Effects of electroacupuncture on the glucose-lipid metabolism and the expression of ZAG and GLUT4 in the femoral quadriceps and adipose tissue in the rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus. / 电针对2åž‹ç³–å°¿ç— å¤§é¼ ç³–è„‚ä»£è°¢åŠè‚¡å››å¤´è‚Œå’Œè„‚è‚ªç»„ç»‡ZAG、GLUT4表达的影响.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effects on the glucose-lipid metabolism and the expression of zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in the femoral quadriceps and adipose tissue after electroacupuncture (EA) at "Pishu" (BL 20), "Weiwanxiashu" (EX-B 3), "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) in the rats with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM), so as to explore the effect mechanism of EA in treatment of T2DM. METHODS: Twelve ZDF male rats were fed with high-sugar and high-fat fodder, Purina #5008 for 4 weeks to induce T2DM model. After successfully modeled, the rats were randomly divided into a model group and an EA group, with 6 rats in each one. Additionally, 6 ZL male rats of the same months age were collected as the blank group. The rats in the EA group were treated with EA at bilateral "Pishu" (BL 20), "Weiwanxiashu" (EX-B 3), "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6), with continuous wave, 15 Hz in frequency, and 2 mA in intensity. The electric stimulation lasted 20 min each time. EA was delivered once daily, 6 times a week for 4 weeks. Separately, the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) was measured before modeling, before and after intervention, and the body mass of each rat was weighted before and after intervention. After intervention, the levels of the total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG) and free fatty acid (FFA) in serum were detected using enzyme colorimetric method; and the levels of the serum insulin (INS) and ZAG were detected by ELISA. Besides, the insulin sensitivity index (HOMA-ISI) was calculated. With Western blot technique adopted, the protein expressions of ZAG and GLUT4 in the femoral quadriceps and adipose tissue were determined. RESULTS: After intervention, compared with the blank group, the levels of FBG and body mass, and the levels of serum TC, TG, FFA and INS increased (P<0.01), while HOMA-ISI decreased (P<0.01); the level of ZAG in the serum and the protein expressions of ZAG and GLUT4 in the femoral quadriceps and adipose tissue dropped (P<0.01) in the model group. In the EA group, compared with the model group, the levels of FBG and body mass, and the levels of serum TC, TG, FFA and INS were reduced (P<0.01), and HOMA-ISI increased (P<0.01); the level of ZAG in the serum and the protein expressions of ZAG and GLUT4 in the femoral quadriceps and adipose tissue increased (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Electroacupuncture can effectively regulate glucose-lipid metabolism, improve insulin resistance and sensitivity in the rats with T2DM, which is associated with the modulation of ZAG and GLUT4 expression in the skeletal muscle and adipose tissue.

[Clinical random trial of thumbtack needling therapy for analgesia after cesarean section].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the analgesic effect of thumbtack needling therapy and the quality of life in puerpera underwent cesarean section. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five puerpera underwent cesarean section were randomly divided into a medication group, a sham-thumbtack needling group and a thumbtack needling group, 45 cases in each group. In the medication group, the patient control analgesia (PCA) was given. In the thumbtack needling group, on the base of the regimen as the medication group, acupuncture with thumbtack needles was applied to lower abdominal point (Extra), Zusanli (ST36), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Geshu (BL17), Shenshu (BL23) and Dachangshu (BL25). The needles were retained for 48 hours. During the needle retaining, the sites with the needle embedded were pressed and kneaded for 3 times, 1 min each time, at the interval of 4 to 12 h. In the sham-thumbtack needling group, the sham-thumbtack needles were used; the acupoint selection, operation and treatment course were all the same as the thumbtack needling group. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of incision pain and ute-rine contraction pain, the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions, the amount of vaginal bleeding and milk amount in lactation were observed at each time point after the operation separately in each group. RESULTS: Compared with the medication group, the VAS score of incision pain was decreased 8, 12 and 24 h after operation (P<0.05), the VAS score of uterine contraction pain was decreased 8, 12, 24 and 48 h after operation (P<0.05), the lactation score was increased in 24 to 48 h after operation (P<0.05) in both the sham-thumbtack needling group and thumbtack needling group. Compared with the sham-thumbtack needling group, the VAS score of incision pain was decreased 8, 12 and 24 h after operation (P<0.05), the VAS score of uterine contraction pain was decreased 24 and 48 h after operation (P<0.05) in the thumbtack needling group. Compared with those from 2 to 24 h after operation, the vaginal bleeding amount was decreased and the lactation score increased from 24 to 48 h after operation (P<0.05) in all of the three groups. CONCLUSION: The conventional PCA combined with thumbtack needling therapy obtained better analgesic effects on incision dynamic pain and uterine contraction pain in patients after cesarean section as compared with either the simple PCA or the combined treatment with sham-thumbtack needling and medication, and both the thumbtack needling and the sham-thumbtack needling therapy can increase the milk amount of lactation from 24 to 48 h after operation.

[Advances in the clinical research on acupuncture in treatment of respiratory diseases].

This article reviews the clinical studies on acupuncture in the treatment of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and acute exacerbation and stable phase of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China over the past 10 years, and the results suggest that acupuncture has a good clinical effect. At present, there are still several problems in related clinical studies, including lacking of standard operation procedure for acupuncture, unreasonable design of control group, and low quality of clinical research. Therefore, in the future, top-level design should be standardized and large-sample multicenter clinical studies should be conducted to provide stronger evidence of evidence-based medicine for acupuncture in the treatment of respiratory diseases.

High fructose causes cardiac hypertrophy via mitochondrial signaling pathway.

High fructose diet can cause cardiac hypertrophy and oxidative stress is a key mediator for myocardial hypertrophy. Disruption of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) leads to oxidative stress. This study aims to reveal mitochondrial oxidative stress-related signaling pathway in high fructose-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Mice were fed high fructose to develop cardiac hypertrophy. Fructose and H2O2 were used to induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in vitro. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 was applied to investigate the possible role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). CFTR silence was performed to detect the role of CFTR in high fructose-induced myocardial hypertrophy. ROS, glutathione (GSH), mitochondrial function and hypertrophic markers were measured. We confirmed that long-term high fructose diet caused cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction and elevated mitochondrial ROS. However, SkQ1 administration prevented heart hypertrophy and mitochondrial oxidative stress. Cadiomyocytes incubated with fructose or H2O2 exhibited significantly increased cell areas but SkQ1 treatment ameliorated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by high fructose or H2O2 in vitro. Those results revealed that the underlying mechanism for high fructose-induced heart hypertrophy was attributed to mitochondrial oxidative stress. Moreover, CFTR expression was decreased by high fructose intervention and CFTR silence resulted in an increase in mitochondrial ROS, which suggested high fructose diet affected mitochondrial oxidative stress by regulating CFTR expression. Electron transport chain impairment might be related to mitochondrial oxidative damage. In conclusion, our findings indicated that mitochondrial oxidative stress plays a central role in pathogenesis of high fructose-induced cardiac hypertrophy. High fructose decreases CFTR expression to regulate mitochondrial oxidative stress.

[Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials for Acupuncture Treatment of Pneumoconiosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture therapy in improving pulmonary functions and clinical symptoms of pneumoconiosis patients. METHODS: A total of 120 pneumoconiosis patients were randomly divided into acupuncture group (n=59) and control group (n = 61). The patients of the control group were ordered to take Acetylcysteine capsule (200 mg/time, t.i.d.) for 12 consecutive weeks and the patients of the acupuncture group received both acupuncture (twice a week) and Acetylcysteine capsule for 12 consecutive weeks. The used acupoints were Baihui (GV 20), Tanzhong (CV 17), Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), and bilateral Kongzui (LU 6), Taiyuan (LU 9), Yuji (LU 10), Zusanli (ST 36), Fenglong (ST 40), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Feishu (BL 13), Xinshu (BL 15), Ganshu (BL 18), Pishu (BL 20), Shenshu (BL 23) and Geshu (BL 17) and stimulated by needle-twirling reducing or reinforcing techniques. The pulmonary functions including spirometric forced vital capacity(FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1), FEV 1/FVC, and diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) were detected by using a Medgraphics Cardio 2 Combined VO 2/ECG Exercise System. The severity of cough and shortness of breath (SOB) was detected by Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the patient's health status was assessed using Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test (CAT score, 0-40 points). RESULTS: Compared with pretreatment in the same one group, FE1 level and FEV 1/FVC after 12 weeks' treatment were obviously increased in both the control and acupuncture groups (P<0.05), while the CAT scores at the 12th week, the cough and SOB scores at the 6th, 12th and 16th week after the treatment were decreased notably in both groups (P<0.05), and the cough and SOB scores of the acupuncture group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). No significant changes were found in the FVC and DLCO levels in both groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture therapy can improve symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, as well as pulmonary functions in pneumoconiosis patients.

Sulfur dioxide derivatives depress L-type calcium channel in rat cardiomyocytes.

1. Sulfur dioxide (SO(2) ) has recently been found to have various biological effects on the cardiovascular system. The present study was designed to explore the effects of SO(2) derivatives on the L-type calcium current (I (Ca, L) ) in isolated rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. 2. A Langendorf system was used to dissociate single ventricular cells. SO(2) derivatives from 5 to 1000 µmol/L were incubated with cardiomyocytes. The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to record I (Ca, L) . The effect of SO(2) derivatives on intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+) ](i) ) was detected by confocal microscopy. 3. Concentrations of 5 or 10 µmol/L SO(2) derivatives could not change I (Ca, L) evoked by a single pulse from -40 to 0 mV for 200 ms in rat ventricular cardiomyocytes; however, 50, 100, 500 or 1000 µmol/L SO(2) derivatives could depress the peak amplitudes of calcium currents in 6 min, and the I (Ca, L) was attenuated by 13.19%, 16.59%, 21.23% and 24.72%, respectively, as compared with corresponding controls (P < 0.05). The 50, 100, 500 or 1000 µmol/L SO(2) derivatives also depressed the peak I-V curves, without altering the reversal potential and the voltage dependence of the peak I (Ca, L) . Therefore, 1000 µmol/L SO(2) derivatives could reduce [Ca(2+) ](i) in cardiomyocytes. 4. The results of the present study suggest that SO(2) derivatives can depress I (Ca, L) in cardiomyocytes, which might have a protective effect in cardiovascular diseases.

[ATP-sensitive potassium channel and its cardiovascular protection effects].

ATP-sensitive potassium channel(K(ATP)) consists of a 4.4 complex of an inwardly rectifying Kir6.x pore plus a sulfonylurea receptor, which is an ATP-binding cassette transporter. K(ATP) has been indentified in a variety of tissues and recognized as an important drug target. It connects cell metabolism with cell electric activity. K(ATP) has been proposed to play protective roles during heart failure, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, stress, myocardial ischemia and hypertension. In this review, a summary of K(ATP) is presented with molecular structure, localization, regulation, cardiovascular protective effect and its mechanisms.