Effect of Tongxinluo on the proliferation and differentiation of rat embryonic neural stem cells / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Tongxinluo in on the proliferation and differentiation of rat embryonic neural stem cells (NSCs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>NSCs were isolated from 12- to 14-day SD rat embryo and treated with Tongxinluo at different doses, and the proliferation and differentiation of the cells were observed by immunofluorescence staining at different time points.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ratio of embryonic NSCs labeled with nestin decreased soon after Tongxinluo treatment, but increased afterwards. Significant difference was noted in the number of cells labeled with beta-tubulin between Tongxinluo group and the control group 3 and 7 days after the treatment, and also between high-dose and low-dose Tongxinluo groups at 7 days.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tongxinluo can induce the proliferation and neuronal differentiation of rat embryonic NSCs, and the effect is related to the dose of Tongxinluo administered.</p>

Effect of electro-scalp acupuncture on cerebral dopamine transporter in the striatum area of the patient of Parkinson's disease by means of single photon emission computer tomography / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To probe the mechanism of electro-scalp acupuncture in treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) by single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Five cases of PD received electro-scalp acupuncture at Dingnie Qianxiexian (MS 6), Epangxian III (MS 4), Dingpangxian I (MS 8), Dingpangxian II (MS 9) and Zhenxia Pangxian (MS 14). Contralateral points were selected for pathologic change on one side and bilateral points were selected for pathologic lesion on both sides. All the patients received 99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT examination before and after acupuncture treatment of 6 weeks. And activities of dopamine transporter (DAT) were analyzed by the ratio of striatum/occipital lobe (ST/OC), which was evaluated by means of technique of regional of interesting (ROI).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ratio of ST/OC on the same side of the affected extremity before and after treatment were 1.19 +/- 0.15 and 1.24 +/- 0.31 respectively. And on the other side were 0.90 +/- 0.12 and 0.95 +/- 0.25 respectively. They were increased after treatment (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electro-scalp acupuncture can decrease the loss of DAT and improve the activities of DAT in the striatum of the patient of PD.</p>

18FDG PET cerebral function imaging in 10 vascular dementia patients receiving needling at Baihui(DU20), Shuigou(DU26) and Shenmen(HT7) / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of needling at Baihui(DU20), Shuigou(DU26) and Shenmen(HT7) on glucose metabolism in different regions of the brain in vascular dementia patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ten patients with vascular dementia were randomized into 2 groups, and the patients in the control group received the treatment with needling in the routine acupoints for hemiplegia (chosen from 6 Yang meridians of the hand and foot), while those in treatment group received needling at 3 additional acupoints, namely Baihui(DU20), Shuigou(DU26) and Shenmen(HT7), which were specific for dementia treatment. All the patients were examined by positron-emission tomography(PET) to detect the glucose metabolism in different brain regions before and after acupuncture treatment by means of semiquantitative analysis of the average values of radioactive count in the brain regions.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Needling at the additional 3 acupoints could obviously enhance glucose metabolism in the bilateral frontal lobes, bilateral thalamus, temporal lobe and lentiform nucleus on the uncompromised side.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The effect of needling at Baihui(DU20), Shuigou(DU26) and Shenmen(HT7) on vascular dementia is closely related to improved cerebral glucose metabolism.</p>

Effect of scalp acupuncture on glucose metabolism in brain of patients with depression / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of scalp acupuncture (SA) on the glucose metabolism in different regions of brain in patients with depression by positron emission computed tomography (PET).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twelve depressive patients were treated by scalp acupuncture on middle line of vertex (MS5), middle line of forehead (MS1) and bilateral lateral line 1 of forehead (MS2), once a day for six days per week, and received PET detection on different region of brain before and after 6 weeks acupuncture treatment. Semiquantitative analysis was used to compare the average values of radioactive count gotten from various brain regions before and after treatment, which could reflect the condition of glucose metabolism at the brain region detected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>SA could increase the glucose metabolism at bilateral frontal lobes, bilateral parietal lobes, right occipital lobe, right caudate nucleus, right cingulated gyrus and left cerebellum and decrease that at right temporal lobe and bilateral thalamus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SA on MS5, MS1 and MS2 in depressive patients could influence the glucose metabolism in various brain regions. It primarily illustrated that the mechanism of SA in treating depression is related with its regulation on cortex-limbic circuitry dysfunction and increase the glucose metabolism in various brain regions.</p>