Subdose of human chorionic gonadotropin applied at the Hou Hai acupoint on follicular dynamics and luteal development in donkeys

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of an hCG subdose applied at the Hou Hai acupoint as an ovulation inducer in donkeys. Eleven donkeys were distributed in randomized blocks in T1 = application of 1,500 IU of hCG intravenous (IV); T2 = 450 IU of hCG applied at the false acupoint (IV), and T3 = 450 IU of hCG applied at the Hou Hai acupoint. There was no difference (P > 0.05) between the treatments regarding the mean diameter of the pre-ovulatory follicle (34.5 ± 1.3 mm), the ovulation rate (96.97%), the interval between induction and ovulation (58.07 ± 16.82 h), the mean diameter of the CL (D0 = 23.0 ± 0.6; D2 = 27.7 ± 1.9 and D8 = 28.2 ± 0.8mm), and serum P₄ concentrations (10.50 ± 2.99 ng.mL^-1). The application of 450 IU of hCG at the Hou Hai acupoint increased ovulation rate (72.73%) more than 48 h after induction (P = 0.03) and a larger diameter of the CL on D4 (30.7 ± 5.1 mm) (P = 0.04). The vascularization area of the CL on D8, obtained by minimum number of colored pixel (NCP), was greater (P < 0.05) in the donkeys that received 1,500 IU of IV hCG (T1, 41.91 ± 1.17), and we found a positive correlation (P < 0.05) between mean NCP and P₄ concentration in the donkeys that received 450 IU of hCG IV at the false acupoint (T2) or at the Hou Hai acupoint (T3). The application of 450 IU of hCG by IV route at the false acupoint or the Hou Hai acupoint was sufficient to induce ovulation in donkeys, demonstrating that the average dosage commonly used for this species is too high.     

Placebo studies and ritual theory: a comparative analysis of Navajo, acupuncture and biomedical healing

Using a comparative analysis of Navajo healing ceremonials, acupuncture and biomedical treatment, this essay examines placebo studies and ritual theory as mutually interpenetrating disciplines. Healing rituals create a receptive person susceptible to the influences of authoritative culturally sanctioned 'powers'. The healer provides the sufferer with imaginative, emotional, sensory, moral and aesthetic input derived from the palpable symbols and procedures of the ritual process-in the process fusing the sufferer's idiosyncratic narrative unto a universal cultural mythos. Healing rituals involve a drama of evocation, enactment, embodiment and evaluation in a charged atmosphere of hope and uncertainty. Experimental research into placebo effects demonstrates that routine biomedical pharmacological and procedural interventions contain significant ritual dimensions. This research also suggests that ritual healing not only represents changes in affect, self-awareness and self-appraisal of behavioural capacities, but involves modulations of symptoms through neurobiological mechanisms. Recent scientific investigations into placebo acupuncture suggest several ways that observations from ritual studies can be verified experimentally. Placebo effects are often described as 'non-specific'; the analysis presented here suggests that placebo effects are the 'specific' effects of healing rituals.     

Combination of pharmacological analgesics and microwave irradiation of an acupuncture point for suppression of visceral pain in mice: Role of the opioid and serotonergic cerebral systems

We studied suppression of pain-related reactions induced in mice by i.p. injection of 0.08 ml of a 2% solution of acetic acid using pharmacological analgesics (analgin and tramadol) combined with low-intensity microwave irradiation of an acupuncture point (AP) E-36 (frequency 30 to 300 GHz and power rate density 3·10⁻⁹ W/cm²). The respective effects were also observed under conditions of suppression of the functions of opioid and serotonergic cerebral systems using injections of, respectively, naloxone and DL-p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA). We found that antinociceptive effects provided by analgesics used in a 50% mean single dose in the combination with microwave irradiation of the AP were significantly more intense than those induced by isolated injection of analgesics used in both 50% and full mean single doses and isolated microwave irradiation of the AP E-36. After injections of naloxone, analgesic effects caused by the combined action of analgin and microwave irradiation of the AP were considerably smaller. At the same time, after injection of p-CPA, analgesic effects, provided by the combination of injection of pharmacological agents and microwave irradiation of the AP, weakened in the case of use of both analgesics. This was manifested in a significant increase in the total duration of pain-related behavioral reactions. Therefore, the studied analgesic effects observed in the examined animal groups are realized due to the involvement of the opioid and serotonergic cerebral systems. Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 39, No. 6, pp. 468–477, November–December, 2007.     

补肾活血疏肝汤联合西药治疗帕金森伴睡眠障碍及抑郁的疗效分析

目的:探讨补肾活血疏肝汤联合西药治疗帕金森(PD)伴睡眠障碍及抑郁的临床疗效。方法:选择2016年1月～2018年1月上海中医药大学附属第七人民医院神经内科收治的210例PD伴睡眠障碍及抑郁患者,根据随机数字表法将患者分为联合组和对照组,每组各105例。对照组采用常规西医治疗,治疗组在此基础上加用补肾活血疏肝汤。治疗3个月后,评价和比较两组的总体疗效、治疗前后UPDRSⅡ、Ⅲ评分、PSQI评分及HAMD评分的变化情况。结果:治疗后,联合组UPDRSⅡ、Ⅲ评分和HAMD评分均较治疗前显著下降,且明显低于对照组(P0.05);两组PSQI评分均较治疗前显著下降,且联合组PSQI评分显著低于对照组(P0.05)。结论:补肾活血疏肝汤联合西药治疗PD伴睡眠障碍及抑郁可显著提高其临床疗效,改善患者的睡眠障碍及抑郁状态。     

疏肝健脾法对产后缺乳大鼠催乳素及其受体表达的影响研究

目的:观察疏肝健脾法对产后缺乳肝郁脾虚证大鼠乳腺组织形态学与催乳素(prolactin,PRL)及其受体(prolactin receptor,PRLR)表达的影响。方法:采用甲磺酸溴隐亭溶液+慢性束缚法复制大鼠产后缺乳肝郁脾虚病证结合动物模型,随机分为模型组、空白对照组、西药对照组、中药低、中、高剂量组,每组8只,共6组。药物干预后,采用HE染色及免疫组化法比较不同干预方法对产后缺乳大鼠乳腺组织形态与催乳素及其受体表达的影响,匀浆乳腺组织,采用ELISA法检测乳腺组织催乳素(PRL)、血清催乳素(PRL)、胃泌素(GAS)、血清下丘脑一垂体一肾上腺轴(The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,HPA轴)水平变化:促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素(CRH)、促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)、皮质醇(COR)。结果:与模型组相比,西药对照组和中药低、中、高剂量组均可促进乳腺组织向泌乳活跃期发育,表现为腺泡腔充盈、腺泡上皮细胞数量增多、结缔组织和脂肪组织退化,同时增加乳腺组织中PRL(空白对照组(145.72±16.332)、中药中剂量组(127.39±10.854)西药对照组(80.79±18.112)、中药低剂量组(89.42±14.183)、中药高剂量组(88.02±12.064)模型组(54.32±7.128))(P0.05)及PRLR(空白对照组(139.76±14.199)、中药中剂量组(129.09±18.755)西药对照组(87.42±8.390)、中药低剂量组(81.54±11.090)、中药高剂量组(85.167±9.494)模型组(60.93±11.767))的表达(P0.05)。与模型组相比,疏肝健脾中药可降低过高的血清CRH、ACTH、COR水平,升高乳腺组织PRL、血清GAS及PRL水平(P0.05)。其中,中药中剂量组疗效优于其他用药各组(P0.05)。结论:疏肝健脾法促进产后缺乳大鼠的泌乳作用机制与增加PRL及其受体表达、调节胃肠功能、抑制HPA轴的亢进状态,从而促进乳腺组织形态向泌乳活跃期发育密切相关。     

High resolution X-ray crystallographic structure of bovine heart cytochrome c and its application to the design of an electron transfer biosensor

Cytochrome c is one of the most studied proteins probably due to its electron-transfer properties in aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Particularly, cytochrome c from bovine heart is a small protein, M(r) 12,230 Da, globular (hydrodynamic diameter of 3.4 nm), soluble in different buffer solutions, and commercially available. Despite being a quite well-studied protein and relatively easy to manipulate from the biochemical and electrochemical viewpoint, its 3D structure has never been published. In this work, the purification, crystallization and 3D structure of one of the cytochrome c isoforms is presented to 1.5 A resolution. It is also shown how the presence of isoforms made both the purification and crystallization steps difficult. Finally, a new approach for protein electrocrystallization and design of biosensors is presented.     

益气健脾方对Wistar鼠大肠癌模型中异常腺窝病灶的影响及其相关机制的探讨

目的:探讨益气健脾方对大肠癌模型异常腺窝病灶(ACF)的抑制效应及其相关机制。方法:50只Wistar大鼠随机分为5组:中药低剂量组(将中药溶液稀释3倍后,5 mL/kg日灌胃量)、中药中剂量组(5 mL/kg日灌胃量)、中药高剂量组(15 m L/kg日灌胃量)、模型组、正常组,每组10只大鼠,采用免疫组化法、美兰染色后镜下观察大肠组织。结果:各中药组ACF及大型ACF的数量较模型组减少(P0.05),并且中药中剂量组ACF数量减少最为明显,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。造模后24h、48h中药组肠腺细胞PCNA增殖指数低于模型组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。造模后24 h、48 h中药组肠腺细胞凋亡指数高于模型组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。中药组β-catenin异位表达均低于模型组,并且中药组β-catenin异位表达中高剂量组最高,低剂量组次之,中剂量组最低(P0.05)。中药组MMP-7的表达均低于模型组,而且各中药组中低剂量MMP-7表达最高,高剂量组次之,中剂量组最低(P0.05)。结论:益气健脾方可以明显降低Wistar大鼠ACF的发生数量,抑制大肠癌发生中Wnt信号的激活,在一定程度上减少了大肠癌的发生,起到了预防作用。     

手足温针灸联合步行阶梯训练对老年糖尿病周围神经病变患者步态异常、血流动力学和感觉及运动神经传导的影响

摘要 目的：观察手足温针灸联合步行阶梯训练对老年糖尿病周围神经病变（DPN）患者步态异常、血流动力学和感觉及运动神经传导的影响。方法：按照随机数字表法将上海市第六人民医院2020年3月~2022年1月期间收治的119例老年DPN患者分为对照组（n=59,步行阶梯训练）和研究组（n=60,手足温针灸联合步行阶梯训练）。对比两组疗效、步态异常、血流动力学、临床症状改善情况和感觉及运动神经传导变化情况。结果：研究组91.67%的临床总有效率高于对照组72.88%（P<0.05）。研究组干预后的密歇根糖尿病神经病变评分（MDNS）和多伦多临床评分系统（TCSS）评分低于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组干预后的腓总神经及胫神经的感觉神经传导速度（SNCV）、运动神经传导速度（MNCV）高于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组干预后的全血黏度、血浆比黏度、纤维蛋白原低于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组足底压力中心轨迹（COP）曲线异常、全足平衡性曲线异常、全足压力变化曲线异常例数少于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：手足温针灸联合步行阶梯训练可促进老年DPN患者步态异常、血流动力学和感觉及运动神经传导恢复,疗效较好。     

通督调神针法联合穴位贴敷对老年气虚血瘀证缺血性脑卒中恢复期患者脑血流、血液流变学和血清NGF、BDNF的影响

摘要 目的：探讨通督调神针法联合穴位贴敷对老年气虚血瘀证缺血性脑卒中恢复期患者脑血流、血液流变学和血清神经生长因子（NGF）、脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）的影响。方法：本次研究纳入我院于2021年3月~2022年5月期间收治的70例老年气虚血瘀证缺血性脑卒中恢复期患者。采用信封抽签法分为对照组（n=35）和观察组（n=35）。对照组接受常规治疗,观察组在对照组的基础上接受通督调神针法联合穴位贴敷治疗。对比两组疗效、美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表（NIHSS）评分、中医证候积分、脑卒中专用生活质量量表（SS-QOL）评分、Fugl-Meyer运动功能量表（FMA）评分、脑血流指标、血液流变学指标和NGF、BDNF水平。结果：观察组的临床总有效率为94.29%（33/35）,高于对照组的71.43%（25/35）（P<0.05）。观察组治疗4周后SS-QOL评分、FMA评分高于对照组同期,中医证候总积分、NIHSS评分低于对照组同期（P<0.05）。观察组治疗4周后血流阻力指数（RI）、搏动指数（PI）低于对照组同期,平均血流速度（Vm）高于对照组同期（P<0.05）。观察组治疗4周后全血低切黏度、血浆比黏度、全血高切黏度、纤维蛋白原均低于对照组同期（P<0.05）。观察组治疗4周后血清NGF、BDNF水平均高于对照组同期（P<0.05）。结论：通督调神针法联合穴位贴敷可有效改善老年气虚血瘀证缺血性脑卒中恢复期患者的脑血流、血液流变学,调节血清NGF、BDNF水平。     

The effects of acupuncture and electroacupuncture on Parkinson's disease: Current status and future perspectives for molecular mechanisms

Among the progressive neurodegenerative disorders, Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common. Different factors have critical role in pathophysiology of PD such as apoptosis pathways, inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and neurotransmitters and its receptors abnormalities. Acupuncture and electroacupuncture were considered as nondrug therapies for PD. Although numerous studies has been conducted for assessing the mechanism underlying electroacupuncture and acupuncture, various principal aspects of these treatment procedures remain not well-known. There have also been few investigations on the molecular mechanism of acupuncture and electroacupuncture therapy effects in PD. This review evaluates the effects of electroacupuncture and acupuncture on the molecular mechanism in PD.