Protective effects of acupuncture on myocardial ischemia in each stage have been confirmed increasingly, while there was no in-depth research in terms of histone modifications. Histone modification is an important part of epigenetics. It is also the focus of molecular biology and basic medical research. In this paper, the relationship of histone modifications and gene expression of heart was first explained. Then, the recent research progress of modified histones, which was the direct alteration of gene expression induced by histone modifications on the degree and prognosis of myocardial ischemic injury, was reviewed. This investigation introduced epigenetic regulation in the protection mechanism of myocardial ischemia by acupuncture. It provided new ideas and directions for the study of molecular mechanism of acupuncture efficacy.

The modern statistical and data mining technology is used to analyze the law of the acupoint selection in the treatment of insomnia with acupuncture and moxibustion. The clinical literature on the treatment of insomnia with acupuncture and moxibustion in recent 10 years is collected from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Excel software is applied to establish the database of acupuncture prescriptions for insomnia so as to conduct the descriptive analysis, association rule analysis and clustering analysis on the data. In the treatment of insomnia with acupuncture and moxibustion, Shenmen (HT 7) is of the highest frequency and most acupoints were selected from the Governor Vessel. The commonly used acupoints are located on the head, face, neck and nape region. The combination of the local acupoints with the distal ones is predominated. The crossing points among the specific points present the advantage in the treatment. The association: rule analysis indicates the highest, correlation among Taixi (KI 3), Sishencong (EX-HN 1) and Shenmen (HT 7). The clustering analysis results in 6 effective clusters and 10 pairs of key points and summarizes the common law of the acupoint combination for insomnia. All of these provide the reference to the treatment of insomnia with acupuncture and moxibustion.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; China ; Data Mining ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; therapy ; Software

This study was aimed to analyze acupoint selection principle for acute gouty arthritis treatment. Literatures on acupuncture treatment of acute gouty arthritis were collected from CNKI in recent 20 years. Excel software was used in the establishment of database on main acupoints for acute gouty arthritis treatment. On Windows 8 platform, SPSS 17.0 and Clementine 12.0 software were used in the descriptive analysis, association rules analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed that the top three acupionts with the highest frequency of application were Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36), and Y inlingquan (SP 9). The meridian used with the highest frequency was the spleen meridian of foot Taiyin. The result of association rules analysis showed that Sanyinjiao (SP 6)-Xuehai (SP 10)-Quchi (LI 11) was the most relational one. The cluster analysis indicated the top four core cluster groups including Xiangu (ST 43)-Neiting (ST 44)-Xingjian (LR 2), Xuehai (SP 10)-Hegu (LI 4)-Quchi (LI 11), Taibai (SP 3)-Y inbai (SP 1)-Dadu (SP 2)-Fenglong (ST 40), and Zhubin (KI 9)-Zhigou (TE 6)-Gongsun (SP 4)-Bafeng (EX-LE 10). It was con-cluded that the clinical acupoint selection and combination principle in acute gouty arthritis treatment were analyzed through large amount of data. It can provide evidences and references for acupuncture clinical practice.

In view of the public academic papers of Professor LIU Zhicheng, his academic track is analyzed, including validating effect, exploring mechanism, improving efficacy, expanding disease variety, deepening mechanism, optimizing program and seeking breakthrough. On this basis, combined with the self-character of TCM, the potential path for the academic cultivation of young scholars is refined: focusing on clinical practice, confirming clinical efficacy, deepening mechanism exploration, improving clinical therapeutic effect, optimizing clinical program, extending clinical disease spectrum, inheriting, seeking, breaking through, innovating, expecting and topping over. It is believed that during the academic cultivation, the importance is to form the stable research direction and continuity, organize research team, absorb actively new knowledge and thoughts, and adopt multidisciplinary cross and coordination so as to achieve the greater success ultimately.
Acupuncture ; education ; history ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; China ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Male ; Publications ; Teaching ; history

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy on chronic stable angina pectoris treated with acupuncture at Neiguan (PC 6) and explore the impacts of acupuncture on peripheral blood neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the patients of stable angina pectoris.

METHODSThirty patients of chronic stable angina pectoris met the inclusive criteria were randomized into an acupuncture group (15 cases) and a medication group (15 cases), and a healthy control group (15 cases of the same ages) was set up separately. In the acupuncture group, at the same time of the basic medication, acupuncture was applied to bilateral Neiguan (PC 6), once every two days, 3 days a week, totally for 4 weeks. In the medication group, the basic medication was applied, without acupuncture intervention. In the healthy control group, no any intervention was applied. The attack frequency of angina pectoris, dose of nitrogly-cerin, the evaluation of visual analogue scale (VAS), Seattle angina questionnaire (SAQ), the six-minute walking test (6MWT), the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and the self-rating depression scale (SDS) were observed before and after treatment in the subjects. Additionally, the peripheral blood cells were detected to analyze specifically the changes in NLR before and after treatment and observe the relationship between NLR and clinical efficacy.

RESULTSCompared with the medication group, the attack frequency of angina pectoris was reduced within 30 days (P<0.01); the dose of nitroglycerin was reduced (P<0.01); VAS was reduced (P<0.01) and SAQ was increased (P<0.05) in the acupuncture group. The differences in 6 MWT, SAS and SDS were not significant between the two groups after treatment (all P>0.05). Additionally, compared with the medication group, in 30 days of acupuncture, NLR was reduced apparently in the acupuncture group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture relieves the clinical symptoms of chronic stable angina pectoris, but has not apparent effects on motor ability and psychological health. Corresponding to that before treatment, the decreased NRL in the patients of acupuncture group suggests the potential good prognosis on coronary heart disease after acupuncture.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Angina, Stable ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Blood Cell Count ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neutrophils ; cytology

Objective To investigate the influence of acupuncture therapy on neural stem cell (NCS) proliferation and differentiation in the hippocampus of the senescence-accelerated prone-8 (SAP8) mouse. Methods Twenty-four SAP8 mice were randomly and equally divided into a model group and an acupuncture group. Twelve senescence-accelerated resistant ( SAR1 ) mice served as the control group. Acupuncture was administered at the Baihui (DU20) point to mice in the acupuncture group once daily for 21 consecutive days. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was used to detect the proliferation and differentiation of NCSs in the hippocampus through double-labeled immunofluoresSAR1 group, the positive cells in the SAP8 group were significantly fewer Compared to the SAP8 group, positive cells markers of neuron or glia cell positive cells appeared. Compared to the SAR1 group, the expression of BrdU/GFAP increased in the SAP8 group, and decreased after acupuncture but not significantly. BrdU/S-100 β cells decreased significantly in the SAP8 group, and increased after acupuncture, but again not significantly. Compared to the SAR1 group BrdU/GalC positive cells increased significantly in the SAP8 group and decreased significantly after acupuncture.Conclusions After acupuncture treatment for 21 days, the differentiation of hippocampal NSCs into oligodendrocytes was inhibited, but there was little effect on their differentiating into neurons and immature astrocytes.

Objective: To observe the effects of needles with different diameters on the gastrointestinal function in mice. Methods: Eighteen Kunming mice were randomly divided into group of 0.25 mm needle, group of 0.35 mm needle, and control group. The acupoint of Zusanli (ST 36) was needled once a day for 5 days. The effects of needles with different diameters were observed by measuring the distance of the carbon moved in the intestine. Results: The distance of the carbon moved in the intestine was longer in the acupuncture group than in the control group (P<0.05), and it was longer in the group of 0.35 mm needle than in the group of 0.30 mm needle, there was no significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment can enhance the peristalsis function of stomach and intestine in mice. The diameter of needle has no effect on the gastrointestinal function.

A large amount of data has been accumulated in Chinese medical area. Problems as how to use big data to carry out randomized controlled trials have also been increasingly noteworthy. Through learning the successful experiences in conducting randomized controlled trials on big data from abroad, this article introduces the knowledge regarding sources of data, identification of research subjects and outcomes, interventions, methods of randomization and the implementation of informed consent, etc., all related to big data, hoping to shed light on studies of this kind, for the years to come in China.

Objective: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at Neiguan (PC6) on arrhythmia during acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion and the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) in rats. Methods: A total of 40 Sprague-Dawley male rats were used. Ten rats were randomly selected as the blank group, and the remaining 30 rats were randomly divided into a model group and an EA group, with 15 rats in each group. Before modeling, rats in the EA group received one session of EA intervention at bilateral Neiguan (PC6) for 30 min; the other groups were treated with the same grasping and anesthesia for 30 min without intervention. PowerLab physiological recorder was used to record electrocardiograph within 30 min of infarction. After the experiment, cardiac tissue and serum were collected from rats. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the morphological changes of myocardial tissue in the ventricular infarction area of rats in each group. The expression of Cx43 protein in the myocardium of each group was detected by Western blotting (WB). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase in myocardial tissue and the serum content of endogenous digitalis-like factor (EDLF) in rats. Results: There was no statistical difference in arrhythmia score between the EA group and the model group, but the total duration and average duration of arrhythmia in the EA group were decreased (P<0.01). HE staining showed that compared with the blank group, myocardial cells in the model group were disorganized and seriously damaged. The pathological changes in the EA group were similar to those in the model group, but the damage was relatively minor. The results of WB showed that compared with the blank group, the Cx43 expression in myocardial tissue of the model group was decreased (P<0.01); compared with the model group, the Cx43 expression in the EA group was increased (P<0.01); compared with the blank group, the Na+-K+-ATPase activity in myocardial tissue of the model group was significantly decreased (P<0.01); compared with the model group, the Na+-K+-ATPase activity in the EA group was increased (P<0.01). ELISA results showed that compared with the blank group, the serum EDLF content in the model group was significantly increased (P<0.01); compared with the model group, the EDLF content in the EA group was decreased (P<0.01). Conclusion: EA at Neiguan (PC6) can delay and reduce the onset of arrhythmia during myocardial infarction in the rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. Its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of the Cx43 expression in myocardial tissue, improvement of the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase in myocardial tissue, and increase in the content of serum EDLF.

This study was carried out to defect the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in the olfactory bulb of senescence-accelerated mouse P8. Immunofluorescence double staining methods(BrdU/Nestin, BrdU/MAP-2 and BrdU/beta-tubulin III) were used. The results show that both acupuncture and moxibustion could improve proliferation of neural stem cells, but only moxibustion could induce differentiation of neural stem cells into neuron.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Male ; Mice ; Moxibustion ; Neural Stem Cells ; cytology ; Olfactory Bulb ; cytology