Rats.

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a recurrent mental illness worldwide. The glutamatergic neurotransmission system is now a target for antidepressant therapy because it takes part in synaptic plasticity and cognition in physical condition and has a potential excitatory neurotoxicity in pathological conditions. Glial glutamate transporter EAAT2 performs 90% of Glu neurotransmission. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on depressive behaviors and EAAT2 in CUMS. MATERIAL AND METHODS We randomly divided 56 male SD rats into a normal group, a model group, an acupuncture group, and a riluzole group. Rats in the model group, acupuncture group, and riluzole group underwent chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) exposure for 21 days. The acupuncture group received electro-acupuncture stimulation on LI4 and LR3 for 5 continuous days per week for 4 weeks, and rats in the riluzole group received 4 mg/kg of riluzole orally (Sanofi, J20140092) for 4 weeks after undergoing CUMS stimulation. RESULTS Rats showed significantly increased sucrose consumption in the sucrose preference test paradigm, and showed elevated food intake and shortened latency in the novelty-suppressed feeding test paradigm after undergoing acupuncture therapy and riluzole treatment. The amelioration of depressive behavioral actions was consistent with increasing number of positive cells, protein, and mRNA expression of glial glutamate transporter EAAT2 in the hippocampus and PFC. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that acupuncture and riluzole are both effective in improving sucrose consumption, latency, and food intake in CUMS rats. However, acupuncture appears to achieve an antidepressant effect later than riluzole does because it might need accumulated stimulation by enhancing EAAT2 expression. Enhance glial glutamate transporter EAAT2 in the hippocampus and PFC is a mechanism underlying the antidepressant effect of acupuncture.

A Study on the Effect of Neurogenesis and Regulation of GSK3ß/PP2A Expression in Acupuncture Treatment of Neural Functional Damage Caused by Focal Ischemia in MCAO Rats.

170 SD rats were randomly divided to five groups. Rats in model group, no-acupuncture group, and acupuncture group were subjected to MCAO surgery. Acupuncture group received 3 consecutive acupuncture treatments at a parameter that deep in 2 mm towards apex nasi and thrust/lifted at 3 times per second for 1 minute, while model group and no-acupuncture group were no-intervention control groups. Serious neural functional damage and sharp decrease of cerebral blood flow, obvious infarction volume, increased nestin mRNA expression, and immunopositive cells population (nestin(+), BrdU(+) and nestin/BrdU(+)) were found in MCAO rats which had not been observed in normal group and sham-operated group. However, the damage was attenuated by rat's "self-healing" capacity 3 days after MCAO. And the "self-healing" capacity can be strengthen by acupuncture treatment through increasing cerebral blood flow, neurogenesis, and regulation of gene transcription or GSK-3ß and PP2A expression. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the underlying mechanism of acupuncture treatment on neural functional damage caused by focal ischemia injury is a multiple interaction which may involve improved cerebral blood supply, neurogenesis, and regulation of gene transcription or GSK-3ß and PP2A expression in MCAO rats.

Specific neuroprotective effects of manual stimulation of real acupoints versus non-acupoints in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and specific effects of acupuncture on ischemic-induced damage in rats after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion. Cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into the following 4 groups: normal controls, ischemic, real acupuncture-treated (Shuigou, DU26), and non-acupoint-treated groups. On the third postoperative day, neurological deficit scores, cerebral blood flow, infarction volume, and neuronal cell death counts were measured. In the real acupuncture-treated group, the neurological deficit scores and cerebral blood flow were improved (p < 0.05) and the infarction volume and neuronal cell death counts were reduced (p < 0.01) compared to the ischemic and non-acupoint-treated groups. The present study demonstrated that real acupuncture was effective against focal ischemia-induced damage in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion, and the effects were specifically related to the right needling location.

Orthogonal design to sift the optimal parameter of Neiguan acupuncture for cerebral infarction.

The individual difference and non-repeatability in acupuncture have not only restricted the development of acupuncture, but have also affected the specificity of acupoints. The present study used instruments to control needle depth, lifting and thrusting frequency, and the duration of acupuncture. Effects of the quantified acupuncture were observed at Neiguan (PC6) with different stimulation parameters. A frequency of 1, 2, or 3 Hz and duration of 5, 60, or 180 seconds were used to observe cerebral blood flow and ratio of infarct volume recovery. Results showed that stimulation at Neiguan with a frequency of 1 Hz and long duration of 180 seconds or 2/3 Hz and long duration of 5/60 seconds significantly increased cerebral blood flow and decreased the ratio of infarct volume. Interactions between frequency and duration play a critical role in quantified acupuncture therapy.

[Adsorption characteristics and mechanism of uranium on attapulgite].

The adsorption characteristics of uranium on attapulgite were investigated by conducting a series of batch adsorption experiments in this study. The influence of solution pH, initial uranium concentration and contact time was investigated. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the surface structure of the attapulgite, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) were used to characterize the surface properties of the attapulgite before and after uranium adsorption, and to analyze the adsorption mechanism and adsorption kinetics of uranium on attapulgite. The experimental results showed that sorption of uranium on attapulgite was strongly dependent on pH, and the highest adsorption reached at pH = 5. The adsorption quantity increased with time, adsorption could achieve balance in 2 h. The adsorption isotherm equation conformed to the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model and adsorption process could be described by the two-order kinetics model. According to FTIR spectral, the absorbance of attapulgite decreased, which may result from R--OUO2+ or (R--O)2UO2 formed by the bond between uranium and R-OH of attapulgite in the high frequency area 3700-3000 cm(-1), and which uranium ion and magnesium ions may produce ion exchanges in the intermediate frequency area 1700-800 cm(-1). Adsorption mechanism of uranium on attapulgite was mainly ion exchange and complexation.

Acupuncture treatment of regulating spirit, activating blood and relieving pain for thalamic pain / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the clinical effect of acupuncture treatment and western medicine Carbamazepine for thalamic pain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Crossover trial design was used, 11 cases diagnosed as thalamic pain were randomly divided into two groups according to the mini-unbalance-index method, group I (with 6 cases received acupuncture first and then western medicine) and group II (with 5 cases received western medicine first and then acupuncture). When the effects were evaluated, the two groups were named as acupuncture group and western medicine group, 11 cases in each group. The method of clearing away the heart fire, regulating the spirit, activating blood and relieving pain was adopted in acupuncture treatment, Ximen (PC 4), Yinxi (HT 6), Xuehai (SP 10) and Zhaohai (KI 6) were selected; the western medicine group was treated with oral administration of Carbamazepine, and one course as well as the eluting period were both 10 days. The effects were evaluated with visual analogue scale (VAS) and evaluation scale of Anderson Cancer Center pain in US (MD Pain Evaluation value) respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The VAS and MD value in two groups were obviously decreased after treatment (both P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between two groups; the markedly effective rate of pain relieving in acupuncture group was 63.6% (7/11), which was higher than that of 36.4% (4/11) in western medicine group, but there was no significant difference between two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture treatment of regulating spirit, activating blood and relieving pain has a better therapeutic effect for thalamic pain, and can reach to the same therapeutic effect with western medicine Carbamazepine.</p>