Traditional Chinese Medicine formula Dai-Zong-Fang alleviating hepatic steatosis in db/db mice via gut microbiota modulation.

Introduction: Hepatic steatosis is a hepatic pathological change closely associated with metabolic disorders, commonly observed in various metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome (MetS), with a high global prevalence. Dai-Zong-Fang (DZF), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, is widely used in clinical treatment for MetS, exhibiting multifaceted effects in reducing obesity and regulating blood glucose and lipids. This study aims to explore the mechanism by which DZF modulates the gut microbiota and reduces hepatic steatosis based on the gut-liver axis. Methods: This study utilized db/db mice as a disease model for drug intervention. Body weight and fasting blood glucose were monitored. Serum lipid and transaminase levels were measured. Insulin tolerance test was conducted to assess insulin sensitivity. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was employed to observe morphological changes in the liver and intestine. The degree of hepatic steatosis was evaluated through Oil Red O staining and hepatic lipid determination. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels were measured by ELISA. The expression levels of intestinal tight junction proteins, intestinal lipid absorption-related proteins, and key proteins in hepatic lipid metabolism were examined through Western blot and RT-qPCR. Results: After DZF intervention, there was a decrease in body weight, alleviation of glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, reduction in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, and mitigation of insulin resistance in mice. DZF significantly modulated the diversity of the gut microbiota, with a notable increase in the abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum. PICRUSt indicated that DZF influenced various functions in gut microbiota, including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Following DZF intervention, serum LPS levels decreased, intestinal pathological damage was reduced, and the expression of intestinal tight junction protein occludin was increased, while the expression of intestinal lipid absorption-related proteins cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) and apolipoprotein B48 (ApoB48) were decreased. In the liver, DZF intervention resulted in a reduction in hepatic steatosis and lipid droplets, accompanied by a decrease fatty acid synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) and fatty acid transport protein 2 (FATP2). Conversely, there was an increase in the expression of the fatty acid oxidation-related enzyme carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1𝛂 (CPT-1𝛂). Conclusion: DZF can regulate the structure and function of the intestinal microbiota in db/db mice. This ameliorates intestinal barrier damage and the detrimental effects of endotoxemia on hepatic metabolism. DZF not only inhibits intestinal lipid absorption but also improves hepatic lipid metabolism from various aspects, including de novo lipogenesis, fatty acid uptake, and fatty acid oxidation. This suggests that DZF may act on the liver and intestine as target organs, exerting its effects by improving the intestinal microbiota and related barrier and lipid absorption functions, ultimately ameliorating hepatic steatosis and enhancing overall glucose and lipid metabolism.

An ethanolic extract of Arctium lappa L. leaves ameliorates experimental atherosclerosis by modulating lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses through PI3K/Akt and NF-κB singnaling pathways.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Atherosclerosis (AS), a lipid-induced inflammatory condition of the arteries, is a primary contributor to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases including stroke. Arctium lappa L. leaf (ALL), an edible and medicinal herb in China, has been documented and commonly used for treating stroke since the ancient times. However, the elucidations on its anti-AS effects and molecular mechanism remain insufficient. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the AS-ameliorating effects and the underlying mechanism of action of an ethanolic extract of leaves of Arctium lappa L. (ALLE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: ALLE was reflux extracted using with 70% ethanol. An HPLC method was established to monitor the quality of ALLE. High fat diet (HFD) and vitamin D3-induced experimental AS in rats were used to determine the in vivo effects; and oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced RAW264.7 macrophage foam cells were used for in vitro assays. Simvatatin was used as positive control. Biochemical assays were implemented to ascertain the secretions of lipids and pro-inflammatory mediators. Haematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Oil red O stains were employed to assess histopathological alterations and lipid accumulation conditions, respectively. CCK-8 assays were used to measure cytotoxicity. Immunoblotting assay was conducted to measure protein levels. RESULTS: ALLE treatment significantly ameliorated lipid deposition and histological abnormalities of aortas and livers in AS rats; improved the imbalances of serum lipids including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); notably attenuated serum concentrations of inflammation-associated cytokines/molecules including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, VCAM-1, ICAM-1and MMP-9. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that ALLE suppressed the phosphorylation/activation of PI3K, Akt and NF-κB in AS rat aortas and in cultured foam cells. Additionally, the PI3K agonist 740Y-P notably reversed the in vitro inhibitory effects of ALLE on lipid deposition, productions of TC, TNF-α and IL-6, and protein levels of molecules of PI3K/Akt and NF-κB singnaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: ALLE ameliorates HFD- and vitamin D3-induced experimental AS by modulating lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses, and underlying mechanisms involves inhibition of the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB singnaling pathways. The findings of this study provide scientific justifications for the traditional application of ALL in managing atherosclerotic diseases.

[Discovery and activity verification of reniformin A as an anti-tumor leading compound].

Reverse prediction and molecular docking techniques were employed to evaluate the feasibility of reniformin A(RA) as an anti-tumor leading compound. Based on the reverse prediction, network pharmacology was used to construct a "disease-compound-target-pathway" network. Thirty-nine tumor-related targets of RA were predicted, which participated in the regulation of multiple cellular activities such as apoptosis, cell cycle, and tumor metastasis, and regulated estrogen signal transduction and inflammatory response. Discovery Studio 2020 was adopted for molecular docking and toxicity prediction(TOPKAT). As revealed by the results, the binding affinity of RA with the tumor-related targets ABL1, ESR1, SRC and BCL-XL was stronger than that of oridonin(OD), while its mutagenicity, rodent carcinogenesis, and oral LD_(50) in rats were all inferior to that of OD. Furthermore, in vitro experiments were performed to confirm the anti-tumor activity of RA, and the mechanism was preliminarily discussed. The results demonstrated that RA was superior to OD in cytotoxicity, inhibition of cell colony formation, and induction of apoptosis. RA, possessing potent anti-tumor activity, is expected to be a new anti-tumor leading compound.

Effect of "Tonifying Kidney and Invigorating Brain" acupuncture in children with spastic cerebral palsy analyzed by multi-modality MRI combined with dynamic electroencephalogram.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral palsy is the most common motor disability of childhood. Spastic cerebral palsy accounts for 60% to 70% of cases. Research has shown that acupuncture can improve the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy, but the mechanism of action remains unclear. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for treatment of children with spastic cerebral palsy and to assess the value of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG) for evaluation of treatment effect. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This randomized controlled trial will enroll a total of 72 children with CP from 2 hospitals-Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine and Nanjing State Hospital of Pediatric-with 36 participants from each hospital. Patients will be randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to receive "Tonifying Kidney and Invigorating Brain" acupuncture treatment plus standardized physical rehabilitation treatment (treatment group) or only standardized physical rehabilitation (control group). All participants will receive 3 treatment sessions per week for 3 consecutive months; they will then be followed up for another 3 months. The primary outcome measures will include multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG), and Gesell Developmental Diagnostic Schedules. The secondary outcome measures will include Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM), and Modified Ashworth Scale score. Outcome measures (including primary and secondary outcome measures) were collected at the baseline, 3 months and 6 months prior to the intervention.Ethics and dissemination PATIENTS CONSENT:: Obtained. ETHICS APPROVAL: The central independent ethics committee of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine approved the protocol (2017NL-115-02). SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: Routine blood tests and liver and kidney function tests will be conducted to exclude patients with severe heart, liver, or kidney diseases. The same examinations will be performed again at the end of the study to detect any possible side effects. Possible acupuncture-related adverse events (e.g., fainting, needle stick injury, local infection, subcutaneous hematoma, and low-grade fever) will be documented. Serious adverse events will be reported to the principal investigator immediately. All unexpected and unintended responses, even those not necessarily related to the acupuncture intervention, will be documented as adverse events. CASE DROPOUT MANAGEMENT: Participants have a right to withdraw from the study at any time if they feel uncomfortable upon receiving the treatments or being diagnosed with serious complications or diseases. They will then be referred to the preferred department for further treatment and management. If cases of dropout, the researcher need to contact the participant to reason the problem out, collect and record all the necessary assessments on the last visit as well as the date of last visit. All data available until the date of withdrawal will be stored for further statistical analysis. DISCUSSION: This research is being conducted to assess the value of acupuncture as an intervention for rehabilitation of children with spastic cerebral palsy and also to evaluate the usefulness of multimodal MRI and ambulatory EEG for identifying changes in brain function. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial is registered with Chinese Clinical Trials Register, ChiCTR 1900024546 (registered 15 July 2019; retrospective registration, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=35763).

[Effect of scalp acupuncture stimulation on cerebral cortex function and related mechanism].

A literature review was performed to investigate the possible mechanism of scalp acupuncture in stimulating the skin, fascia, muscle, and periosteum and thus affecting cerebral cortex function. The results of literature research show that the effect of scalp acupuncture on cerebral cortex function may be achieved by the stimulation of specific anatomical structures. Stimulation of the skin, fascia, muscle and periosteum can activate the functional areas of the cerebral cortex through the midbrain, thalamus, and brainstem. In addition, different depths of stimulation may affect the deep and shallow sensation of the brain, self-monitoring of the fascia, subcortical central compensation, and cortical discharge. Therefore, exploration of the specific rules and differences in the effect of stimulating different anatomical structures on brain function is the future focus of the clinical and basic research on scalp acupuncture.

Platycodin D alleviates liver fibrosis and activation of hepatic stellate cells by regulating JNK/c-JUN signal pathway.

Liver fibrosis is involved in the progression of most chronic liver diseases. Even though we have made a huge progress in order to understand the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis, however, there is still a lack of productive treatments. Being a traditional Chinese medicine, Platycodin D (PD), an oleanane kind of triterpenoid saponin has been put to extensive use for treating different kinds of illnesses that include not just anti-nociceptive, but also antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer for thousands of years. Nonetheless, there has been no clarification made for its effects on the progression of liver fibrosis. In this manner, we carried out in vitro studies for the purpose of investigating the anti-fibrosis impact of PD. Activation of hepatic stellate cells was evaluated by means of the detection of the proliferation of HSCs and the expression of specific proteins. We discovered the fact that PD had the potential of activating HSCs. Thereafter, we detected the apoptosis and autophagy of the HSCs; as the results suggested, PD induced apoptosis and autophagy of the HSCs. It augmented the expression level of apoptotic proteins that included Bax, Cytochrome C (cyto-c), cleaved caspase3 and cleaved caspase9, in addition to the autophagy relevant proteins, for instance, LC3II, beclin1, Atg5 and Atg9. Further research was carried out for the investigation of the underlying molecular mechanism, and discovered that PD promoted the phosphorylation of JNK and c-Jun. Treating the JNK inhibitor P600125 inhibited the effect of PD, confirming the impact of PD on the regulation of JNK/c-Jun pathway. Thus, we speculated that PD alleviates liver fibrosis and activation of hepatic stellate via promoting phosphorylation of JNK and c-Jun and further altering the autophagy along with apoptosis of HSCs.

Hematopoietic effect of small molecular fraction of Polygoni multiflori Radix Praeparata in cyclophosphamide-induced anemia mice.

The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of a small molecular fraction (SMF) of Polygoni multiflori Radix Praeparata (PMRP) in a cyclophosphamide (CTX) induced anemia mouse model. Small molecular fraction of PMRP was prepared and identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS). In pharmacology, we examined the peripheral hemogram and thymus and spleen index. The content of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in serum was mensurated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); The level of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and spleen tissue homogenate were detected, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) was assayed in spleen. The results show that SMF can significantly accelerate the recovery of peripheral hemogram, increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes and GM-CSF in serum and spleen. SMF also increases the number of spleen cells, improves bone marrow pathology. In conclusion, the SMF of PMRP promoted the recovery of hematopoietic function in a CTX-induced anemia mouse, which can support SMF to be used as an adjunct to chemotherapy to counteract its side effects.

Andrographolide impairs alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate-induced cholestatic liver injury in vivo.

To investigate if andrographolide impairs cholestatic liver injury. All rats were randomly divided into six groups-(1) control (n = 6), (2) control + 200 mg/kg andrographolide (n = 6), (3) alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-control (n = 6), (4) ANIT + 50 mg/kg andrographolide (n = 6), (5) ANIT + 100 mg/kg andrographolide (n = 6), and (6) ANIT + 200 mg/kg andrographolide (n = 6). We gavaged 50 mg/kg ANIT to mimic cholestatic liver injury in rats. Seven days after treatment, all the rats were killed. Serum biochemistry and hepatic histopathological assays were performed to evaluate liver injury. We observed that 200 mg/kg andrographolide significantly decreased the level of alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, total bilirubin, and total bile acid in the blood. It also markedly decreased hepatic interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor α. Furthermore, 200 mg/kg andrographolide significantly decreased malondialdehyde but increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase. Moreover, 200 mg/kg andrographolide effectively increased the accumulation of sirtuin 1 and nuclear erythroid 2-related factor-2. It also attenuated the level of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B and cyclooxygenase-2. These data suggest that andrographolide may impair cholestatic liver injury via anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress.

DNAJA4 deficiency enhances NF-kappa B-related growth arrest induced by hyperthermia in human keratinocytes.

BACKGROUND: Hyperthermia is an effective treatment against cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Previous studies have shown that heat shock proteins are crucial to the action of hyperthermia. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of hyperthermia in combination with DNAJA4-deficiency on human keratinocytes and Condyloma acumunatum (CA) tissues. METHODS: HaCaT cells were subjected to 44°C (compared to 37°C) waterbath for 30min for stimulation. Foreskin or CA tissues obtained from patients undergoing circumcision or pathological examination were bisected and subjected to similar treatments. DNAJA4-knockout (KO) HaCaT cells were generated with CRISPR/Cas9 technology. mRNA and protein expressions were determined using rt-qPCR and western-blotting. Cell cycle distribution, apoptosis and senescence were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: DNAJA4 was induced in HaCaT cells, foreskin and CA tissues subjected to hyperthermia at both transcriptional and translational levels. NF-kB,3 was activated by hyperthermia in HaCaT cells, and further enhanced by DNAJA4-deficiency. Transcription of TNF-α4; IL-1B,5 TNFAIP36 and IL-87 were induced in HaCaT cells subjected to hyperthermia. DNAJA4-knockout promoted transcriptions of TNF-α and IL-1B, whereas decreased that of TNFAIP3 and IL-8. Reduced cell survival, proliferation and viability were demonstrated using flow cytometry and MTS assays. Furthermore, NF-kB inhibitors reversed most of the phenotypes observed. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperthermia reduced HaCaT cell proliferation and promoted cytokine expressions responsible for anti-viral activity, mainly through a NF-kB dependent pathway. DNAJA4-deficiency enhanced the activation of NF-kB by hyperthermia in HaCaT cells, indicating that DNAJA4 may be a promising therapeutic target for use in the treatment of cutaneous HPV infections.

In Vitro Human Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase Inhibitory, Anti-inflammatory and Cytotoxic Activities of Alkaloids from the Seeds of Nigella glandulifera.

Four new dolabellane-type diterpene alkaloids, glandulamines A - D (1:  - 4: ), together with twelve known compounds (5:  - 16: ), were isolated from the seeds of Nigella glandulifera using repeated column chromatography and semipreparative HPLC. The structures of 1:  - 16: were elucidated based on NMR data analysis, HRMS experiments and other spectroscopic interpretations. The absolute configuration of 5: was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data for the first time. Compounds 10: and 12: showed human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 61.1 ± 5.3 and 45.9 ± 3.0 µM, respectively. Molecular docking of the active compound 12: and positive control teriflunomide on the inhibitor-binding site of human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase was subsequently performed to visualize the interaction pattern. In addition, compounds 8: and 10: exhibited inhibitory effects against lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production with inhibition rates of 61 and 41%, respectively, at the concentration of 10 µM. Compounds 9: and 12: showed cytotoxic activities with cell viability varying from 29 ~ 57% at 100 µM against T98G, U87, U251, and GL261 glioma cancer cell lines. These data provide new insights on the pharmacologically active compounds of this plant widely used in folk medicine.

Limonoids and triterpenoid from fruit of Swietenia macrophylla.

Five new limonoids, swieteliacates A-E (1-5) and a tirucallane-type triterpenoid, swietesenin (6), together with four known compounds (7-10) were isolated from fruit of Swietenia macrophylla. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses. The new compounds were tested in vitro for their cytotoxic effects against five human cancer cell lines. Compound 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities against SW480 and HL-60 cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 30.6 and 32.9µM, respectively.

[Influence of electroacupuncture stimulation on serum and hepatic interleukin-18 expression in nonalcoholic fatty liver rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Zusanli" (ST 36), etc. on serum sugar and insulin contents, serum and liver interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) rats, so as to study its mechanism underlying improvement of NAFLD. METHODS: Forty-four SD rats were randomized into normal control, model, EA and non-acupoint groups, with 11 rats in each group. EA (2 Hz, 1.5 V) was applied to bilateral "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Fenglong" (ST 40), "Sanyinjiao" (ST 6) and "Taichong" (LR 3) and non-acupoint (proximal 1/3 of the tail) for 15 min, once daily for 4 weeks. IL-18 contents of serum and liver tissue were assayed by using double antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), fasting blood sugar (FBS) content was measured by enzymatic colorimetric method, and fasting insulin (FINS) level assayed by radioimmunoassay. H. E. staining of the liver tissue sections was used to display pathological changes. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, serum FBS and FINS contents, serum and hepatic IL-18 levels and fasting insulin resistance index (FIRI) in the model group were significantly increased (P < 0.01). While compared with the model group, the levels of serum FBS, FINS, FIRI and IL-18 as well as hepatic IL-18 content in the EA group were markedly decreased (P < 0.05). The fatty degeneration in hepatic tissue was relieved. No significant changes of the five indexes mentioned above were found in the non-acupoint group (P > 0.05). H. E. staining of the liver tissue showed that in the model group, the hypatocyte was clearly increased in the size, with different degrees of fatty degeneration or necrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration. These changes were relatively milder in the EA group rather than in the non-acupoint group. CONCLUSION: EA stimulation of "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Fenglong" (ST 40), etc. can suppress NAFLD induced upregulation of blood sugar, serum insulin, insulin resistance in- dex and serum and hepatic IL-18 levels in fatty liver rats, which may contribute to its effect in relieving polysaccharide attack induced liver damage.

[Influence of electroacupuncture intervention on serum retinol binding protein 4 and liver function in nonalcoholic fatty liver rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) intervention on liver function and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP 4) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) rats, so as to study its mechanisms underlying improving liver function. METHODS: A total of 44 SD rats were randomly allocated to normal control, model, EA and non-acupoint groups, with 11 rats in each group. NAFLD model was established by feeding the rats with high glucose and high fat forage for 5 weeks. EA (2 Hz, 1.5 V, 15 min) was applied to unilateral "Fenglong" (ST 40), "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) and "Taichong" (LR 3), once daily for 4 weeks. Serum RBP 4 content was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) contents were detected by chromatometry. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, serum AST, ALT, TC, TG and RBP 4 contents in the model group were increased significantly (P<0. 01), while in comparison with the model group, the levels of the abovementioned 5 serum indexes were down-regulated considerably in the EA group (P < 0.05) rather than in the non-acupoint group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA intervention can lower serum AST, ALT, TC, TG and RBP 4 contents in NAFLD rats, which may be responsible for its action in improving NAFLD in clinic.

[Clinical study on curing the cervical spondylotic radiculopathy with the methods of Blade needle closed loosing and reduction with traction at the same time].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of curing the cervical spondylotic radiculopathy with the methods of Blade needle closed loosing and reduction with traction at the same time. METHODS: From May 2006 to May 2009, 65 patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy were divided into treatment group and control group according the random number table produced by SAS Software. There were 18 males and 17 females in the treatment group,age in range from 42 to 73 years old with an average of (61.3 +/- 6.4) years, course of disease was from 8 to 42 months with an average of (23.8 +/- 13.8) months, preoperatively cervical functional score was from 4 to 17 scores with the mean of (11.45 +/- 3.31) scores. And in the control group, including 14 males and 16 females, aged from 44 to 76 years old with an average of (62.4 +/- 8.8) years, course of disease was from 7 to 43 months with an average of (24.4 +/- 16.8) months, preoperatively cervical functional score was from 4 to 18 scores with the mean of (11.40 +/- 3.24) scores. The patients of treatment group were treated with Blade needle closed loosing the specific pain point on the neck and shoulder, then immediately underwent traction and reduction after operation. And the patients of control group were treated with traditional traction. The cervical functional score were compared between the two groups at 10, 20, 180 d after treatment, including pain of neck and shoulder, limitation of motion of neck, tenderness of neck, numbness and muscle weakness of upper limb. RESULTS: (1) At the 10th day after treatment, the total score of treatment group was (15.43 +/- 3.46) scores, which was obviously higher than that of control group's (13.17 +/- 3.18) scores (P < 0.01). In different symptoms, treatment group also was better than that of control group (P < 0.05), so as in the tenderness of neck, and especially in the limitation of motion of neck and muscle weakness of upper limb decreased obviously (P < 0.01). (2) At the 20th day after treatment, the total score of treatment group was (18.00 +/- 2.94) scores, which was obviously better than that of control group's (15.90 +/- 2.89) scores (P < 0.01). In different symptoms, treatment group also was better than that of control group (P < 0.05), so as in the pain of neck and shoulder, numbness and muscle weakness of upper limb (P < 0.05), and especially in the limitation of motion of neck, tenderness of neck decreased obviously (P < 0.01). (3) At the 180th day after treatment, the total score of treatment group was (16.63 +/- 3.32) scores, which was obviously better than that of control group's (12.67 +/- 3.42) scores (P < 0.01); In different symptoms, treatment group also was better than that of control group (P < 0.05), so as in the numbness of upper limb (P < 0.05), and especially in the pain of neck and shoulder, muscle weakness of upper limb, limitation of motion of neck, tenderness of neck decreased obviously (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Compared with method of traditional traction, Blade needle closed loosing and traction in treating cervical spondylotic radiculopathy can significantly obtain clinical effects,which can quickly improve symptoms, relieve pain of neck and shoulder, limitation of motion of neck, tenderness of neck, numbness and muscle weakness of upper limb.

[Impact of electro-acupuncture on lipid metalolism in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture on lipid metabolism in rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: 44 rats were divided into blank group and NAFLD group. The rats in the NAFLD group were randomly selected to be given blank treatment (control) or electroacupuncture stimulation on acupoints (EA), non-acupoints (ENA). The EA pointed to "Feng long", "Zu sanli", "Tai chong" and "San yinjiao". The ENA pointed to four points in the middle one third of the rat tails without touching the veins. Four weeks after the treatment, serum levels of adipinectin (ADP), leptin (LEP), free fatty acids (FFA), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) of the rats were tested with immunoreagent. RESULTS: Compared with controls, the rats with EA treatment had significantly lower levels of serum LEP, LDL, FFA, TC and TG, and higher levels of serum ADP and HDL (P<0.05). The rats with EA treatment also experienced less fatty degeneration in hepatic tissues. Such changes were not observed in the rats with ENA treatment (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: EA (Feng long, Zu sanli, Tai chong, San yinjiao) increases serum ADP and HDL, lowers LEP, LDL, FFA, TC and TG, and thereby reduces lipogenesis and liver fat deposition.

[Effects of local hyperthermia on maturation of Langerhans cells in HPV-infected skin].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible mechanism of local hyperthermia in the treatment of warts through detecting the differences in CD1a/CD83 of Langerhans cells (LCs) in émigrés from HPV-infected skin, as compared to normal skin. METHODS: Confocal microscopy were performed on Condyloma Accuminatum (CA)and normal skin; Freshly taken biopsies of CA and normal skin were subjected to surface heating at 37 degrees C, 42 degrees C and 45 degrees C respectively, for 30 mins. Flow cytometry was used to determine the CD1a/ CD83 changes of LCs in émigrés from CA and normal skin. RESULTS: By confocal microscopic observation, there were practically no CD1a+ LCs that expressed CD83 in the epidermis of both normal skin and CA. The proportions of CD1a+/CD83 LCs were significantly increased with increased temperatures in émigrés from both normal skin and CA. At each given temperature, the numbers of LCs in émigrés from CA were greater than those from normal skin. CONCLUSION: Local hyperthermia can promote migration and maturation of LCs in HPV-infected skin and accordingly stimulate the immune system to treat warts.

Local hyperthermia could induce antiviral activity by endogenous interferon-dependent pathway in condyloma acuminata.

Local hyperthermia has been successfully used in the treatment of viral warts by mechanisms that have largely remained unclear. Using an organotypic culture system, we found that hyperthermia at 42 °C and 45 °C could induce a significant increase in the transcriptional expression of interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-ß and IFN-γ, in a temperature-dependent manner in condyloma acuminata (CA), but not in normal skin. Accordingly, local hyperthermia could enhance the expression of 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthase and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase, two antiviral enzymes downstream of the IFN-dependant pathway. Hyperthermia led to an increase in IFN-α/ß receptor transcripts, and an increase in the levels in phospho-Stat1 and phospho-Stat2 in CA, though it had no influence on the levels of Jak1, Tyk2, Stat1 and Stat2 transcriptional expression. Local hyperthermia was proved effective in treating human papillomavirus-infected skin. These results suggested that hyperthermia took effect partly by inducing the expression of local endogenous IFN and partly by subsequent IFN-induced antiviral activity via Jak-STATs signalling pathway in CA.