Objective: To summarize the research status of the changes in local microenvironment of acupoints caused by acupuncture, provide theoretical guidance for the initiation mechanisms of local acupuncture effect at acupoints. Methods: Using acupuncture, acupoint as key words to search China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang), Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP), PubMed and other databases, the representative articles were selected for review. Results: Acupuncture could excite afferent nerves, activate cells, and promote the release of chemical substances like neuropeptide, hormone, cytokines, etc. in the local site of acupoints. Besides, it may cause mechanical deformation of connective tissues, and change chemical ions as well as ion channels. Conclusion: The microenvironment changes around acupoints are crucial to acupuncture effect; the concept of 'acupoints network' can be used to objectively describe the local changes around the acupoints after acupuncture.

Adult ; Antigens, CD20 ; metabolism ; Brain ; pathology ; Brain Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; CD3 Complex ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; metabolism ; Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis ; immunology ; pathology ; Male

Disease Notification ; Humans ; Occupational Diseases ; diagnosis

0.05).Conclusion There are no significant effects on bone metabolism and growth of children with small dose of IGs per day for a longer time.

The quality control and evaluation methods of Schizonepeta tenuifolia were established by HPLC fingerprint, multi index component content determination and chemical pattern recognition to provide basis for the quality control of medicinal materials. The chemical components of 25 batches of Schizonepeta tenuifolia panicle medicinal materials and decoction pieces collected were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, and the common pattern of fingerprint was established. A total of 22 common chromatographic peaks were calibrated, and their similarity was more than 0.9. The samples were divided into three categories according to different producing areas by cluster analysis. The results of principal component analysis and cluster analysis were consistent. Finally, five differential markers of different batches of Schizonepeta tenuifolia were selected by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Through the identification of the reference substance, it was determined that peak 9 was hesperidin, peak 10 was rosmarinic acid, peak 13 was tilianin, peak 14 was quercetin, and peak 20 was pulegone. The quality evaluation method established in this study is stable and reliable, and is suitable for the quality control of Schizonepeta tenuifolia.

Objective To investigate the effects of Saussurea involucrata extract pretreatment on the expression of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in mice and its possible neuroprotective mechanism.Methods Seventy-two Kunming mice were randomly divided into four groups:sham operation,saline,Saussurea involucrata extract,and edaravone groups (n =18 in each group).Saussurea involucrata extract 0.8 g/kg was given intraperitoneally in the Saussurea involucrata extract group; edaravone 3 mg/kg was given in the edaravone group; and the same volume of saline was given in the saline group.A model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was induced after 7 days of continuous injection.Cerebral infarct volume was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium staining.Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect TLR4-positive cells in ischemic brain tissue.Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of TLR4/NF-κB mRNA.Results The cerebral infarct volume in mice in the saline,Saussurea involucrata extract and edaravone groups was 131.55± 28.25 mm3,84.10 ±13.92 mm3 and 65.10 ± 6.78 mm3,respectively.There were significant difference (F =10.158,P =0.012).The infarct volume in the Saussurea involucrata extract group (P =0.020) and edaravone group (P0.005) was significantly less than that in the saline group,and there was no significantly difference between the 2 groups.The numbers of cortex and TLR4 positive cells in hippocampus area at the ischemic sides in the saline group were significantly more than those in the sham operation group (all P ＜0.001).The numbers of positive cells of cortex and TLR4 in the Saussurea involucrata extract group and the edaravone group were significantly decreased compared to the saline group (all P ＜ 0.05),and there was no significant differences between the Saussurea involucrata extract group and the edaravone group.The expressions of TLR4,p50,and p65 mRNA in the saline group were significantly up-regulated compared to the sham operation group (all P =0.000).Saussurea involucrata extract could significantly down-regulate the expressions of TLR4,p50,and p65 mRNA at 24 hours after ischemia/reperfusion (all P =0.000).Edaravone could significantly down-regulate the expressions of TLR4 and p65 mRNA (all P =0.000) and it had a down-regulated trend for the expression of p50 mRNA (P =0.053); while there was no significant difference in the expressions of TLR4 and p65 mRNA between the Saussurea involucrata extract group and the edaravone group.Conclusions Saussurea involucrata extract pretreatment may significantly reduce the cerebral infarct volume,down-regulate the expressions of TLR4 and NF-κB subunit,and play a neuroprotective effect by inhibiting inflammatory response after ischemia.

To study the effect of Gegen Qinlian decoction and its major effective components on five hepatic microsomal CYP450 isozymes in rats. The in vitro hepatic microsomal incubation technique was used to co-culture Gegen Qinlian decoction and its major effective components together with each probe substrate. HPLC-MS/MS was used to establish the analytical method for metabolites of the five isoform probe substrates of CYP450 isozymes, detect the linearity among micoromal protein concentration, incubation time and metabolite formation amount. And HPLC-MS/MS was applied to determine the formation rate (V) of corresponding metabolites (acetaminophen, 4-OH-chlorzoxazone, dextrophan, 6-OH-chlorzoxazone and 6β-hydroxytestosterone) specific probe substrates of the five isoform probe substrates of CYP450 isozymes (phenacetin, polbutamide, dextromethorphan, chlorzoxazone, testosterone), in order to determine the activity of each isozyme. The result showed good linearity among acetaminophen, 4-OH-tolbutamide, dextrophan, 6-OH-chlorzoxazone and 6β-hydroxytestosterone, satisfactory precision, stability and average recovery, suggesting the method was feasible. The optimized in vitro microsomal incubation conditions conformed to the requirements in the guideline of drug-drug interaction. Gegen Qinlian decoction showed different degrees of inhibitor effect on 5 CYP450 isoforms (CYP1A2, CYP2C11, CYP2D2, CYP2E1, CYP3A1/2). Its major effective component berberine could inhibit each CYP450 isoform at high concentrations (except for CYP1A2, CYP3A1/2).
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Isoenzymes ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Liver ; enzymology ; Rats ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation of the serum and synovial fluid interleukin (IL)-1β,IL-6,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α and bone marrow edema with osteoarthritis of the knee (KOA).MethodsThe clinical data of 331 KOA patients were included and all patients had knee MRI.Bone marrow edema were detected in 172 cases and 159 cases had non-bone marrow edema.The clinical symptoms,WOMAC score,and the serum and synovial fluid IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α levels were compared using One-way ANOVA analysis and Spearman's correlation analysis.Results① The serum and synovial fluid IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α in osteoarthritis was positively correlated(serum r=0.24,0.38,0.31; synovial fluid r=0.20,0.29,0.33 ; all P＜0.05) ; ② The serum and synovial fluid IL-6 and TNF-α levels of osteoarthritis with bone marrow edema were significantly higher than those of the osteoarthritis without bone marrow edema(serum F=8.139,7.172; synovial fluid F=9.201,7.001; all P＜0.05); ③ The serum and synovial fluid TNF-α,IL-6 levels was associated with osteoarthritis with bone marrow edema in volume (serum r,=0.27,0.26; synovial fluid rs=0.29,0.32; all P＜0.05) and severity(serum rs=0.29,0.27; synovial fluid rs=0.29,0.31; all P＜0.05); ④ The serum and synovial fluid IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α of osteoarthritis with synovitis was significantly higher than that of osteoarthritis without synovitis group (group of bone edema:serum F=3.931,5.866,5.514; synovial fluid F=4.211,5.202,5.972; all P＜0.05.non-bone edema patients:serum F=3.513,3.114,7.112; synovial fluid F=3.722,3.965,8.891; all P＜0.05).ConclusionIL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α are elevated in osteoarthritis with synov-itis.IL-6 and TNF-α are elevated significantly in knee osteoarthritis with bone marrow edema in particular.

Objective To investigate the expression of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) gene in the peripheral blood leukocyte of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE),and to evaluate the relationship between the gene expression and the disease activity.Methods The clinical data of 100 SLE patients,40 non-SLE patients with rheumatic diseases,and 40 normal controls were collected.Total RNA was extracted from the peripheral blood and then reverse transcribed into cDNA.Sybr green dye based real-time quantitative PCR method was used to compare the expression levels (indicated as 2-△Ct value) of PKR in the three groups.Results (1) The 2-△Ct value of PKR expression level in the SLE patients was (14.69 ± 7.62),which was significantly higher than those in the non-SLE patients (5.09 ±4.73,P =0.012) and normal controls (4.79 ± 3.49,P =0.005).(2) The 2-△Ct value of PKR expression level in the SLE patients with severe activity was (22.57 ±2.61),which was significantly higher than those in the SLE patients with mild activity and no activity(12.94±2.41,P =0.000 ;8.85 ± 2.17,P =0.000).(3) The 2 △Ct value of PKR expression level in the SLE patients with lupus nephritis was significantly higher than that in the SLE patients without lupus nephritis (16.85 ± 7.32 vs 8.35 ± 2.04,P =0.034).(4) The 2-△Ct value of PKR was correlated with the systemic lupus erythematosus index(SLEDAI) scores(r =0.32,P =0.000),WBC (r =0.46,P =0.000),Hb (r =-0.22,P =0.035),the quantitation of urine protein in 24 hours (r =0.21,P =0.000),HDL-C (r =0.21,P =0.022),and anti-RNP antibody (rs =-0.21,P =0.025).Conclusions The expression of PKR in the SLE patients is up-regulated,especially in those with severe activity.The expression level of PKR gene is associated with SLE disease activity.

Animals ; Berberine/pharmacology* ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Rats