Acupuncture Can Regulate the Distribution of Lymphocyte Subsets and the Levels of Inflammatory Cytokines in Patients With Mild to Moderate Vascular Dementia.

Background: Vascular dementia (VD) is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, but there is a lack of definitive treatment for VD. Acupuncture treatment is effective in improving the cognitive impairment and behavioral capacity of patients with VD. In recent years, more studies indicated that peripheral inflammation and abnormal peripheral immune function may aggravate neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction. However, there are few studies about the acupuncture and the abnormal peripheral immune function of VD. Also, few studies concern the regulating effect of acupuncture on peripheral immunity of patients with VD. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of the "sanjiao" acupuncture method on peripheral immunity of patients with mild to moderate VD. Methods: A total of 30 patients with VD were involved in the acupuncture group (AG), which was treated with the "sanjiao" acupuncture method once a day for six times a week and lasted for 12 weeks, and 30 healthy elderly people were assigned to the normal group (NG), which had no treatment. The distribution of lymphocyte subsets and the levels of some inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood of subjects were evaluated using the flow cytometry (FCM) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: A total of 60 subjects were involved in this study, while 58 subjects completed the entire trial. Before treatment, the levels of CD3+ T, CD4+ T cells, CD4+/CD8+, Tregs, B cells, IFN-γ, and IL-10 in patients with VD were significantly decreased compared with the normal group (all P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The level of TNF-α in peripheral blood of patients with VD was significantly increased (P < 0.01). After acupuncture treatment, the levels of CD3+ T, CD4+ T cells, and IFN-γ were significantly increased (all P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The level of TNF-α was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). The proportion of Tregs was increased (P < 0.01), but it was still lower than that of the normal group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The acupuncture method can increase the proportion of CD3+, CD4+ T cells, and Tregs in peripheral blood of patients with VD. And, it reduces the levels of pro-inflammatory factor TNF-α, which achieves the anti-inflammatory effects and immunostimulation. It suggests that acupuncture can improve the peripheral immune dysfunction of patients with VD by regulating the distribution of lymphocyte subsets and the levels of inflammatory cytokines. Clinical Trial Registration: [www.chictr.org.cn], identifier [ChiCTR-IOR-17012052].

[RhoA/ROCK pathway involved in effects of Sanjiao acupuncture on learning and memory and synaptic plasticity in Alzheimer's disease mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Sanjiao acupuncture(triple energizer acupuncture)on the small G protein guanosine triphosphate enzyme subfamily protein RhoA/Rho kinase (ROCK) pathway in Alzheimer's disease mice, and explore its effect on learning and memory function and neurosynaptic plasticity. METHODS: Forty SAMP8 senile dementia mice were randomly divided into model, Sanjiao acupuncture (acupuncture), non acupoint acupuncture (non-acupoint) and fasudil groups, with 10 mice in each group, another 10 SAMR normal aging mice were selected as normal aging group. Mice in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture intervention on "Danzhong"(CV18), "Zhongwan"(CV13), "Qihai"(BL24) and bilateral "Xuehai"(SP10) and "Zusanli" (ST36). Mice in the non-acupoint group were treated with acupuncture at each of the left and right non-acupoints under the ribs and mice in the fasudil group were intraperitoneally injected with fasudil (25 mg/kg). The mice in each group were given medicine or acupuncture on the second day after grouping for 28 continuously days, once a day. Morris water maze test was used to test the learning and memory ability of mice. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of neurons in hippocampus. The number of hippocampal neuron dendritic spine was detected by FD fast Golgi staining kit. The contents of ß-amyloid 42 (Aß42) and phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) in hippocampus were detected by ELISA. Western blot was used to detect the protein relative expression levels of RhoA, ROCK, F-actin and p-cofilin in hippocampus. RESULTS: Compared with those in the normal aging group, the hippocampal neurons of the model group were disorderly arranged, the number of neuron was reduced, the escape latency, hippocampal Aß42 and p-tau contents, RhoA and ROCK protein expressions increased (P<0.05), the number of crossing the original platform, the number of neuronal dendritic spines, expressions of F-actin and p-cofilin decreased (P<0.05). After the interventions, there was no statistically significant difference in the above indicators in the non-acupoint group relevant to the model group (P>0.05). The acupuncture group and fasudil group improved the hippocampal pathological damage. The escape latency, hippocampal Aß42 and p-tau contents, the expressions of RhoA and ROCK protein decreased (P<0.05), and the number of crossing the original platform, the number of hippocampal neuron dendritic spines, expressions of F-actin and p-cofilin increased (P<0.05) in both of the acupuncture and fasudil groups in contrast to the model and non-acupoint groups. Compared with the acupuncture group, there was no significant difference in the above indicators in the fasudil group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Sanjiao acupuncture may inhibit the activation of the RhoA/ROCK pathway, so as to improve the learning and memory function of AD mice, increase the number of hippocampal neuron dendritic spines, and promote synaptic plasticity.

[Effects of "Tiaoyi Sanjiao" acupuncture and moxibustion on cancer-induced fatigue and immune function in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of "Tiaoyi Sanjiao" （regulating and tonifying the triple energizer）acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue of advanced non-small cell lung cancer and observe its influence on lymphocyte count. METHODS: The cancer-related fatigue patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who met the inclusive criteria were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 77 cases in each group. Patients in the control group were treated with conventional Chinese and Western medicine. In the treatment group, on the base of the treatment as the control group, "Tiaoyi Sanjiao" acupuncture and moxibustion was applied（mild moxibustion at Danzhong ［CV17］, Zhongwan［CV12］, Qihai［CV6］, bilateral Zusanli［ST36］, and acupuncture at bilateral Xuehai［SP10］, Waiguan［SJ5］, Taichong［LR3］）. KPS score, Piper scale, percentage and absolute count of lymphocyte subsets of the two groups before and after treatment were observed. RESULTS: Compared with pre-treatment, the KPS scores of both groups were significantly increased after treatment (P<0.05); the behavioral dimension score of the Piper scale, and the percentage of B cells of the control group decreased significantly(P<0.05); the behavioral dimension, emotional dimension, sensory dimension scores, and total score of the Piper scale in the treatment group were significantly reduced(P<0.05), while the percentage of CD3+T cells and absolute counts of CD3+T cells, CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells of the treatment group were significantly increased (P<0.05). After treatment, in comparison with the control group, behavioral dimension score of the Piper scale in the treatment group decreased significantly(P<0.05); the percentage and absolute counts of B cells and CD4+T cells, the absolute count of CD3+T cells in the treatment group were up-regulated (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: "Tiaoyi Sanjiao" acupuncture and moxibustion can significantly alleviate the fatigue state and improve the quality of life in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, which may be achieved by regulating the number of lymphocytes and improving immune function.