Danzhi Jiangtang capsule reduces renal injury in rats with diabetes induced by high fat diet and streptozotocin downregulating toll-like receptor 4-nuclear factor-κB pathway and apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and mechanisms of Danzhi Jiangtang capsule (, DJC) on renal injury in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes of rats. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with high fat diet for 6 weeks followed by streptozotocin (STZ, 35 mg/kg) injection. These rats were then treated with DJC (270, 540 and 1080 mg/kg) daily for 8 weeks. RESULTS: A combination of high fat diet and STZ significantly increased blood glucose creatinine, urea nitrogen, and urine albumin in rats. Meanwhile, the glomerular and tubular lesions were observed in rats fed with high fat diet and injected with STZ. These biochemical and pathological changes were significantly attenuated by DJC treatments in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistically, DJC treatments significantly decreased toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signals in the kidney of rats fed with high fat diet and injected with STZ. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining and caspase-8 levels showed that renal apoptosis was increased in rats fed with high fat diet and injected with STZ, and this was attenuated by DJC treatments. CONCLUSIONS: DJC treatments protect against diabetic kidney disease, and the mechanism may be closely related to downregulation of TLR4/MAPK/NF-κB pathways and apoptosis. This study provides further evidence of using DJC as a potential therapeutic option for diabetic kidney disease.

The effects of electroacupuncture at and points of stomach on gastric motility, the NMDA of vagus nerve dorsal nucleus and serum NO expression in functional dyspepsia rats / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To research the central molecular mechanism of gastric motility in functional dyspepsia (FD) rats treated with electroacupuncture (EA) at and points of stomach.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 30 SD rats were randomized into a blank group, a model group, a Zhongwan+Weishu group, a Weishu group and a Zhongwan group, 6 rats in each group. FD rats were established by moderate clipping tail infuriation and irregular feeding except in the blank group. EA was used at "Zhongwan"(CV 12),"Weishu"(BL 21), and"Zhongwan"(CV 12) +"Weishu"(BL 21) in the corresponding groups for 7 days, once a day, and 20 min a time. No intervention was used in the blank and model groups. Grabbing and fixation were applied in the model group. Gastric antrum motion range and frequency were recorded by gastrointestinal pressure transducer. The expression of subunit NR1 of N-methyl-D-aspartate recepter (NMDAR) in dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) was determined by Western blotting. The content of serum nitric oxide (NO) was measured by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the blank group, the gastric antrum motion range and NR1 in the DMV decreased and the serum NO content increased in the model group (all <0.05). Compared with the model group, the gastric antrum motion range and NR1 in the DMV increased and the serum NO content decreased in the three EA groups (all <0.05). Compared with the Zhongwan and Weishu groups, the gastric antrum motion range and NR1 in the DMV increased in the Zhongwan + Weishu group (all <0.05). Compared with Zhongwan + Weishu and Zhongwan groups, the expression of NO in the Weishu group decreased (both <0.05). The gastric antrum motion frequency among the 5 groups had no statistical significance (all >0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA at the and points can regulate the gastric motility in FD rats which may be by modulating the activity of NMDAR in the central DMV region, thus regulating the serum NO content.</p>

Effects on the regional homogeneity of resting-state brain function in the healthy subjects of gastric distention treated with acupuncture at the front- and back- points of the stomach, Weishu (BL 21) and Zhongwan (CV 12) / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the regional homogeneity (ReHo) of resting-state brain function in the healthy subjects of gastric distention treated with acupuncture at the back- and front- points of the stomach, Weishu (BL 21) and Zhongwan (CV 12) and the correlation with gastric motility so as to explore the mechanism on the central integration of the front- and back- points of the stomach.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The crossover test design was adopted. Twenty-four healthy subjects were assigned to a Weishu group, a Zhongwan group and a combined-point group separately, 8 cases in each one in each of the three times. Totally, 24 subjects were included in each group. Under the water load condition, the subjects received acupuncture at Weishu (BL 21), Zhongwan (CV 12) and the combined Weishu (BL 21) and Zhongwan (CV 12). Before and after each acupuncture, the resting-state brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan and electrogastrogram (EGG) test were applied. The ReHo value was calculated in the collected fMRI imaging data. The changes in ReHo values were analyzed and compared before and after acupuncture in each group, as well as among the groups. The gastric motility was analyzed before and after acupuncture. Additionally, the correlative analysis was conducted between the gastric motility and ReHo changes before and after acupuncture.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) After acupuncture, EGG amplitudes in the subjects of each group were lower remarkably as compared with those before acupuncture (all <0.01). The EGG frequencies were not different significantly as compared with those before acupuncture (all >0.05). The EGG amplitudes in the Weishu group and the Zhongwan group were higher than those in the combined-point group (both <0.05). (2) As compared with the conditions before acupuncture, acupuncture at the combined front- and the back- points as well as Weishu (BL 21) and Zhongwan (CV 12) separately all induced the changes in the brain ReHo. Acupuncture at the combined front- and the back- points significantly increased Reho values in the right inferior temporal gyrus, the left thalamus, the precuneus and the posterior cingulate gyrus (all <0.05) and remarkably reduced the ReHo values in the the middle temporal gyrus of the right temporal pole, sulcus calcarinus and precuneus (all <0.05). Compared with the single point groups, acupuncture at the combined front- and the back- points induced the increase of ReHo value in the posterior cingulate gyrus and the decrease of ReHo in the temporal pole (all <0.05). (3) The correlative analysis showed that the changes in the ReHo values in the posterior cingulate gyrus, the thalamus and the precuneus were positively correlated to the changes of the gastric motility amplitudes. The changes in the ReHo values in the temporal pole was negatively correlated to the changes of the gastric motility amplitudes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture at the combined back- and front- points of the stomach, as well as acupuncture at single Weishu (BL 21) and Zhongwan (CV 12) induce the ReHo changes in the different brain regions. Acupuncture at the combined back- and front- points of the stomach may induce the ReHo changes in some new brain regions as compared with the acupuncture at the single point. The thalamus, the posterior cingulate gyrus and the precuneus may be the the important integrated brain regions for acupuncture at the back- and the front- points in regulating the gastric motility. The effects of acupuncture at the back- and the front- points for the regulation of the gastric motility are closely related to the thalamus, the limbic system and the default network of the brain regions.</p>

Effects of electroacupuncture preconditioning on expression of aquaporin-1 and activity of protein kinase C in myocardium of rats with acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the partial action mechanism and the myocardial protective effect differences between electroacupuncture (EA) preconditioning at "Neiguan"(PC 6) and "Taiyuan"(LU 9) in rats with acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-six Wistar rats were randomly assigned into a sham-operation group, a model group, a Neiguan group and a Taiyuan group, 24 rats in each one. The rats in the Neiguan group and Taiyuan group were treated with EA (2 Hz in frequency, 1 mA in intensity) at "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Taiyuan" (LU 9) respectively, 20 min per treatment, once a day for consecutive 7 days. The rats in the sham-operation group and model group were treated with immobilization for the same time, and no EA was given. The model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury was established in the model group, Neiguan group and Taiyuan group 24 h after the end of EA, while the rats in the sham-operation group were treated with sham operation (no ligation was made during surgery). The myocardial ischemic size, infarction size, activity of protein kinase C (PKC) and expression of aquaporin1 (AQP1) in each group were detected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with sham-operation group, the myocardial ischemic size, infarction size, AQP1 expression and PKC activity in the model group were significantly increased (all<0.01); compared with the model group and Taiyuan group, the myocardial ischemic size, infarction size, PKC activity and AQP1 expression were significantly decreased in the Neiguan group (<0.01,<0.05). By Pearson correlation analysis, the changes of AQP1 expression were positively correlated with those of PKC activity after EA preconditioning.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EA preconditioning at "Neiguan" (PC 6) could significantly decrease myocardial AQP1 expression and PKC activity in rats with acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injuing, but the effect of EA preconditioning at "Taiyuan"(LU 9) is not obvious; its protective effect is likely to be achieved by inhibiting PKC activity and AQP1 expression.</p>