[Effect of moxibustion at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) on bone morphology, metabolism and ERα of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the ovariectomized rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of moxibustion at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) on bone morphology, metabolism and ERα of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the ovariectomized rats and explore the underlying mechanism of moxibustion at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on the regulation of bone metabolism. METHODS: A total of 60 SD rats were randomized into a normal group (20 rats) and an ovariectomy group (40 rats). In the normal group, no any treatment was provided. In the ovariectomy group, the classical ovariectomy was adopted to set up the osteoporosis model. In the 13th week after ovariectomy, 10 rats were collected from each of the normal group and the ovariectomy group for model identification. After model identification, the ovariectomy group was subdivided into a model group, an estradiol group and a moxibustion group, 10 rats in each one. In the normal group and the model group, the gavage was provided with 2 mL 0.9% sodium chloride solution, once a day. In the estradiol group, the gavage was provided with 17ß-estradiol 100 µg/(kg•d), once a day. In the moxibustion group, moxibustion was applied at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6), 15 min at each acupoint, once a day. The 6 treatments were as one course, with 1 day of interval, 12 courses were required. After 12-week intervention, the dual-energy X-ray was adopted to determine the bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content of the whole body in living condition. After sacrificed, HE staining was adopted to observe femur structure, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was to determine the absorbance of estradiol (E2) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in serum and the real-time quantitative PCR method was to determine the mRNA expressions of ERα of MSCs in tibia and femur. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, BMD was increased obviously in the pelvis and spine in the moxibustion group and the estradiol group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the bone mineral content was higher in the rib, pelvis and spine in the moxibustion group and the estradiol group, there was no statistically significant difference (all P>0.05). Compared with the model group, the bone trabeculas were stronger and well connected in the moxibustion group, indicated by HE staining. Compared with the model group, the concentrations of E2 in serum were increased obviously in the estradiol group and the moxibusiton group (both P<0.01), and ALP concentrations reduced obviously in the estradiol group and the moxibustion group (both P<0.001), the mRNA expressions of ERα in MSCs increased in the estradiol group and the moxibustion group (both P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) effectively increases BMD and bone strength in the ovariectomized rats and the mechanism may be related to the improvement of serum E2 concentration, the decrease of serum ALP concentration and the up-regulation of mRNA expression of ERα in MSCs.

[Comparative study on effects of electroacupuncture stimulation of Shenmen (HT 7) and Taiyuan (LU 9) on P 300 of event-related potentials and brain electrical activity mapping in healthy young adults].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect difference of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of Shenmen (HT 7) and Taiyuan (LU 9) on P 300 of event-related potentials (ERPs) in volunteer subjects, so as to explore functional specificity of acupoints in processing cerebral information. METHODS: Sixty healthy volunteer college students were randomly and equally divided into Shenmen (HT 7) group and Taiyuan (LU 9) group (30 persons/group). EA (2 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to bilateral Shenmen (HT 7) and Taiyuan (LU 9) for 15 min. The ERPs were acquired by averaging EEG activity following Oddba II auditory tone-double stimuli and brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM) acquired by means of Scan 4.5 collection and analysis system. Data were calculated and analyzed with SPSS 17.0 for Windows. After testing, the subjects were inquired about the perception for acupuncture stimulation and other sensations or psychological activities. RESULTS: Following EA stimulation of both HT 7 and LU 9, the amplitude of P 300 in the ERPs were significantly decreased in comparison with pre-EA stimulation in the same one group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). No significant changes were found in the latencies of P 300 after EA stimulation of both HT 7 and LU 9 (P > 0.05). But, EA of HT 7 had a slightly stronger effect in shortening P 300 latency. With regard to the potential intensity distribution of BEAM, there were some differences between HT 7 and LU 9 groups. The high potential responses for HT 7 were found mainly in the occipital lobe, and in the left parietal lobe and the right temporal lobe, whereas those for LU 9 were found to mainly disperse in the left occipital lobe and the parietal lobe. CONCLUSION: EA stimulation of HT 7 and LU 9 has a slight difference on lowering P 300 amplitude of ERPs, and may result in different distribution of the high potential responses in different lobes of the cerebral cortex in healthy subjects. The functional specificity of EA stimulation of different acupoints needs further study.

[Effects of electroacupuncture stimulation of "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Shenmen" (HT7) on contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus region and serum in hyperlipidemia rats with acute myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Neiguan"(PC 6) and "Shenmen" (HT 7) on 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) region of hypothalamus and serum in hyperlipidemia rats with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: A total of 80 SD rats with hyperlipidemia were used in the present study. Among them, 20 rats were randomly selected to be the sham-operation group, and the rest 60 cases were used to make the AMI model by occlusion of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery. The 60 rats who were identified to be successful in AMI were randomly divided into model group, EA-PC 6 group and EA-HT 7 group (20 rats/group). EA (2 Hz, 2 mA) was applied to bilateral PC 6 and HT 7 for 20 min, once daily for 5 days. The contents of 5-HT of hypothalamic PVN region and serum were examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay, respectively. RESULTS: Following AMI, marked myocardial injury (swelling, breakage, disappearance of local transverse striations and necrosis of myocytes) with infiltration of neutrophil granulocytes was found in the model group, while in both EA-PC 6 group and EA-HT 7 group, moderate swelling (no breakage) of fewer myocardial fibers with mild infiltration of neutrophil granulocytes was found, indicating a marked improvement of myocardial injury after EA treatment. Compared with the sham-operation group, the content of 5-HT was obviously decreased in the hypothalamic PVN region and significantly increased in serum in the model group (P < 0.01). After EA intervention, the content of 5-HT was considerably up-regulated in the hypothalamic PVN region and apparently down-regulated in serum in both EA-PC 6 and EA-HT 7 groups in comparison with the model group (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between EA-PC 6 and EA-HT 7 groups in regulating hypothalamic and serum 5-HT levels (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA stimulation of both PC 6 and HT 7 can relieve acute ischemic injury of the myocardium in hyperlipidemia rats, which is probably partially related to its effect in promoting the release of 5-HT from the hypothalamic PVN region.

[Contributions of medical practitioners of Xin'an area on acupuncture theory].

Contributions of Xin'an medical school and physicians to acupuncture theory were introduced in the article. Academic theories or characteristics of several physicians of Xin'an school such as YANG Xuan-cao, WU Kun, WANG Ji, WU Yi-ding, ZHENG Mei-jian and XU Chun-fu, et al were sorted out. Contributions of inheriting and illustrations on acupuncture theory were analyzed so as to expound its significance and value on modern acupucture clinic.

[Progress of researches on involvement of serotonin in the central nervous system in acupuncture analgesia and other effects].

As for an important central regulatory neurotransmitter involving acupuncture effect, serotonin (5-HT) is worthy of being paid with more attention. In the present paper, the authors review development of researches on the involvement of 5-HT and its receptor subunits in pain perception, acupuncture analgesia, and other effects of acupuncture (anti-depression, weight-reduction, etc.). Many studies showed that acupuncture intervention could modulate the content and activity of central 5-HT, and these changes varied under different conditions. Hence, the relationship between 5-HT and other neurotransmitters in acupuncture analgesia and its different functions in different regions of the central nervous system should be considered comprehensively.

[Effects of acupuncture at Shenmen (HT7) or Taiyuan (LU9) on P3a and P3b of event-related potentials in healthy young adults].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of manual acupuncture at Shenmen (HT7) or Taiyuan (LU9) on the attention function of the brain, and to lay an experimental foundation for researching brain function and integration mechanisms of the human brain in relation to acupuncture stimulation. METHODS: Ten healthy young college students were selected as experimental subjects. P3a and P3b potentials were induced by novel stimulation and target stimulation with vision and were observed using Neuroscan event-related potentials system at time windows of ms 330-430 or 400-600 ms for observing the change of intensity distribution of P300 after manual acupuncture at HT7 or LU9. RESULTS: The amplitude of P3a and P3b decreased significantly after manual acupuncture at HT7 or LU9, but the degree of decreases affected by the acupoints was different. The decrease of the amplitude of P3a due to acupuncture at HT7 was more significant than acupuncture at LU9 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The attention function of the brain is affected by manual acupuncture at HT7 or LU9 and manual acupuncture at HT7 has a greater influence on the attention function of the brain.

[Study on the relative specificity of the heart and lung meridians in brain with fMRI].

OBJECTIVE: To study the central modulation mechanism on the relative specificity of the Heart and Lung Meridians and to provide the experimental evidence for deeply study on correlation between meridian-viscera and brain. METHODS: Ten healthy students in Anhui College of TCM were chosen and a modified block design was adopted. After 32 time points of resting and 32 of rotation needling, then 48 of resting and 32 stimulating, and 16 resting time points, functional imagings were collected at last. All the process would last for 10 min 44 sec. Acupuncture work was finished by one acupuncturist with extensive experience by acupuncture at the left Shenmen (HT 7) or Taiyuan (LU 8) with the disposable sterile stainless steel needle, and uniform reinforcing-reducing method was used with frequency of 1 Hz and depth of 1.0 cm. After the experiment, the sensation of acupuncture and the other feeling or psychic process were inquired and recorded detailedly. These data were analyzed by AFNI software. RESULTS: Acupuncture at Taiyuan (LU 8) could excite the contralateral frontal lobe, apical lobe, cerebral ganglion, VI, VIII areas and inferior semilunar lobule of cerebellum, and restrain bilateral callosal gyrus and homolateral gyrus rectus. Acupuncture at Shenmen (HT 7) could excite the contralateral IV-VIII areas of cerebellum, and homolateral VI, VII areas of cerebellum, and restrain parts of homolateral apical lobe. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at Shenmen (HT 7) of the Heart Meridian and Taiyuan (LU 8) of the Lung Meridian can excite or restrain different brain areas, indicating that there are relatively specific corresponding brain areas for the Heart Meridian and Lung Meridian.