Effect of Electroacupuncture on the Behavior of APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice of Different Age / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To study the effect of electroacupuncture on the behavior of APP/PS1 transgenic mice of different age, and to explore the optimal intervention time of electroacupuncture in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). Method APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice of 4 months, 6 months and 9 months old, 20 in each age group, were randomized into a model group and an electroacupuncture group, and ten C57BL/6 wild-type mice were taken as a control group; after 6-week electroacupuncture treatment, the Morris water maze was adopted for spatial memory and behavioral test, and the changes of behavior in each group were observed.Result Of the 5-month-old mice, there were no significant between-group differences (P>0.05), while the time factor (day) produced a statistical significance (P<0.01); of the 7-month-old mice, there were significant differences considering the different groups, time factor and interaction (P<0.01); of the 10-month-old mice, there were significant differences considering the different groups, time factor and interaction (P<0.05). The spatial probe test showed that there were significant between-group differences in comparing the platform crossings and swimming distance in platform quadrant in each age group (P<0.05).Conclusion Electroacupuncture can improve the learning and memory of APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice, the age of 6-7 months old is possibly the optimal intervention time of electroacupuncture for AD, but there still requires further mechanism studies.

Effects of Yinao Jieyu Prescription on the Behaviors and Damages of Pathology in Hippocampal CA1 Area of Rats with Post-stroke Depression / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To investigate the intervention effects ofYinao Jieyu Prescription on the behaviors and damages in hippocampal CA1 area of the rats with post-stroke depression (PSD).Methods Totally 168 SPF male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, sham-operation group, stroke group, PSD group, Western medicine group and TCM group. There were 24 rats in the normal group and sham-operation group, and 30 rats in the other groups. Rats in the normal group received no intervention. Rats in the sham-operation group received no suture. Rats in the stroke group were given middle cerebral artery occlusion operation and normally fed after operation. Rats in the PSD group, Western medicinal group and TCM group were made into PSD models by chronic immobilization stress for one week and individual battery to the end. At the inception of modeling, Western medicine group received fluoxetine hydrochloride for gavage; TCM group receivedYinao Jieyu Prescription for gavage; other groups received distilled water for gavage, once a day. At the end of week 2, 4, and 8, the morphology of the hippocampal CA1 area in each rat was observed by microscope after HE stained.Results Except for the week 2, at the same time point, the behavior scores of the rats in the TCM group were higher than those in the PSD group. At the same time point, the CA1 region of the hippocampus in the TCM group was more complete than the PSD group, and the cells were arranged neatly and in normal morphology.ConclusionYinao JieyuPrescription can improve the symptoms of PSD rats, and has protective effects on hippocampal CA1 area.

Effects of Optimized Formulas of Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae Sinensis Extracts on Survival Status of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Mice and on Expression of Cytogenesis-related Factors in Lung Tissues / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To observe the effect of the optimized formulas of extracts of Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae Sinensis on the survival status of the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) mice,and on the expression levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),so as to optimize the therapeutic regimen and to explore the therapeutic mechanism.Methods One hundred and five SPF ICR male mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group and 5 Chinese medicine treatment groups (group 1,2,3,4,5 of the optimized formula of Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae Sinensis extracts).The mice in the model group and the 5 treatment groups were intratracheally injected with bleomycin (5 mg/kg) to induce the pulmonary fibrosis model.On day 21,the lung tissues were taken out for the test.Hydroxyproline content was detected by alkaline hydrolysis method,and morphological changes of lung tissues were observed by hematoxylineosin (HE) staining and Mallory's staining methods.The expression levels of TGF-β and VEGF were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Results The HE staining and Mallory's staining results showed that the pulmonary fibrosis in the 5 treatment groups was relieved as compared with that in the model group,especially in the group 1,and the alveolar structure recovered better.The 21-day overall death rate in the treatment groups were lower than those in the model group,and group 1 and group 5 had the lowest rates,the difference being statistically significant (P＜ 0.05).Compared with the model group,the content of hydroxyproline in the lung tissues of the treatment groups were decreased to some degrees,and there was significant difference (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01).The expression levels of TGF-β and VEGF in model group were higher than those in normal group,but were deceased in the treatment groups to some degrees,except TGF-β expression in group 5,and the difference was significant(P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion When the contents of Radix Astragali water-extract and Radix Angelicae Sinensis alcohol-extract were predominated,the extract formula exerts certain effects on decreasing hydroxyproline content in the lung tissues,inhibiting the expression levels of TGF-β and VEGF,and relieving the degree of pulmonary fibrosis in IPF mice.

Effects of astragalus injection combined with puerarin injection on process of endoplasmic reticulum stress through PERK pathway in dabe-tic nephropathy mice / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM: To investigate the effects of astragalus injection combined with puerarin injection on endo-plasmic reticulum stress through PERK pathway in diabetic nephropathy mice .METHODS: Male KKAy mice were ran-domly divided into model group ( injected with normal saline ) and treatment group ( injected with astragalus and puerarin ) . The male C57BL/6J mice served as normal group .The mice were sacrificed 4 weeks after treatments for observing morpho-logical changes under electron microscope .The renal tissues were collected to determine the expression of protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase ( PERK ) , eukaryotic initiation factor 2α( eIF2α) and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) at mRNA and protein levels by real-time PCR and Western blot.RESULTS: Under electron microscope, the renal tubular epithelial cells in model group and treatment group showed the swelling of the nucleus , endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria .The results of real-time PCR and Western blot showed that the expression of PERK , eIF2αand GRP78 at mRNA and protein levels in model group was higher than that in normal group (P<0.05), while that in treatment group was lower than that in model group .CONCLUSION: Astragalus injection combined with puerarin injection reduces the mRNA and protein expression of PERK , eIF2αand GRP78, thus inhibiting the endoplasmic reticulum stress in type 2 dia-betic mice to protect the kidney function .

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Behaviours and Hippocampal Microvascular A? Deposition in 7-month-old APP/PSI Double Transgenic Mice / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To explore one mechanism of therapeutic action of electroacupuncture on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), that is, improving the way to eliminate cerebral microvascular Ab by investigating the effect of electroacupuncture on hippocampal microvascular Ab deposition and learning and memory abilities in APP/PSI double transgenic mice. Method Twenty-four 7-month-old male APP/PSI double transgenic mice were randomized into model and electroacupuncture groups, 12 mice each. Same sex transgene-negative littermate mice (12 mice) constituted a blank control group. The electroacupuncture group received electric acupuncture at points Baihui (GV20) and Yongquan (KI1), 15 min once every other day, for a total of six weeks. After treatment, mouse learning and memory abilities were tested using the Morris water maze. The expressions of Ab 1-40 and Ab 1-42 in the hippocampal microvascular wall and senile plaque were determined by immunohistochemical method. Hippocampal microvascular Ab-positive expression was semi-quantitatively analyzed using the Imagine Pro Plus software. Result The Morris water maze test showed that escape latency lengthened (P<0.05), and the number of crossing platform and swimming time in the platform quadrant decreased (P<0.05) in the model group compared with the blank control group. Escape latency shortened (P<0.05), and the number of crossing platform and swimming time in the platform quadrant increased (P<0.05) in the electroacupuncture group compared with the model group. The immunohistochemical results showed that hippocampal microvascular Ab 1-42 and Ab 1-40 integral optical densities were higher in the model group than in the blank control group (P<0.05) and senile plaques appeared in the hippocampus. Hippocampal microvascular Ab 1-42 and Ab 1-40 integral optical densities were lower in the in the electroacupuncture group than in the model group (P<0.05). Conclusion Electroacupuncture reduces mouse learning and memory impairments and hippocampal microvascular Ab deposition. Its mechanism may be that electroacupuncture improves the way of eliminating cerebral microvascular Ab to decrease cerebral Ab deposition.