Modulatory effects of acupuncture on brain networks in mild cognitive impairment patients.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging has been widely used to investigate the effects of acupuncture on neural activity. However, most functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have focused on acute changes in brain activation induced by acupuncture. Thus, the time course of the therapeutic effects of acupuncture remains unclear. In this study, 32 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment were randomly divided into two groups, where they received either Tiaoshen Yizhi acupuncture or sham acupoint acupuncture. The needles were either twirled at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints, including Sishencong (EX-HN1), Yintang (EX-HN3), Neiguan (PC6), Taixi (KI3), Fenglong (ST40), and Taichong (LR3), or at related sham acupoints at a depth of approximately 15 mm, an angle of ± 60°, and a rate of approximately 120 times per minute. Acupuncture was conducted for 4 consecutive weeks, five times per week, on weekdays. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging indicated that connections between cognition-related regions such as the insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, inferior parietal lobule, and anterior cingulate cortex increased after acupuncture at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints. The insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus acted as central brain hubs. Patients in the Tiaoshen Yizhi group exhibited improved cognitive performance after acupuncture. In the sham acupoint acupuncture group, connections between brain regions were dispersed, and we found no differences in cognitive function following the treatment. These results indicate that acupuncture at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints can regulate brain networks by increasing connectivity between cognition-related regions, thereby improving cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

[Association of adiponectin gene polymorphism with obesity in children].

OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution characteristics of adiponectin gene +45 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in Chinese children, and to determine the role of adiponectin gene +45 polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of childhood obesity. METHODS: A total of 147 Chinese obese and 118 healthy children were randomly selected and enrolled to identify adiponectin gene SNP+45 polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. Plasma adiponectin levels were determined using ELISA. Waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR), percentage of body fat (%BF), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), plasma fasting insulin (FINS), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were measured. RESULTS: The allelic frequency of adiponectin gene SNP+45 in children with obesity and healthy controls were 40.5% and 25.4%, respectively. There were significant differences in the distribution of genotypes and the allelic frequency between the two groups (P<0.05). The plasma adiponectin levels were significantly higher, in contrast, %BF, HOMA-IR, TC and LDL-C levels were significantly lower in obese children with TT genotype than those in obese children with TG or GG genotype. CONCLUSIONS: The adiponectin gene SNP+45 polymorphism may be associated with pathogenesis of obesity in children. T→G variance may be associated an increased risk of childhood obesity and result in a decreased level of adiponectin.

[Serum leptin level and its association with bone mineral density in obese children].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate serum leptin level and its relationship with bone mineral density in obese children from Changsha City. METHODS: One hundred and nineteen obese children and 103 normal children aged 7 to 12 years from five primary schools of Changsha City were enrolled. Obesity was assessed based on the body mass index (BMI). Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to determine bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition. Serum leptin level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The obesity group had higher height, weight, BMI, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio (WHR) compared with the normal group (p<0.01). BMD, bone mineral content (BMC), lean mass (LM), fat mass (FM), percentage of body fat (%BF) and leptin concentration in the obesity group were significantly higher than those in the normal group (p<0.01). Serum leptin level was positively correlated with BMD, BMC, LM and FM (r=0.528-0.903, p<0.01). Multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that BMI and %BF were independent influencing factors for serum leptin level. CONCLUSIONS: Obese children have higher serum leptin level. Serum leptin concentration is significantly correlated with BMD and body composition. BMI and %BF are independent influencing factors for serum leptin level in children.

[Effects of BIS and AEPindex monitoring on the depth of anesthesia in in intravenous-inhalational anesthesia anesthesia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of bispectral index(BIS) and auditory evoked potentials index(AEPindex) monitoring on the depth of anesthesia in inhalation of isoflurane and target-controlled infusion(TCI) of propofol, and to observe the changes of BIS and AEPindex. METHODS: Fourty ASA physical status I - II patients undergoing selective abdominal operations were divided into 2 groups randomly: Group I1(the end-tidal isoflurane concentration was 0.6 MAC, n=20) and Group I2(the end-tidal isoflurane concentration was 1.0 MAC, n=20). Anesthesia was induced with proprofol and vecuroninm. After the tracheal intubation, the patients were ventilated with 0.6/1.0 MAC isoflurane in pure oxygen, and after 20 minutes, propofol was administered with TCI according to the different target plasma concentrations from 1.0 g/mL to 3.0 g/mL(increasing 0.5 g/mL each time). The changes of MAP, HR, BIS and AEPindex were recorded simultaneously. RESULTS: There was no close correlation between MAP, HR and the end-tidal isoflurane concentration, target plasma concentration of propofol. The correlation coefficiencies between BIS, AEPindex and the end-tidal isoflurane concentration were -0.757, -0.819 and -0.832, -0.878 (P<0.001), respectively; those between BIS, AEPindex and the target plasma concentration of propofol were -0.932, -0.888 and -0.920, -0.923 (P<0.001). The correlation coefficiencies between BIS, AEPindex and the stimulation of endotracheal intubation were -0.728 and 0.544, respectively; however, there was no close correlation between BIS , AEPindex and the stimulation of skin incision, and exploration. CONCLUSION: BIS and AEPindex are reliable parameters to monitor the depth of anesthesia of isoflurane and propofol combined anesthesia; and in response to the stimulation of tracheal intubation, AEPindex is better than BIS, but BIS and AEPindex can not be used to predict the cardiovascular reaction of skin incision and exploration.